On the triangle of ethics

Dialogues on Checkerism

Wise man, how do I know whether or not my behaviour is ethical?
One's behaviour is ethical when it adheres to the Triangle of Ethics.
I don't understand. What is this triangle?
Look at this picture. It shows the Cycle of the Universe. The upper right triangle, with the white background, is the Triangle of Ethics.
How does this help me in the search for ethics?
Tell me. When you study the white triangle, what do you see?
I see a triangle with half a circle, with the steps Sacrifice, Life, Evolution, Sentient Beings, History, Experience, and Reflection. The first and last step overlap the black triangle as well.
Some of those steps are marked with an arrow. They are transitions. Others are marked with a big dot. Those are the milestones. Now have a look at the milestones only: Life, Sentient Beings, and Experience. What do these words mean?
We discussed life in our previous classes. Life is energy. Something that is alive is formed out of energy. Science tells us that matter equals energy. Therefore all forms of matter must be alive. If it isn't alive, it can't be matter. But matter isn't necessary. Pure energy is alive too.
And what about sentient beings?
I remember one of our classes, in which I asked why us humans exist. And you said, that the gods might have a purpose for our existence. So maybe we are able to do something that they can't. That only works when the gods themselves are sentient. And we ourselves most certainly are sentient. Maybe the gods are sentient in a different way than us. Sentience at least has advantages from an evolutionary point of view.
That's a good start. Perhaps you'll be able to fill in more of the concept after telling me about Experience.
That's an easy one. We believe that our purpose in life is to gather as much experiences as possible, by living life to its fullest, including hardship and happiness.
Does the concept of Sentience make more sense now?
Ah, yes! Without senses, there would be no experience. What good then does it do, to reincarnate as a morter brick? Bricks don't have senses. Is it possible at all to reincarnate as a brick? With them being man-made and all?
The matter that forms the brick, does it not equal energy as well? Does that not make it alive, like all the other forms? The brick is a separately identifiable object. Does that not make it a being? Granted, a brick might not interact much when compared to humans, but it does carry the weight of a house. Who are we to say, that the experience of carrying a house, is irrelevant? The titan known as Atlas got to carry the planet, and the tortoises known as Akapura and Bedawang Nala carry the world on its back. I'd say, knowing how to carry a house is a good start.
So now we have life, sense and experience. How is that going to help me define ethics?
How are we going to experience, when we aren't alive? Ethic: protect life. Your own and that of others.
But we must eat... in order for us to stay alive, we must kill plants, and maybe animals.
Such is their purpose. They too are part of evolution. But we must be careful not to kill too many plants, and not to kill too many animals, otherwise we won't have anything to eat next year. Ethic: if you must kill, make sure the source can replenish.
Then we also have to consider the other beings that eat what we eat, and those who eat them respectively.
Wise words. You seem to be grasping the concept. Now how about communities, where we live and work with others?
My goal might be to experience loneliness, in which case I can reject everyone and behave like an outcast. But my goal might also be to experience family life, in which case I need to behave as part of the family.
With all the necessary ethics attached to it: to honour and respect, to follow, listen and help, to protect and lead. All of them, depending on one's position in the community, and in good balance with the community.
I see, wise man. How do I recognise wether or not I'm behaving in good balance?
Balance is achieved when things are going smoothly.