All religions teach codes of ethical behavior. So too does Buddhism. This books is a translation of an indispensable exposition of the three sets of vows that are central to Tibetan Buddhist codes of discipline--the pratimoksa vows of individual liberation; the vows of the bodhisattva, who selflessly strives for the liberation of all beings; the vows of the esoteric path of tantra. Here, the late Dudjom Rinpoche provides his authoritative commentary on the role of ethics and morality in Buddhist practice, outlining in detail the meaning and scope of the vows, and giving practical advice on maintaining the vows as supportive tools in the journey toward enlightenment.
The desire to be what we are holds the kernel of our inquiry into conduct, in comparison to simply being what we are, which allows for no inquiry and any attempt to attach a study of conduct to human existence as such becomes fictional and illusory from the start. A science of conduct which maintains us in the light of day and teaches us not to fear sleep and to welcome the dream on its own terms.
The book you hold in your hand or you are just ordering from an online store is a unique book. It is the first book by the contemporary mystic Osho. At the beginning of his public life, Osho who is at that time a professor of philosophy at Jabalpur University, introduces people to a new and unique understanding of meditation during experiential meditation camps. He speaks to the participants and responds to questions. This book is the first published records of Osho's first meditation camp in Rajastan, India. In fifteen small chapters he gives a condensed presentation of his understanding of meditation which he then elaborates in many more talks and publications - but the essential message is already available in this book. Osho speaks to the individual, not to a collective, not the abstract collective of humanity, or a collective defined by religion or nationality or race but to individuals as the core element of existence. We used one of his opening comments as a longer quote on the front cover of the book as it seem so important "The individual is the unit of the whole and it is through him that both evolution and revolution can take place. You are that unit." Osho, mentions this book on several occasions in his later talks. When the second prime minister of India traveled to Russia, a copy of The Perfect Way was with him. And when someone in contact with Osho at the age of ninety stumbled upon The Perfect Way, he commented, “All my learning of the scriptures was futile, only this small book is enough.” In The Perfect Way the reader meets a human being who knows, but who also knows how to convey what he knows. His genius in full flight, he points us as far as one can with words toward the inner world of the self, toward the zone of silence. What starts on a hot summer day in the early 1960’s will prove to be the first seed of a revolutionary experiment in the flowering of human consciousness – one which will eventually transform the lives of millions of people all over the world. “To be without thoughts is meditation,” Osho says. “When there are no thoughts, it is then we come to know the one hidden by our thoughts. When there are no clouds, the blue sky is revealed.” This book is page after page of blue sky.
This anthology of 29 readings on philosophical theories of morality is organized according to type of moral theory (utilitarianism, egoism, virtue ethics, the ethics of care, etc.), with a separate chapter devoted to each type. Reading selections in the chapters provide a balance of both classical and contemporary philosophical writings, representing a spectrum of viewpoints on each theory. In addition, the collection contains an introductory essay on moral theory by the editor.
