Ethics is a subject that is taking on increased importance in various areas of human activity，especially with new challenges in the biological sciences, business, commerce，and trade. Like many fields of inquiry. the principles are clearly defined，but it is in the details that disagreements abound. This paper focuses on ethical action in Therav?da Buddhism. To do so requires a definition of ethics and morals on the one hand，and ethic and moral on the other. It also requires a discussion of the difference，if any，between moral actions and other normative actions, such as law，rituals, customs, und etiquette. When applied to Therav?da Buddhism，we find that some linguistic difficulty exists regarding a translation of ethical actions into the Pali or Sanskrit languages. Although terms exist，they are not informative in defining the range of ' actions {hat we expect such actions to encompass. In this regard，certain axiomatic statements are introduced that serve as a basis of moral action regardless of culture. The Therav?da Buddhist response to these axioms, especially when discussing those actions reflecting sila, indicate a goal-orienled and utilitarian approach that conforms more closely to the concept of karma than to the Western notion of ethics. Why this is so requires an understanding of Vedic culture，the source of Indian attitudes regarding karma. 在人類活動的各個方面，倫理這題目的重要性一直在不斷增加. 特別是倫理在生物科學. 商業. 貿易方面都面臨著新的挑戰. 正如很多好奇的朋友詢問過這些問題，人們對這些原則也下了明晰的定義，但一談到細節，分歧比比皆是. 本文著重討論南傳佛教的倫理行為. 這方面需要對倫理和品行下定義，另一方面需要對道德規範和道德下定義. 還需要討論道德行為和其他正常行為的差異，例如，與法律. 儀式. 習慣. 禮節封面的差異. 倫理運用於南傳佛教時，我們發現語言方面存在的一些困難，例如把倫理行為翻譯成巴利文或梵文時就有困難. 儘管術語是存在的，但它們對遠些行為所包合的定義域卻遠遠不能提供我們所期待的足夠的信息. 在這方面引進的--些箴言式的敘述可以作用道德行為的基礎，而不考慮其文化背景. 南傳佛教對這些箴言的回應，特別是討論這些行為反映到戒律時，表明了一種目的明確又十分實用的方法. 這方法比西方的倫理更能與 "業" 的概念一致. 這就是為什麼我們需要了解吠陀文化，即印度文化關於 '業' 的起源.
