Answer: In the Noble Eightfold Path, the practice of Right Consideration is meant to cultivate inner morality.
Morality consists of the virtuous tendencies within us that drive us to bring happiness and goodness to others. These include qualities such as compassion, generosity, patience, humility, gentleness, self-restraint, selflessness, rejoicing in others’ happiness, courage to help people in need, love for nature and all living beings, environmental consciousness, a sense of responsibility to the community, and diligence.
These moral inclinations are intangible and not expressed through language, but they guide our actions and speech when we need to handle situations.
To cultivate these moral tendencies, we must consciously and repeatedly instruct ourselves through self-talk, reminders, and even prayers, asking the divine to help us develop these virtues. Over time, these tendencies will solidify in our minds and become a sustainable moral mindset.
For example, if we find that we lack humility and tend to be silently prideful, we can remind ourselves that we are but dust and grass, so we must respect everyone and be polite. We can pray for divine assistance to help us develop humility. After a few months, we may find that we have truly become humble.
We can also find scriptures or teachings on morality and recite them daily at the altar. This practice will help us build lasting virtues.
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