The Centrality of Ethics in Buddhism: Exploratory Essays

by Hari Shankar Prasad

This book, through extensive textual study,explores the Buddha's and Buddhism's uncompromising and unflinching emphasis on the centrality of ethics as against any pernicious dogmas and metaphysical beliefs, and their attempts to causally relate moral perfection to Psoteriological or eschatological goal. What is most admirable about Buddhism is that it integrates the vertical development of human consciousness, for which the other is the necessary condition, with the gradual development of morality. It was this emphasis which separated Siddhartha, before he attained the Awakened Wisdom (bodhi), from his teachers Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta and it is for this reason that the Buddha calls himself and his Dhamma patisotagami, i.e., going against the currents of the prevailing dogmas and pernicious beliefs. In brief, Buddhism is about overcoming of suffering, the greatest evil, through ethicization of human consciousness and conduct, which also takes care of the ethicization of the society and the univers. 

This volumes presents a detailed veiw of the Vedic Upanisadic  Dharmasastric way of ethical thinking; shows the Buddhist attempt to enter into an intercultural dialogue for creative peace through mutual adjustment and enrichment; deals with the Buddhist conceptions of knowledge, reality and self; and delves into the intercultural study of time which falls under the sub-area of ethics.