If the “Instruction of the Seven Buddhas” is interpreted not as a commandment but as a statement, then Buddhist ethical morality is seen to be one of joy and courage. Instead of following orders or unwillingly obeying dictates of conscience, the Buddhist must gradually grow to the point where perpetrating evil is impossible for him, even under conditions in which the evil act might seem seductive.

… The Japanese Buddhist sects of the Kamakura period imposed no commandments and orders because, by becoming a truly faithful member of one of them, the person—if he was sincere, of course—was thought to be manifesting the desire to do only good. It was thought unnecessary to command such people to avoid evil.

Primitive Buddhism, in the form of the Pali version of the “Instruction of the Seven Buddhas” taught the same thing—that is, one must purify one’s own mind. This instruction rests on the premise of doing no evil and perpetrating good.

Purification of the mind means total entrustment to the Three Treasures—the Buddha, the Law, and the Order. A person who has entrusted himself to them is free of all trace of egoistic opinion and desire. He is selfless in relation to the Buddha and, as he perseveres in faith, becomes selfless in relation to all other people, animals, and his entire environment. Freed of personal opinions and desires, he has no egocentric ideas and does not act in an egocentric way. This means that the walls and barriers between him and other creatures, who inevitably react favorably to his attitude, collapse. He is able to become one with all beings. This is one of the major goals of Buddhism. Since it promotes the attainment of this goal, the “Instruction of the Seven Buddhas” is not only a major Buddhist teaching but also the core of Buddhist ethical practice. (Page 161-162)

As I have said, the “Instruction of the Seven Buddhas” is a compendium of Buddhist teachings on practical faith. To understand it accurately, it is important to take into consideration the discrepancy between the Chinese translation, which is the version that passed into Japan, and the original Pali version. In Chinese, the stanza is couched in the imperative: Commit no evil; do all that is good; purify your mind; this is the teaching of all the Buddhas. The Pali version (Dhammapada 183), on the other hand, is not in the imperative mode: To do no evil, to do all good, and to purify one’s own mind are the teachings of all the Buddhas. In the Chinese reading, the teaching is no more than ordinary morality. In the Pali, however, it is a lofty teaching of free and autonomously chosen ethical morality. (Page 160-161)

Since ordinary people are often incapable of comprehending profound doctrines, it is desirable to establish a minimum of essential theory that anyone can understand and then to help that understanding develop gradually. In his own time, Shakyamuni adjusted his teachings to the personalities of his audiences and employed expedient faith and expedient teachings centered on actual practice. It is important to remember that all of the various Buddhist doctrines are in effect examinations of the same basic issues from different viewpoints and are intimately related to practical faith. (Page 160)

People today hesitate to chant the old formulas or meditate in the Zen fashion without understanding what relations these acts have to human life in general. Lack of religious leaders capable of convincing people of the value of such simple acts of faith aggravates the situation. Nonetheless, the sound theoretical basis of Buddhism can inspire belief in these acts even today when few people approve of trusting without questioning.

The Buddhist sects that developed in Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1336)–notably the Jōdo sect, the Zen sects, and the Nichiren sect–are characteristically Japanese. They manifest a lofty purity and a penetration into the true spirit of Buddhism that are difficult to find elsewhere in the history of the religion. In these sects, simple acts like chanting formulas in praise of Amida Buddha or the Lotus Sutra or like seated meditation are considered sufficient for salvation in themselves without philosophizing or theoretical inquiries. But this does not mean that these sects lack theoretical foundations. Quite to the contrary, their founders evolved direct and clear acts of practical faith–chanting and meditation–after profound and extensive scholarly research. The ordinary man is not required to perform such research for himself: he need only follow the directions of his religious leader. Indeed, in these sects, theoretical study and speculation are forbidden as hindrances to practical faith. (Page 159-160)

See this blog post.

The heavy emphasis on theoretical philosophy in Buddhism— heavier than in many other religions—may result from the general Indian devotion to philosophical investigation. This and the Indian tendency to explain philosophy in terms of religious practice influenced Buddhism considerably. Shakyamuni himself was especially interested in philosophical issues and would employ nothing in his teachings that was not theoretically convincing. After having made a thorough investigation of the doctrines of the religions and philosophies of his time in order to determine which were correct and perfect, he compiled the distinctive teachings like the Law of Causation that distinguish Buddhism from other religions. Consequently, Buddhism has a rational foundation enabling it to withstand any criticism on the theoretical plane. Its rationalism is not concerned solely with abstract truth for its own sake but is a basis for actual practice of religious faith. This means that Buddhist faith is not merely unfounded enthusiasm but practical faith with a firm rational and ethical basis. Buddhist theory and practice are one. In Buddhism there is no theory that does not take practice into consideration, and there is no practice lacking theoretical substantiation. (Page 159)

