Library Workshop for Buddhist Ethics
Buddhist ethics:
Conflicts and dilemmas in modern world
•Buddhism
•Ethics
•Involves different subject areas:
Religion
Philosophy
Sociology
Political Sciences
•Significance in contemporary social issues:
Abortion, Euthanasia, Cloning
Social Justice
Homosexuality, Gender
Ecology …
Study of Buddhism in Modern Age
 Ancient historic tradition
 Diffuse geographical origins
 Multiple languages of teaching
 Different schools of thought
 Religious/Academic interpretation
 Abundant information resources …
How to find relevant & reliable information?
 Use trustworthy academic sources
 Encyclopedia of specific subject (not Wikipedia!)
 Scholarly Books
 Academic organization website, e.g. university, research
centre
Encyclopedias of Buddhism and Religions
•Encyclopedia of Buddhism
•Encyclopedia of religion
•Worldmark encyclopedia of religious practices
(e-book)
(e-book)
(e-book)
•Encyclopedia of Buddhism
[BQ128 .E53 2007]
•Britannica encyclopedia of world religions [BL31 .B74 2006]
•Religions of the world: a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs
and practices
[BL80.3 .R45 2002]
Example
What is karma in Buddhism?
 Wikipedia
 Encyclopedia of Buddhism (e-book)
Which source provides more useful information?
General Works
•Ethics
 Religious ethics
 Buddhist ethics
•Buddhism

Doctrinal and systematic Buddhism
 Buddhism -- social aspects
BJ
BJ1188-1295
BJ1289
BQ
BQ4061-4570
BQ4570
Recommended Readings
 Call No. BQ4022 .F38 2009
 "Many people know something about
Buddhism, but, for interesting historical
reasons, much of what they know is
wrong. In Unmasking Buddhism,
Bernard Faure offers a clear catalogue
of these misconceptions and then
compassionately dispels the darkness of
ignorance.“
Donald S. Lopez, University of Michigan
Recommended Readings
Prebish, C. S., & Keown, D. (2010). Introducing Buddhism (2nd ed.). London,
England: Routledge.
 Available via HKALL
 ‘This is a wonderful book,
comprehensive and readable, that
covers a wide spectrum of Buddhism.
It's clearly presented and probably the
best general textbook available today.
Aimed at undergraduate readers, it can
also provide reliable information for
anyone interested in Buddhism.’
- John Powers, Australian National
University
Recommended Readings
A whole section discussing Buddhist ethics and Modernity
To find similar materials
•Use the Author/Subject link to find similar items
Useful Subject Headings
•Buddhist ethics
•Buddhist fundamentalism
•Buddhist precepts
•Buddhism -- Social aspects
•Buddhism and politics
•Buddhism and social problems
•Buddhist perspective on specific issues
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

Death -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism
Human rights -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism
Human ecology -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism
E-journals
International
• Contemporary Buddhism
• Journal of Global Buddhism
• Journal of Buddhist Ethics
Taiwan
• 中華佛學研究
• 中華佛學學報
• 佛學研究中心學報
• 臺大佛學研究
China
•
•
•
•
•
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世界宗教研究
宗教學研究
中國宗教
世界宗教文化
法音
佛教文化
Use Database to find journal articles
e.g. to find articles on “engaged Buddhism” using ATLA Religion Database
Use Database to find journal articles
e.g. to find articles with keywords 佛教 & 倫理 using 中文電子期刊服務
Thank You
Ask your Librarian @
Information Counter
Hotline: 2948 6653
Email: libinfo@ied.edu.hk