I myself benefited heavily from ethics training from Digha Nikaya (long discourses), it is start of the 8 fold path.

But it depends on the fate or material nature as it decides where one ends up in the life and what kind of occupation in that life one will lead.

For example, Buddha says one should not have occupation that leads to killing or weapons in 8 fold path. But if fate places one to be in butcher shop or military in battle ground or captured by King as slaves to make deadly weapons, what can one do?

One has to abandon that life and do the best possible and should soon aim for spiritual life in coming lives.

Good or bad does matter in a big way and in flip of a coin, it is puerly a matter of Prakriti (fate), good or bad doesn't matter!

It is in prakriti's hand, we just do our best.