There is no coercion or compulsion in Buddhism. The practice of sila is selfimposed
obligation. Belief in future rewards and punishments may influence man’s
conduct, but it cannot be a real moral force. The ordinary Buddhist may use the doctrine
of kamma to serve as the all important motive force for the moral life, and practice the
moral precepts as a means to accumulate merit through good kamma. But the main stay of
morality, as perceived in Buddhism, is the realization of the selflessness of all beings and
the consequent equality of all beings with one another. It is this realization that forms the
spring of compassion and benevolence, which are the basis of all good deeds.