Abstract
It is argued that the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, when put into Western categories, are psychology, not religion or philosophy. From this perspective, ethical principles are guidelines for personal/spiritual growth. The chapter contains a practical discussion of how Buddhist ethics informs spiritual practice across the three main vehicles (yanas) of Buddhism and within the broader context of the three great spiritual awakenings in Asia. Mindfulness is intertwined throughout. Some of the topics covered are the Buddha’s understanding of ethical behavior, the surprising depth and breadth of ethical practices, the contemporary ethical issues, the central role of mindfulness, the nature of wakening, and the universal practices of personal/spiritual growth that strongly affect the body/mind/spirit.
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Mikulas, W.L. (2018). Buddhist Ethics, Spiritual Practice, and the Three Yanas. In: Stanley, S., Purser, R., Singh, N. (eds) Handbook of Ethical Foundations of Mindfulness. Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76538-9_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76538-9_6
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