At the heart of Buddhism lies a deep concern with how individuals live—how their actions affect others and contribute to their own awakening. Steven M. Emmanuel, chair of the philosophy department at Virginia Wesleyan University, introduces Buddhist ethics. Emmanuel outlines the differences between Buddhist and Western approaches to ethics and offers a detailed discussion of Buddhist practice, focusing on the role that meditation plays in moral development. Special attention is given to the divine abodes, a series of meditative exercises designed to cultivate the virtues of loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Emmanuel also explores the use of narrative in Buddhism as a means of fostering moral development, particularly stories about the Buddha’s past lives, and examines ethical controversies surrounding the Buddhist doctrine of skillful means.

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