Morality According to the Teaching

Starting a conversation about something as important as morality, we must immediately address the most crucial question. And, contrary to expectations, this will not be the question “What actions are moral, and which are immoral?” It will be the question “Does morality exist?”

If this seems unexpected, it need not be. Because — what if there is nothing to talk about? What if it doesn’t exist at all? By the way, some people indeed believe this. But the vast majority will say that morality certainly exists, and doubting this seems strange. However, there is no complete unanimity among them. It turns out that much of their understanding of morality coincides, but differences will also emerge. For example, some will say that its norms are prescribed from above (by god or gods), while others will argue that it is subjective, and that everyone decides for themselves what is moral and what is not, depending on the situation.

Here lies the problem. Because if morality is subjective, then there may not just be as many versions as there are people in the world, but even more — since morality can even change for the same person depending on the situation. This means that anything can be moral or immoral, at any time. There will be no permanent criteria even for the same person, let alone for humanity. And if anything can be alternately moral or immoral, at any time, for any individual according to their wishes, it means that morality does not exist. If moral and immoral are interchangeable, then there is no difference between them. Therefore, there is no morality as such.

Thus, real subjective morality does not exist. It is not morality, but its illusion. We will continue using the term in this sense. If true morality exists, it can only be objective. That is, based on something that does not depend on human judgments and whims. What, then, is this something? It was mentioned that some norms are prescribed by higher powers. However, this too is subjective morality. The subject here is not a person, but some deity who determines what is moral or immoral according to its wishes. This morality can change depending on the situation, time, current goals, and even the mood of the higher power. One can easily verify this by looking at the myths and sacred scriptures of different religions. And since religious concepts and images of supernatural higher powers are created by people themselves, the notions of morality embedded in them are, in fact, a reflection of the same subjective human views. It is people who project their beliefs through the mouths of “higher powers” they invented.

So, does morality exist? Another possible form of this question might be: can morality not exist?

What is it, anyway? Essentially, morality is the distinction between good and bad, right and wrong, with a projection onto actions. That is, “This is good and right, this is how you should act, and this is bad and wrong, and you should not act like this, this would be an immoral act.” From here, the roots of subjective morality arise: “What is good is what is good for me in this particular moment, and it is immoral to act in a way that does not do good for me or harms me. Therefore, when I have no reason to lie, I do not lie, and this is good — whereas when I need to lie, I will lie, and this will also be good. Whoever lies for my benefit is doing good, and whoever does not lie when I need them to, is doing bad.” This is a subjective evaluation of good and evil, which cannot serve as the foundation for morality. So what, then, can?

We need to think on a larger scale. The interests of one particular person are not the right scale, plus they are subjective. What is objective are the interests of the Universe. Its good is the good of everything in it, all its particles, and humans included. Conversely, what is bad for it is bad for everything. Here is the criterion for distinguishing between good and evil, and hence — the criterion for morality. What is good and beneficial for the Universe, and what is harmful to it, is objective reality. That is the basis for objective morality. Thus, morality exists, and it is objective. And it cannot not exist, because objective evaluation of good and evil, with its embodiment in practice, is the guarantee of the continued existence of the Universe. What works to create and develop the Universe is good, i.e., moral. What works to destroy and hinder its development is bad, i.e., immoral. Morality exists simply because there is something beneficial for the Universe and something harmful to it.

From an anthropocentric perspective, all this may not sound very pleasant. After all, a person wants to control everything themselves and determine what is right and what is wrong. However, you cannot go against reality. You can pretend that they depend on your opinion, you can call white black — but white will not become black, and the laws will continue to work as they have. You will simply substitute reality with an illusion, and as if blind yourself. Therefore, the first one to suffer will be you; and others will suffer from you too.

Thus, morality is a factor of the existence of the Universe. That is why, in the Teaching, morality (and ethics — these are closely related concepts, and we will refer to them by the same word here) is of paramount importance. The Teaching helps us understand the world and a person — for what purpose? So that we can understand the purpose of a person and learn to live in accordance with it. That is, to learn to live rightly. That is — morally. Therefore, the Teaching is not just a collection of theoretical knowledge. It is a collection of knowledge that must have practical application in actions. We understand the structure of the world and our place in it so that we create not evil, but good, not destruction, but creation. This is the essence of morality. We must follow it not to earn a pass to heaven, but so that the world can live and become better, and so that people suffer less already now, not in heaven, which is just a dream.

If we say that the main task of the Teaching is to teach people morality, this will be true. There are several aspects to this.

Firstly, the more actions align with morality, the less suffering there will be in the world. After all, human sorrow and suffering mostly occur because they cause harm to one another. Deception, violence, theft, humiliation, exploitation, and so on — all these are immoral actions. And everyone knows this. Many, however, try to justify it for themselves (or justify themselves in it), inventing subjective morality and declaring such actions as normal when it is advantageous. But the suffering they cause others does not become less as a result. Nor does the suffering others cause them. Subjective morality does not work. It is suitable only for a little self-soothing. But even then, illusory.

Secondly, sentient beings, including humans, carry particles of the Spirit and perfect them. The Universe, the Cosmos, is the Creator, and the Spirit is his soul. Each particle of the Spirit is a particle of the soul of the Creator, and its perfection is the purpose of the sentient being that carries it within. The Creator transformed himself into the Universe for the sake of self-knowledge and self-improvement. This happens through the sentient beings, whose minds are particles of the Creator’s mind, and the Spirit is particles of the Creator’s soul. With their minds, the sentient beings know the Creator — and the meaning is that through this knowledge, the Creator’s soul is perfected. How exactly? Through moral choices. We learn what is good and what is bad, and, overcoming negative desires, we choose the good, that which is right. That is, what benefits the Creator, or the Universe. Thus, we follow objective morality. Through this, the Spirit is perfected — and eventually, the Creator will acquire new qualities and have the opportunity to take the next step in his development. If he does not, he will perish, for he cannot exist without development. Such is evolution. In this system, morality is the driving force of progress. If it works, development and perfection occur, and the life of the Creator (the Universe) continues. If it does not, the end will be sad.

