The centrality of ethics in buddhism: Exploratory essys/
Hari Shankar Prasad
- Delhi: Motilall Banarasidass, 2007.
- 602 p.
I Introduction 1. The Centrality of Ethics in Buddhism • The Significance of Buddhism • A Naturalistic View of Man in Buddhism • Hinduism and Christianity: Two Types of Divinity-based Morality • Buddhism on the Purification of Mind • Nagarjuna on Interpretation, Confrontation, and Resolution • Buddhism on Scriptural Truth-claims • A Buddhist Response • The Buddhist Cosmology, Time, and the Teleology of Karma • Background to the Buddhist Cosmology • The Vedic Nature of Man • Six Destinies of Sentient Beings • The Three-World Scheme II Background to Buddhism 2. The Vedic-Upanisadic-Hindu System of Values • The Vedic Notion of Value • The Upanisadic Notion of Value • Post-Vedic and Post-Upanisadic Value-systems • The Hindu Concept of Man and Humanity • The Value of the Organization of Personal Life (Asrama) • The Social Organization of Humanity in the Srnrtis • The Varna Theories • The Hierarchical Types of Values (Purusartha) • The Sources of Z)/ia/77ia 3. Classical Indian Ethics: An Appraisal • The Vedic and Upanisadic Concepts of Ethics • The Non-Vedic Ethical Ideas • Six Non-Vedic Teachers and their Ethical Doctrines • Eclecticism of the Vedic Tradition • Evaluation of the Indian Ethical Concepts by RP • Svadharma is not Categorical Imperative • RP on the Nature of Dliantm • RP on the Bhciguvadifnd • Eclecticism of the Bhagcivadgltd • RP's Analysis of Niskdma-kanna and Bhakti • RP's Analysis of the Concept of Moksa • Concluding Remarks III Buddhism on Ethics and Karma 4. Buddhist Ethics: Integrating Vertical and Horizontal Developments '« General Framework • A Comprehensive Ethical Programme of Buddhism • The Highest Human Good • Moral Rules and Moral Ideals • Advantages and Disadvantages of Moral Rules • Caste-Morality vs. Virtue-Morality • Models of Buddhist Ethics 5. The Buddhist Foundation of Morality • The Vedic and Upanisadic Notions of Morality • The Buddhist Notion of Morality and its Critique of the Vedic and Upani.sadic Ethics • Concluding Remarks 6. The Buddhist Ethicization of Karma, Saiiisara, and Rebirth • General Framework • Issues involved in the Karma Theory • The Vedic and the Brahmanic Notions of Karma • Inadequate Ethical Progress in the Upanisads • The Buddhist Doctrine of Karma • Cetand as the Determining Factor of Moral Action • The Twelve-link Formula: Relating Suffering and Rebirth to Karma • Nature of the Karmic Consequences • Mechanism of the Law of Karma • Denying Anomalies in the Karmic Retribution 7. Ethical Holism of Emptiness in the Madhyamika Philosophy • What is Holism? • Justification for Ethical Holism • Holism of the Madhyamika • Madhyamika Disbelief in Reason and Language • Buddha's Silence and the Madhyamika Philosophy • Philosophical Theses of the Madhyamika • The Madhyamika Priority of Higher Values IV Buddhism and Interculturality 8. A Buddhist Model of Interculturality: Cultural Encounters of Buddhism with Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism • The Framework of Interculturality • The Cultural Background to Buddhism: Vedic and Non-Vedic • Reasons for the Emergence of the Buddha • Fruitful Cultural Encounters of the Buddha • Reasons for the Decline of Buddhism in India • China Before Buddhism: A Survey • The Characteristics of Confucianism: A Survey • The Characteristics of Taoism: A Survey • Buddhism: Its Doctrines, Problems, and Methods in China • Growth, Modification, and Sinicization of Buddhism in China • Chinese Buddhism: A Product of Cultural Encounters • Tien-tai School • Hua-yen School • Ch'an School • Ching-t'u School Buddhism and the Chinese Rulers; Favour, Disfavour, and Persecution • A Viable Framework of Interculturality for Future Looking for the Post-Modern Ideas in the Buddha and Nagarjuna • Preamble • What is Postmodernity? • The Postmodern Spirit of the Buddha • Self-Critical Attitude of the Buddha • Denial of Eternalism and Fundamental Ontology • Against Creator God and Teleology • The Buddha's Method of Dialogue • Emergence of Madhyamika Nagarjuna • Nagarjuna's Method • Concluding Remarks Buddhism on Knowledge, Reality, and Self 10. Understanding Buddhist Epistemology • Development of Buddhist Epistemology • Theory of Knowledge in Diiinaga School • The Defining Characteristic of Knowledge • Ascertainment of the Truth of Knowledge • The Theory of Twofold Appearances • Self-Cognition and the Truth of Knowledge • Knowledge is 'Justified True Belief • Is Knowledge an Activity or a Product? 11. A Buddhist Face of Constructive Realism • What is Constructive Realism? • Mind s Creative Role in Cognition • Analysis of Various Cognitive Situations • The Buddhist Theses of Constructive Realism • Concluding Remarks 12. Dreamless Sleep in Vedanta: A Buddhist Critique • The Vedantic Way of Thinking • Analysis of the Susupti-related Statements • Analysis of the Advaita Theses • The Unanswered Questions. • Buddhist Critique of the Sou! Theory • Concluding Remarks VI Buddhism and Perspectives on Time 13. A Critique of the Samskrtalaksanas as the Principle of Change and Temporality • The Samskrtalaksanas as the Principle of Change • The Sautrantika Criticism of the Samskrtalaksanas • The Madhyamika Criticism of the Samskrtalaksanas 14. Buddhism and Leibniz on Time: An Intercultural Study • Introduction • The Buddhist Presuppositions and Theses • The Buddhist Statements and Arguments regarding Time and Temporality • Leibniz's Metaphysical Presuppositions and Theses • Statements and Arguments regarding Time in Leibniz • Concluding Remarks 15. Newton and Leibniz on Time: A Controversy between Absolutism and Relationism • Newton's Theory of Absolute Time • Space and Time as Affections of Existing Things • Leibniz's Theory of Ideal Space and Time • Acquition of the Ideas of Space and Time • The Fundamental Difference between Space and Time • The Two Great Principles of Leibniz • Concluding Remarks 16. The Problem of Time in Indian Philosophy • Myths and Images of Time • Unreality of Time in Post-Vedic Period • Subjectivity of Time, Change, and Causality • Time and Duration • Duration of Specious Present
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Buddhist ethics. Buddhist philosophy. Hindu philosophy.