Concept of Pancasila in Indian Thaought

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: P V Research Institute Varanasi

Page 16

CHAPTER I
ŚĪLA AND ITS ALLIED PROBLEMS
Meaning of Sila
The term 'Sila' literally means náture, character or behaviour. As an adjective, it means good disposition, good character, good conduct, morality or virtue, more precisely speaking, this is what is meant by the term 'susila'; however, even without the prefix 'su', 'sila' conventionally means good conduct or morality. In Indian ethics this is also denoted by the term 'caritra' or more technically by 'caritra' as is used in Jainism. Šila, caritra, morality, good conduct, etc., are all synonyms. Sila or morality can be defined as the conduct based on a distinction between right and wrong or good and bad. Conduct is the general behaviour or character of a person; the term 'good' which is connected with German 'gut' means valuable; a thing is generally said to be good when it is valuable or serviceable for some end or ideal one has in view. "It should be carefully observed however that the term good is also used with reference to conduct (perhaps more frequently) to signify not something which is a means to an end but something which is itself taken as an end, thus the supreme good or 'summum bonum' means the supreme end at which we aim."1
Morality or good conduct seems to be the distinguishing feature of humanity; it is the moral nature of man which distinguishes him from animals. Animals also satisfy their basic instincts and other allied wants, struggle for their existence, try to overcome obstacles by all means available to them 1. A Manual of Ethics-J. S. Mackenzie, p. 2.