From Monastic Ethics to Modern Society

In 1964 Winston King asked the then critical question defining studies of Buddhist ethics: “What is the relation of ethics to the total structure of Buddhist doctrine and practice, particularly with regard to the definition of moral values ... and the nature of ultimate sanctions.” Nearly half a century later, this question retains its status for inquiries about Buddhist conduct. This paper examines the critical role of Vinaya, or monastic regulations for the renunciant tradition, in contrast to the code of conduct, known as

śīla, for lay practitioners, and does so with respect to both the ancient Asian tradition and the modern Western tradition of Buddhists. It muses on the possibility of how these twin spires of Buddhist conduct can form the basis of a compassionate socially engaged Buddhism for today.

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