Buddhist Behavioral Codes and the Modern World: An International Symposium

The book begins with an Introduction by Charles Wei-hsun Fu and Sandra A. Wawrytko, framing the volume around the contemporary relevance of traditional Buddhist precepts and the need to reconsider their practical and theoretical role. The Prologue, by Dharma Teacher Sheng-yen and translated by J. C. Cleary, discusses the temporal and spatial adaptability of the Bodhisattva precepts, especially in relation to the Three Cumulative Pure Precepts. Part I, “The Historical Context,” studies the beginnings of Buddhist discipline, Daoxuan’s religious precepts, Buddhist precepts in medieval Chinese biographies of monks, Vinaya in early collections of parables, the importance of Chinese sources for Indian Buddhist Vinaya studies, the decline of Buddhist Vinaya in China, and a comparison of Buddhist ethics in Japan and Tibet. Part II, “Rethinking Buddhist Practice in the Modern World,” explores modern reform movements in Korea, the problem of women’s ordination, householders and the Five Precepts, Buddhist principles in administration, and Buddhist approaches to medical care for dying patients. Part III, “Revisionings of Buddhist Theory,” examines Buddhist precepts in relation to Western psychology, scientific challenges, Chinese and Japanese interpretations of śīla and vinaya, and sexism in the early Saṅgha. The volume concludes with a glossary, index, and information on the editors and contributors.