34 – If one knows how to use the Four Mahapadesas for judgment, he will have no problems concerning rightness and wrongness.

(The Four Mahapadesas in the Vinaya are things that the Buddha neither forbade nor allowed explicitly. If any particular thing matches what He allowed, that thing is also allowed; but if it contradicts what He said one should do, then it is forbidden. The Four Mahapadesas in the Dhamma are what was heard from the Buddha Himself, from a very learned Sangha, from a very learned group of people, and from a very learned monk. All of these should be verified by the majority of the suttas and compared with what is said in the majority of the vinayas. If they correspond, then what one heard is correct; but if they do not, then what one heard is not in line with the Buddha’s teachings.)

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From “A BUDDHIST CHARTER,” translated from the Thai (กฎบัตรพุทธบริษัท) by Mongkol Dejnakarintra.

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[FOREWORD] This book, A Buddhist Charter, which consists of 136 proposed items, results from the 50th anniversary commemoration of Suan Mokkh on Visakhapuja Day of 1982. The Venerable Than Achan Buddhadasa of Suan Mokkh drafted and presented motions to the Buddhist assembly there so that they would consider them and reach a common agreement which would become a practical guideline for Buddhists in general. The assembly consisted of two committees, one scripture or theory oriented and the other proper social practice oriented. The two committees joined forces in considering and refining the motions until they reached mutual satisfaction. They then declared the motions as a Buddhist charter.

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The charter is divided into 10 groups, namely, (a) general; (b) practical principles that should be considered and put to rest; (c) different views that should be eliminated; (d) interpretation of the terms; (e) problems between religions; (f) international problems of the present world; (g) things that deserve to be understood and written down as rules; (h) culture of the present day Buddhists; (i) the ultimate dhammas that everybody should know; (j) miscellaneous problems. It can be seen that this charter covers almost all aspects; and it should be used a guide in tackling problems properly and in accordance with the Buddha-dhamma principle…