Buddhist Precept & Practice

Richard F. Gombrich

Introduction - aims and scope of the book; the problem - religious change; why Ceylon?; history, geography and economy of Ceylon; field-work and presentation; Sinhalese Buddhism - orthodox or syncretistic?; basic vocabulary of Buddhism; the Buddha; the Buddha's biography; the Buddha as worshipped - man or god?; a sketch of the universe as seen from Migala; causation; contents of the universe; attempts to influence non-human beings; summary; total responsibility in theory and practice; the ethics of intention; the monastic ideal and the decline of Buddhism; caste in the monastery