The Buddhist teachings set out moral guidance to follow, yet Buddhism is far from being a moralistic religion. The guidelines are never dogmatic. In Buddhist ethics, whether an action is considered good or bad is mainly related to the intention behind it. Nevertheless, the Buddha did give advice on which actions are generally harmful and should be avoided. On the basis of this advice, Buddhism has developed various types of ethical guidance that Buddhists do their best to follow. It is important to note, however, that in Buddhism ethical rules are never rigid. It is accepted that everyone will do their best and there is a general atmosphere of moral tolerance.

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