Within the scope of the English-language literature on Buddhism, the codes of behavior mandated by Buddhist doctrine represent an infrequently discussed topic. The selections here consist of essays on Buddhism by 17 scholars and practitioners, who address the ongoing evolution of Buddhist doctrine as reflected in its cultural, temporal, political, and geographical accommodations from the earliest days, to the present, and into the future. Past precedent is used as a means of clarifying the precise role of the precepts in the modern world as Buddhists face the 21st century and continue to encounter diverse cultural contexts.

Scholars, practitioners, and students alike will find instructive the theoretical as well as practical issues that are covered, including textual criticism, hermeneutics, cross-cultural studies, theories of action, psychology, death and dying, feminism, business management, challenges to the Western scientific paradigm, and religion in popular culture. Three main questions are explored from diverse perspectives: What was and is the significance of the precepts; how can they best be applied, and creatively adapted, to changing social conditions to best fulfill the original intentions of the Buddha; and how are we to determine present upayic demands to avoid violating those intentions? As many argue in these pages, there is much more at stake in the issue of sila/vinaya than simple guidelines for an obsolete lifestyle to be discarded at will. Rather, the case can be made that they represent an intrinsic part of Buddhist cultivation, even a sine qua non of successful, consummate practice.

Too often Buddhism has been subjected to the Procrustean box of western thought, whereby it is stretched to fit fixed categories or had essential aspects lopped off to accommodate vastly different cultural norms and aims. After several generations of scholarly discussion in English-speaking communities, it is time to move to the next hermeneutical stage. Buddhist philosophy must be liberated from the confines of a quasi-religious stereotype and judged on its own merits. Hence this work will approach Chinese Buddhism as a philosophical tradition in its own right, not as an historical after-thought nor as an occasion for comparative discussions that assume the west alone sets the standards for or is the origin of philosophy and its methodologies. Viewed within their own context, Chinese Buddhist philosophers have much to contribute to a wide range of philosophical concerns, including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, and perhaps most especially philosophy of mind. Moreover they have been enormously influential in the development of Buddhist philosophy in Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

This book is founded on the consensus that most of what passes for liberal studies and general education is so out of touch with today's world that it is simply beside the point. Not only does the curriculum fail to address contemporary reality, but when it does, it does so in such a fragmented form that little useful understanding can be extracted. For example, one of the chief inadequacies brought out by the text is the failure of current disciplines to deal with the inherent "messiness" and complexity of real world issues such as hunger, conflict, and pollution. As a result of this, today's decision makers are unable to grasp the underlying causes of our global crises, and instead catch at the straws of technological or social "fixes." Starting with the general consensus that something is seriously wrong, this book seeks to identify the issues, provide insights on what can be done and issue a few challenges as well. The 18 contributions and editor's introduction included in this important volume are organized around five sub-themes: Assumptions about the "Progress" of Knowledge, A Critical Look at the Disciplines, The Value Content of Education, Alternative Visions Not Currently Taught, and Developing the New Curriculum. Within these themes the authors tackle provocative issues such as unmasking the dangerous limitations of hyperintelligence and exploring the place of the East-West dialogue in moral curriculum and value orientation. This collection encompasses some of the most dynamic thinking on the subject of curricular change and will be of interest to educators and students as well as all thinking people.