Three Trainings of Buddhism
삼학

A Buddhist is a person engaged in training to become a buddha. The three trainings consist of ethics, of meditation and of wisdom.

Training in ethics cultivates the virtue of non-harming and to practice and extend this virtue into every aspect of one’s life and into all one’s relationships. This means reflecting upon the consequences of one’s every thought, word and deed on others and the general atmosphere surrounding one’s life.

Training in meditation helps one achieve calm and clarity of mind. This training aims to make the mind supple, disciplined, clear, tranquil, focused and empty.

Training in wisdom results from the training in meditation. Meditation tends to make our minds still and insightful. When the mind is still we tend to see things more clearly and often realize deeper truths which are not clear during normal thinking. Thus, wisdom comes in connection with meditation.

​- excerpt from Buddhist English (Elementary 1) published in 2014 by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism​​​