Ethical Conflicts In Buddhist Societies

With an emphasis on cross-cultural understanding, philosopher Padmasiri de Silva shares the Buddhist approach to contemporary ethical issues, such as environmental degradation, racism, workplace relations, violence and suicide. This volume is useful as a guide for students, and as a modern companion to the discourses of the Buddha.

The outgrowth of an historic international conference on Buddhist ethics in the modern world, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of the status of the Buddhist tradition in a contemporary and global context. Buddhist experts from several Asian and Western nations address a number of ethical problems from the Buddhist perspective, including medical and environmental ethics, feminism, the social impacts of materialism, and ethnic minorities. All major schools of Buddhism are represented--Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana--as well as a variety of sects such as Ch'an/Zen, Lojong, and Pure Land. The diverse cultural settings of Buddhism are also well illustrated, ranging from China to Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United States. Throughout, the Buddhist values of compassion and tolerance inform the discussions. The papers are organized within a temporal framework in order to demonstrate the ongoing evolution of Buddhist thought. Part One explores the historical roots of Buddhism and examines the concepts and practices that continue to exert a pervasive influence on Buddhist ethical principles. The second group of essays confronts the pressing concerns of our times--ecology, nuclear war, capitalism, and more--re-evaluating them from a distinctly Buddhist perspective. The third and final section is concerned with projections of Buddhism's future and its continuing evolution. The contributors suggest ways in which Buddhist thought may be adapted to meet the needs of a multi-cultural world and may even act as a unifying force among diverse cultures. A glossary of Buddhist terms is included to enhance the understanding of readers at all levels. Essential reading for courses of Buddhist thought, this volume vividly demonstrates how the insights of Buddhism can help us effectively address the critical challenges of contemporary life.

Contemporary Shin Buddhism is characterized by the simultaneous presence of an almost radical aversion to a normative approach to ethics, a rich and multifaceted debate on ethical issues, and an interesting amount of social activism. Ethics and Society in Contemporary Shin Buddhism focuses on such aspects of this influential tradition of Japanese Buddhism, which can be traced back to the thought of Shinran (1173-1262), and on its interplay with Japanese society over the last few decades, with particular reference to its two major branches (Honganji-ha and Otani-ha). In addition, the ethical implications of the responses being given by these institutions and their followers to the ongoing process of globalization, together with the contradictions embedded therein, are analysed and compared with other reactions found in different religious traditions.

Engaged Buddhism is the contemporary movement of nonviolent social and political activism found throughout the Buddhist world. Its ethical theory sees the world in terms of cause and effect, a view that discourages its practitioners from becoming adversaries, blaming or condemning the other. Its leaders make some of the most important contributions in the Buddhist world to thinking about issues in political theory, human rights, nonviolence, and social justice. Being Benevolence provides for the first time a rich overview of the main ideas and arguments of prominent Engaged Buddhist thinkers and activists on a variety of questions: What kind of political system should modern Asian states have? What are the pros and cons of Western "liberalism"? Can Buddhism support the idea of human rights? Can there ever be a nonviolent nation-state? It identifies the roots of Engaged Buddhist social ethics in such traditional Buddhist concepts and practices as interdependence, compassion, and meditation, and shows how these are applied to particular social and political issues. It illuminates the movement’s metaphysical views on the individual and society and goes on to examine how Engaged Buddhists respond to fundamental questions in political theory concerning the proper balance between the individual and society. The second half of the volume focuses on applied social-political issues: human rights, nonviolence, and social justice.

A thought-provoking collection of essays on Buddhist ethics by some of the leading thinkers in the field. The reader is provided with engaging explorations of central issues in Buddhist ethics, insightful analyses of the ways Buddhist ethical principles are being applied today in both Asian and Western countries, and groundbreaking proposals about how Buddhist perspectives might inform debates on some of the core ethical issues of the modern world, including consumerism, globalization, environmental problems, war, ethnic conflict, and inter-religious tensions. The leading figure in identifying the field of Buddhist ethics and articulating some of its core issues is Professor Damien Keown of the University of London. This book brings together a group of eminent scholars who have all been influenced by Keown's work and who are also friends and close colleagues. The result is a wonderful volume for those who are struggling with practical issues of ethical concern. This will be a valuable resource in the study of ethics for years to come.

This volume contains a selection of the papers presented at a South and South-east Asia regional workshop on 'Minorities in Buddhist Polities: Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma', organised by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES), Sri Lanka, and the Thai Studies Programme of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. The tenor for 'Minorities

EDITORS’ INTRODUCTION This volume is a collection of papers presented at the international workshop on “Buddhist Approach to Global Education in Ethics” which is being held on May 13, 2019, at International Conference Center Tam Chuc, Ha Nam, Vietnam on the occasion of the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations 2019. The aim is to throw new light on the values of the global ethical system with a focus on the Buddhist approach in deepening our understanding of how Buddhist ethics can deliver a social change in the globalized world. REVIEW OF CONTENTS Prof. P. D. Premasiri in his paper titled “Universally valid ethical norms of Buddhism applicable to global education in ethics” deals with hindrance in determining the basis for global education in ethics and providing undeniable facts about the diversity involved in ethical norms, principles and attitudes of various global communities. The author also discusses the characteristics of Buddhist teaching on a humanistic approach to the moral life with perceptions of enlightened humans, i.e. ‘Knowledgeable Persons’ (vi¤¤å purisà). The paper places further emphasis on the necessity to draw the attention of educators to train the minds of humans on ethical choices in accordance with such decisions. The paper entitled “Teaching Buddhist Ethics through the Life of the Buddha and Jesus” by Abraham Velez De Cea has proposed a new approach to the Buddhist ethical way of teaching and its application through interpretations of the Buddha’s life from the perspective of virtue ethics and meditation. The purpose is to heighten the Buddhist contribution being made to global education in ethical issues. The paper is divided into two parts, Buddhist ethics as a form of virtue ethics and secondly, interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings from the perspective of virtue ethics and meditation.