Moral Theory in Santideva's Siksasamuccaya: Cultivating the Fruits of Virtue

by Clayton; Barbra R.

• ISBN13: 9780415346962
• ISBN10: 0415346967
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-01-13
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This important text analyzes the moral theory of the seventh century Indian Mahayana master, Santideva, author of the well-known religious poem, the Bodhicaryavatara (Entering the Path of Enlightenment) as well as the significant, but relatively overlooked, Siksasamuccaya (Compendium of Teachings).With particular focus on the Siksasamuccaya, this book uses original translations and critical analysis in order to answer the question: How would Santideva's ethics be understood in terms of Western moral theory? Santideva's ethical presuppositions and moral reasoning are illuminated by analyzing his key moral terms and comparing them to other Buddhist principles.By focusing on a neglected Buddhist Sanskrit text by a major Mahayana figure, Barbra R. Clayton helps to redress a significant imbalance in the scholarship on Buddhist ethics, which has - up to now - focused primarily on the ethics of the Pali literature as interpreted in the Theravada tradition.

Author Biography

Barbra R. Clayton is currently Assistant Professor for Eastern Religions at Mount Allison University

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	xi
Abbreviations	xiii
Conventions	xiv
Introduction	1	(30)
Objectives	1	(5)
Method	6	(25)
The text and its author	31	(10)
Santideva's dates and doctrinal affiliation	31	(2)
Santideva's life	33	(3)
Santideva's works	36	(2)
The text of the Siksasamuccaya	38	(1)
Structure of the Siksasamuccaya	39	(2)
Summary of the Siksasamuccaya	41	(26)
Protection	42	(9)
Purification	51	(7)
Cultivation	58	(9)
Analysis of key moral terms in the Siksasamuccaya	67	(22)
Kusala	67	(5)
Sila	72	(4)
Punya	76	(4)
Punya and its problematic ``application''	80	(9)
Santideva's morality in context	89	(23)
Santideva's morality	90	(11)
Just one moral theory?	101	(11)
Conclusions	112	(7)
What kind of moral theory?	112	(1)
Is Buddhist morality homogeneous?	113	(6)
Appendix I: verses of the Siksasamuccaya	119	(8)
Appendix II: titles of works quoted in the Siksasamuccaya	127	(3)
Notes	130	(20)
Bibliography	150	(7)
Index	157