Do you navigate by morals or ethics? How to live well - Erik Jampa Andersson
This week’s show is with Erik Jampa Andersson. Erik is the founder and director of Shrimala, an author, a London-based practitioner, teacher, and scholar of Tibetan Medicine (Sowa Rigpa), Tibetan Buddhism, and Environmental History.
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He is a graduate of the Shang Shung Institute School of Tibetan Medicine, and recently completed his MA in History at Goldsmiths University, where his research focused on the historical intersection of ecology, health, and mythology in a more-than-human world. He is the author of Unseen Beings: How We Forgot the World is More Than Human (Hay House, May 2023).
In this conversation, Erik and Lian discuss the concepts of morals and ethics, exploring their differences and why they matter to those of us devoted to living well.
They talked about the subjective nature of morals, including the impact of vertical morality, where morals are imposed from above, and the limitations of such a system, the importance of relationship and empathy in ethical decision-making and true behavior change.
They emphasised the power of myth and storytelling in cultivating care and empathy… the basis upon which we can foster ethical relationships that ultimately can serve us all.
I’d love to know what YOU think about this week’s show. Let’s carry on the conversation… please leave a comment below.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Morals can be differentiated from ethics in a distinct way, though we often use those words interchangeably. Morals are far more subjective, they're the beliefs, standards, principles that we hold about (and are typically told) what's right and what's wrong, what's good and what's bad. If morals are the only reason we’re not causing harm then they can be a major hindrance in actually creating genuine caring and empathic relationships and our place in the world of things.
Ethics can be most usefully determined on the basis of the experience of suffering. It doesn't just come from scripture, cultural tradition, or pre-existing social values. Something that causes suffering, especially undue suffering, can be something that's deemed unethical, whereas something that alleviates suffering or doesn't cause suffering would then be ethical.
As we devote to cultivating care and empathy in our relationships, it’s helpful to understand how myth “A story about something important” as Erik said, can provide the stories can open and activate the knowing of how to live well, create relationship with othe,r top love, sacrifice, be in community.
Resources and stuff that we spoke about:
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Thank you!
Lian & Jonathan