The people of the past often said that the law of the world is not the Law of the Universe (Buddhist truth), though the Law of the Universe is the law of the world. This means that, though the Law of the Universe is much more than the law of the world, it cannot exist apart from it. The Law of the Universe guides the law of the world in the way that it should follow, and only under such conditions does the law of the world have value and significance. In this sense, the Law of the Universe is not limited to Buddhism or any single religion. (Page 156)

Some of Shakyamuni’s sermons emphasize secular morality and everyday life. Others seem to reject the law of the world with special vigor. An example of the former is the Sutra of Good Fortune, which is especially popular in Burma, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, countries where Southern Buddhism is prevalent. This sutra offers the following definitions of the highest blessings:

“Not to associate with fools but to associate with wise men and to revere people who are worthy of reverence. This is the highest blessing.

“To live in a suitable place, to have accumulated merits and virtues in previous lives, and to have correct wishes. This is the highest blessing.

“To be learned and skillful, to be trained and to have studied much, and to speak words of good teachings. This is the highest blessing.

“To care for parents, to provide well for wife and children, and to have a way of making a living that is pure and correct. This is the highest blessing.

“To give alms, to perform correct actions, to care lovingly for and to protect relatives, and to do nothing that is blameworthy. This is the highest blessing.

“To take no pleasure in wickedness and to refrain from evil acts, to control one’s own consumption of intoxicants, and to be selfless in all things. This is the highest blessing.

“To respect others, to be humble, to know what is sufficient, to be grateful for what others do, and from time to time to hear the Law taught. This is the highest blessing.

“To be forbearing, to speak gently, to meet with people of religion and occasionally to discuss the Law and teachings. This is the highest blessing.

“To make efforts, to be trained in the Buddha’s way, to comprehend the Noble Truths, and to find enlightenment in nirvana. This is the highest blessing.

“To remain unshaken by contact with the things of the secular world, to be free of anxiety, to be undefiled, and to be tranquil. This is the highest blessing.

“Those who do these things are undefeated in all things, prosperous in all things, and theirs is the highest blessing.”

This series of definitions represents Buddhist morality on the plane of everyday life. A person living according to these principles is not upset by contact with the law of the world.

Bharadvaja apparently offered Shakyamuni the gruel in the mistaken assumption that he was reciting stanzas for a living. But Shakyamuni refused, saying, “I do not eat things offered as recompense for the recitation of stanzas. Such is not the Law of people who understand the true nature of things correctly. I reject food that is offered on condition of exchange. Food acquired as an offering through mendicant practices is the true food of Buddhas of the Law. True Buddhas who have acquired all virtues and who have destroyed all illusions and have entered the realm of tranquility should be offered food other than what is given for recitations. The Buddha gives the supreme field of good fortune to those who make offerings unconditionally.” (Page 151)

At a time about ten years after his enlightenment, Shakyamuni was staying at a place called Southern Mountain in the kingdom of Magadha. He was apparently not well known in this region then. A Brahman farmer named Bharadvaja, who lived and worked his land with the aid of laborers, was cultivating his fields with five hundred plows. One morning, having arisen, dressed, and taken his begging bowl, Shakyamuni came to the fields of Bharadvaja, who was just then distributing food to his workers. With his begging bowl in his hands, Shakyamuni approached. Displeased by the appearance of a begging priest, Bharadvaja said, “O samana, I till my fields, plant seed, and live on what I harvest. Instead of amusing yourself and asking others for food, you too should till, plant, and eat what you earn by the sweat of your own labor.”

Although this attitude is perfectly natural from a secular viewpoint, it is surprising in the mouth of a Brahman, a member of the caste of spiritual leaders. It shows that this Brahman, like many others of his age, stressed material and economic matters above all else.

Hoping to correct his mistaken attitude, Shakyamuni said, “Brahman, I too live by tilling the earth and planting seeds.”

Because he failed to understand the meaning of these words, Bharadvaja said, “But, samana, I do not see your farming tools, your yoke, plow, plowshare, goad, or oxen. Nonetheless, you say that you live by tilling the earth and planting seeds. What can you mean

Then Shakyamuni answered in verse, “Faith is my seed. Right actions are the rain. Wisdom is my plow; conscience, my plow pole; the mind, my yoke; and right-mindedness, my plowshare and goad. I guard my body and speech from evil actions. I restrict the amount of food and clothing that I require. I use truth to weed out illusions, and mildness is my emancipation. Spiritual progress is my beast of burden, leading me to the serenity of nirvana, where I will have nothing to grieve about. Such tilling inevitably leads to an immortal harvest and liberation from all suffering.” (page 150)