Buddhist Ethics: Theory and Practice

1
Buddhist Ethics Theory and Practice

• Draft of a Course Syllabus and Research Plan
• Richard Stichler, Alvernia College, Reading, PA

2
Course Description

• Beginning with the teachings of the Buddha, the
  course will cover the historical spread of
  Buddhism, the development of its three major
  schools, and the practice of Buddhism in modern
  life. We will focus first on Buddhist ethical
  theory and then on its application to
  contemporary moral issuesparticularly within the
  context of Southeast Asian societies. Readings by
  socially engaged Buddhist writers will include
  topics such as consumerism, globalization, social
  justice, human rights, terrorism, and
  environmental ethics.

3
Introductory Texts

• Harvey, Peter (Ed). An Introduction to Buddhist
  Ethics Foundations, Values and Issues, Cambridge
  University Press, 2000, 478 pages, ISBN
  0521556406
• Keown, Damien. Buddhist Ethics A Very Short
  Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2005, 144
  pages. ISBN 019280457.
• Harvey, Peter. Buddhist Ethics in Theory and
  Practice. Curzon Press, 2005, 240 pages. ISBN
  041529763X
• Keown, Damien. Contemporary Buddhist Ethics.
  Curzon Press, 2000, 217 pages. ISBN 0700713131
• Keown, Damien. The Nature of Buddhist Ethics.
  Palgrave Macmillan, 1992, 269 pages. ISBN
  0312079052

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The History and Development of Buddhism

• Fundamentals of Buddhism, by Peter D. Santina
• Three Buddhist Schools
• Theravada
• Mahayana
• Vajrayana
• The Spread of Buddhism
• The Spread of Buddhism Maps
• Pre-Mauryan
• Mauryan to Early First Millennium
• Early First Millennium
• First and Second Millennium
• An Illustrated History of Buddhism

5
Online Books and Journal Articles

• Journal of Buddhist Ethics http//jbe.gold.ac.uk
• Bibliography on Buddhist Ethics
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/7/harvey001.html
• BuddhaNet E-Books http//www.buddhanet.net/ftp12.
  htm
• Articles on Buddhism http//www.geocities.com/pra
  pant.geo/articles1.html
• Theravada Buddhism http//www.nibbana.com

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Websites for Socially Engaged Buddhism

• Buddhist Peace Fellowship http//www.bpf.org/html
  /home.html
• Buddhanet Worldwide Buddhist Information and
  Education Network http//www.buddhanet.net/index.
  html
• International Network of Engaged Buddhists
  http//www.sulak-sivaraksa.org/network22.php
• Right Livelihood Award http//www.rightlivelihood
  .org/index.htm

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Online Articles on Ethical Issues (1)

• Buddhist Views on Consumerism
• International Network of Engaged Buddhists
  (INEB) 1997 Meeting Report, Consumption and
  Consumerism. http//www.bpf.org/tsanga/program97.
  html
• Norbu, Jamyang. Aung San Suu Kyi and the Power
  of Sustained Economic Action. http//www.tibet.ca
  /en/wtnarchive/2002/6/11_3.html
• Visalo, Phra Phaisan. Spiritual Materialism and
  the Sacraments of Consumerism A View from
  Thailand. http//www.bpf.org/tsangha/phaisan1.htm
  l

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Online Articles on Ethical Issues (2)

• Justice
• Cho, Sungtaek. Selflessness Toward a Buddhist
  Vision of Social Justice. Journal of Buddhist
  Ethics, Vol. 7, 2000. pp. 76-85.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/7/cho001.pdf.
• King, Winston. Judeo-Christian and Buddhist
  Justice. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 2,
  1995. pp. 67-82. http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/2/king2.txt
  .
• Human Rights
• Keown, Damien. Are there Human Rights in
  Buddhism? Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 2,
  1995. pp. 3-27. http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/2/keown.txt.
  
• Inada, Kenneth. A Buddhist Response to the
  Nature of Human Rights. Journal of Buddhist
  Ethics, Vol. 2, 1995. http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/2/inad
  a1.html

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Online Articles on Ethical Issues (3)

• Virtue Ethics
• Whitehill, James. Buddhist Ethics in Western
  Context The Virtues Approach. Journal of
  Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 1, 1994. pp. 1-22.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/1/whitehil.txt
• Cozort, Daniel. Cutting the Roots of Virtue
  Tsongkhapa on the Results of Anger. Journal of
  Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 2, 1995. pp. 83-104.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/2/cozort.txt
• Mrozik, Susanne. "The Value of Human Differences
  South Asian Buddhist Contributions Toward an
  Embodied Virtue Theory. Journal of Buddhist
  Ethics, Vol. 2, 1995. pp. 1-33.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/9/mrozik.pdf.

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Online Articles on Ethical Issues (4)

• Environmental Ethics
• Schmithausen, Lambert. The Early Buddhist
  Tradition and Ecological Ethics. Journal of
  Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 4, 1997. pp. 1-74.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/4/schm1.pdf
• Harris, Ian. Causation and Telos The Problem of
  Buddhist Environmental Ethics. Journal of
  Buddhist Ethics, Vol. 4, 1997. pp. 45-56.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/1/harris1.txt.
• East-West Comparison
• Gier, Nicholas F. The Buddha and Aristotle
  Compared, http//www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/budar
  ist.htm.
• ____, Experiments In Truth Aristotle, Buddha,
  Confucius, and Gandhi, http//www.class.uidaho.ed
  u/ngier/etabc.pdfsearch'aristotle20buddha

11
Online Articles on Ethical Issues (5)

• Terrorism
• Hershock, Peter D., "From Vulnerability to
  Virtuosity Buddhist Reflections on Responding to
  Terrorism and Tragedy." Vol. 10, 2003.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/10/hersh031.html
• Loy, David. A New Holy War against Evil? A
  Buddhist Response. http//www.bpf.org/tsangha/loy
  -war.html
• Santikaro, Bhikkhu. Karma Did They Deserve It?
  http//www.bpf.org/tsangha/skb911karma.html
• Buddhist Peace Fellowship Papers and
  Viewpoints http//www.bpf..org/tsanga/papers.htm
  l

• Terrorism
• Hershock, Peter D., "From Vulnerability to
  Virtuosity Buddhist Reflections on Responding to
  Terrorism and Tragedy." Vol. 10, 2003.
  http//jbe.gold.ac.uk/10/hersh031.html
• Loy, David. A New Holy War against Evil? A
  Buddhist Response. http//www.bpf.org/tsangha/loy
  -war.html
• Santikaro, Bhikkhu. Karma Did They Deserve It?
  http//www.bpf.org/tsangha/skb911karma.html
• Buddhist Peace Fellowship Papers and
  Viewpoints http//www.bpf..org/tsanga/papers.htm
  l

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Online Books by Southeast Asian Buddhists

• Buddhadasa, Bhikkhu. Handbook For Mankind
• ___, The Natural Cure for Spiritual Disease
• ___, Buddha Dhamma for University Students
• Payutto, P. A. Buddhist Economics A Middle Way
  for the Marketplace