Buddhist Ethics and the Bodhisattva Path: Santideva on Virtue and Well-Being

by Stephen Harris

Overview

Santideva's 8th century Mahayana Buddhist classic, the Guide to the Practices of Awakening (Bodhicaryavatara), has been a source of philosophical inspiration in the Indian and Tibetan traditions for over a thousand years. Stephen Harris guides us through a philosophical exploration of Santideva's masterpiece, introducing us to his understanding of the compassionate bodhisattva, who vows to liberate the entire universe from suffering. Individual chapters provide studies of the bodhisattva virtues of generosity, patience, compassion, and wisdom, illustrating the role each plays in Santideva's account of well-being and moral development. Harris also provides in-depth analysis of many of Santideva's most influential arguments, demonstrating how he employs reasoning as a method to cultivate moral character.

As the first book-length English language philosophical study of Santideva's most influential text, this will be essential reading for students and scholars of Buddhist ethics, as well as for anyone interested in intercultural ethics and the philosophy of well-being.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350379565
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/19/2023
Series:	Bloomsbury Introductions to World Philosophies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	461 KB

About the Author

Stephen Harris is University Lecturer at Leiden University's Institute for Philosophy, the Netherlands.
Stephen Harris is University Lecturer in Indian and Comparative Philosophy at Leiden University, The Netherlands.

Table of Contents

Series Editor Preface
Acknowledgements

Introduction
1. Selfless Character: Virtue without a Self
2. Giving as Abandoning
3. Three: Patience and the Irrationality of Anger
4. Compassion and Desire
5. Joy
6. Wisdom and the Transformation of Experience
7. Dedication: Until the End of Space and Time
Conclusion

Notes
Works Cited
Index

Editorial Reviews

[Buddhist Ethics and the Bodhisattva Path] is precisely cut, with careful attention to canonical and secondary literature and clean articulation of arguments underpinned by meticulous philology. It is deeply colored by attention to the larger ethical and moral psychological issues Santideva raises. It is beautifully clear, written in an accessible prose style that makes Santideva's project accessible to any reader, presupposing no background in Buddhist philosophy. And it is comprehensive, addressing Santideva's system in its entirety. This volume will hence be of enormous value to ethicists who want to learn something about Buddhist ethics, to Buddhist Studies scholars who want to talk to their philosopher colleagues, and to teachers who want to address Buddhist philosophy ... Those coming to Buddhist ethics, or to Santideva's texts for the first time-whether as students or as philosophers new to this area-will find it a lucid and reliable guide to the Guide.” —Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

“This is an essential companion to the study of the most influential treatise on ethics in Mahayana Buddhism. Harris clarifies the logic of Santideva's moral theory and demonstrates convincingly the foundational role of virtue in his conception of well-being.” —Damien Keown, Emeritus Professor of Buddhist Ethics, University of London Goldsmiths, UK

“In developing a case for a virtue-theoretic interpretation of Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara, Stephen Harris sheds considerable light on the overall structure of this key text of Mahayana ethics. This will be a welcome addition to the growing body of literature on the topic.” —Mark Siderits, Emeritus Professor, Illinois State University, USA

“Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara is the most extensive and profound articulation of Mahayana Buddhist ethical thought, and is a masterpiece of moral psychology that should be studied by anyone interested in human ethical cultivation or in ethical theory. Stephen Harris's study of this text provides the contemporary reader with the means to enter into Santideva's project, to read and to understand his arguments, and to appreciate his vision of moral excellence and the path to achieving that excellence. The exposition is always clear and reliable, while remaining precise and philologically rigorous, with careful attention to other recent literature. Harris' interpretation is compelling, and he places Santideva in conversation with contemporary metaethical theory and moral psychology with great skill. This book is an enormous contribution to Buddhist Studies and to Ethical theory, and will be of great value to students and to neophytes in Buddhist ethical thought as well as to scholars immersed in Mahayana studies.” —Jay L Garfield, Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy and Buddhist Studies, Smith College, USA

“With clear and insightful analysis, Harris brings Santideva's Guide into conversation with contemporary philosophical ethics, showing how compassion can complement self-interest, emphasizing the sociality and rationality of the bodhisattva ideal. This is a landmark contribution to the philosophical study of Buddhist ethics, a rich resource for students, scholars, and practitioners.” —William Edelglass, Director of Studies, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies USA and Associate Professor, Emerson College, USA

From the Publisher