These are the most important aspects of the role of morality. On the smallest scale, it is what reduces the suffering of people, and on the largest scale, it guarantees the life of the Universe, that is, of the Creator. Particles of whom we all are. Therefore, morality is the main content of the Teaching. Simply because nothing is more important. Even knowledge occurs for the sake of it. It is the main point of application of knowledge, the focus in which it is concentrated.

Subjective quasi-morality is contrasted with objective morality. Where is this contrast? Where is the arena of their struggle? In the human being. Let me remind you once again: he is a particle of the Universe, an element of it as a system, and its laws also operate within him. This means that objective morality should also be inherent to him. And it truly is, at a deep level, which we call spiritual consciousness. In other words, at the level of the Spirit, which contains the personality of the Creator. That single personality, of which the personalities of the sentient beings are particles. Thus, within each of us, there is a single personality, within which all are one, with a common soul and common mind, while on top of it, an individual personality, individuality, is “superimposed”. We mainly perceive this latter one, as it is, so to speak, visible: we think with it, feel the surrounding world with it, and even see it in the mirror. We identify ourselves with it. Subjective morality expresses the interests and justifies the actions of an individual who separates himself from the Universe and from other individuals, and sometimes even sees himself as its and their antagonist. But within the same individual, objective morality is “recorded”. It is also one for all, just like the soul and mind of the Creator. Therefore, we call it universal human morality. Of course, it is inherent to all sentient beings — right now, we are talking about humans.

The Universe knows what is better for it and what is worse — that is, what is moral and what is immoral. Its particles know this, and they know it precisely. This knowledge is deeply embedded and drowned out by the “noise” of individuality. However, it is impossible to completely drown it out because objective morality is fundamental, and it supports, no less and no more, the life of the Universe. Such a thing cannot be completely drowned out or suppressed. Therefore, it manifests in humans as some kind of moral feeling. In every person, in all people. And since objective morality is one, it manifests the same way in all — although in some it is stronger, and in others, weaker.

This is how universal human morality is formed. It consists of a series of common elements inherent in the morality of different peoples, cultures, and eras. There are nuances that do not fit into this series — but these are isolated cases where some aspect of universal morality is distorted in one place or another. However, in general, moral criteria coincide. This is confirmed by the entire world history, culture, and ethics. For example: being honest, brave, generous, loyal, and just has always and everywhere been considered good, while being vile, cowardly, greedy, treacherous, and unjust has been considered bad. The two outlined rows can continue indefinitely. It is clear that some points had their own specifics in certain cultures — but the principles themselves coincided. That is, humanity as a community feels quite clearly what is moral and what is not. This is the manifestation of objective morality. It is formed from the manifestation of objective morality in each individual person and is summed up into universal human morality.

In view of the above, I emphasise that, as we see, human morality is not necessarily subjective. People have succeeded in inventing varieties of subjective morality — but through them, objective morality also manifests itself as universal human morality.

Thanks to such a phenomenon as universal human morality, humanity can exist. Were it not for it, discrepancies in moral views and the substitution of the positive with the negative would lead to a level of mutual hostility and cruelty, compared to which the horrors we know from history and modernity would seem like mere child’s play. However, despite some nuances, discrepancies, and substitutions, in general, the balance turns out to be positive, and the hell that could have been does not occur. Morality ultimately outweighs. We are told this in childhood, saying that good always prevails. I would say — not always, but predominantly. Over a short distance, it sometimes loses, but in the long run, it wins.

Everything is heading towards the future, where subjective morality will give way to objective morality on a global scale. This should be the natural result of an increasingly higher-quality and successful understanding of the world and humanity, combined with moral evolution, which can be slowed down but cannot be stopped or canceled forever.

The role of sentient beings in general and humans in particular is enormous. It is through sentient beings that the Spirit perfects itself. Without them, this is impossible. That is, they do the most important work. Therefore, the entire evolution of the Universe is directed toward their emergence. Their work is to learn, make moral choices based on what has been learnt, and carry out practical actions arising from these choices. In other words, it is about living a moral life. Evolution is aimed at creating beings capable of following morality. One could say this: everything in the Universe happens for the sake of morality.

The most important task — the task upon which the future of the Universe depends — cannot be easy. Moral choice is often very difficult, and living by the principles of morality is hard and dangerous. But it is precisely in this that the Spirit is perfected — in overcoming the bad, the wrong, the immoral. This is what is required of humans; this is their destiny. And this is what they have the ability and strength to do. Evolution has produced them as those capable of understanding and fulfilling their destiny. Otherwise, there would be no meaning in the existence of humanity.

These are the main foundational points concerning morality. These are the foundations from which everything else follows. Specific moral principles, positive human qualities, will, required for making moral choices and moral actions, relationships between people in the context of everything described above, various complex situations related to this, and much more — everything else also pertains to the topic of morality. But to understand how to live with all of this, context is necessary. One must understand the essence of morality as a phenomenon, its place in the system of the Universe — what it is, where it comes from, why it is needed, and how it is realised in life. This is what the conversation was dedicated to.

© Atarkhat, 2021