A rapidly growing field of study the influence of Buddhist thought on legal systems worldwide has its first book-length overview with a new compilation conceived by a UB Law School faculty member who is a pioneer in the field.

Buddhism and Law: An Introduction (Cambridge University Press) was co-edited by UB Law Professor Rebecca R. French and Mark A. Nathan, an assistant professor in UBs history department and its Asian Studies Program. Interdisciplinary in nature and broad in scope, it challenges the idea that Buddhism is an apolitical religion without implications for law. In fact, the authors argue, Buddhism provided the architecture for some legal ideologies and secular law codes, and added a new layer of complexity to existing legal systems elsewhere.

There are almost no books on Buddhist legal systems, says French, who wrote one herself in 2002 with The Golden Yoke: The Legal Cosmology of Buddhist Tibet (Snow Lion Publications). The study of Buddhism itself is pretty much brand new. Buddhist studies departments have existed in universities only in the last half century, and there has been serious study only in the past 20 to 30 years. But scholars are now working on the Vinaya and its influence on secular law.

The Vinaya is the law code, written for the followers of the Buddha, that makes up the first one-third of the Buddhist canon. French says dabblers in the religion, especially the reductionist, commodified version familiar to many Americans, might be surprised at the vehemence even the harshness of the Buddha's words.

The Vinaya is a series of encounters between the Buddha and a person who has committed some offense, she says. They have a conversation, they talk almost Socratically, then he states what the person has done wrong and what the punishment is.

The book, almost a decade in the making, grows partly from a couple of conferences organized by French and Law School Professor David M. Engel, who has longtime ties to Thailand. Its organized geographically, rather than thematically, with contributors taking up topics from India, where the religious tradition began; South and Southeast Asia, including Sri Lanka; East Asia, including China, Japan and Korea; and North Asia and the Himalayas region. French contributed one chapter, on Buddhism and law in Tibet.

Theres a lot of diversity in how this plays out, French says. Many people thought Buddhism was so diverse and so scattered that there wouldnt be central ideas. The variety has been interpreted as a lack of centralization, as a lack of coherence and as a lack of true law. I would argue that we just need to start looking. The relationship between Buddhism and law is completely different in different regions.

For example, she says, in Burma (now Myanmar), scholars have shown that law codes were built from scratch based on Buddhist teachings. Contrast that with the situation in China, where, French says, Buddhism arrived after the nation already had a strongly established legal system.

As a field of study, Buddhism and law is fraught with complexities, from the voluminous extant writings on the Buddhas teachings, to the problems of translating from the languages of heavily Buddhist countries and their long and complicated histories.

But, says French, most people are thinking about the ethical and foundational issues of legal systems how a culture gained those things and what they meant. The Judeo-Christian foundations of our own legal system are extremely important. Similarly, the Islamic influence on the legal system is very important in Islamic countries. Why wouldnt we want to know about the basic religious foundations of an enormous segment of the world?

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New book explores the nexus of Buddhism and law

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How to Practice Buddhism in Daily Life: Mini Loving-Kindness Compassion Exercise
As our lives get busier and we seem to be more time-poor, it has become even more crucial to find ways to easily apply the Buddhist teachings to our everyday activities. Practicing Buddhism...

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Being built on a beautiful mountain cliff, with thoughtful architecture and layout, the Designers have embedded the message of Buddhism to the temple complex. The commitment of the monks to keep the place worship-worthy needs special mention. The temple in every way has contributed to enhance the fame of Sri Lanka.

It is when one is away from the motherland for some time the feeling of being homesick sets in. You gradually begin to feel that you are missing the relations, the friends, the environment you lived in and the traditional food and the culture you were brought up.

As one who had been regularly away from the country during past decade I have personally experienced this situation and also have met hundreds of Sri Lankans and others who have migrated from other countries who share my experience.

For any such community that has migrated out of the mother land, I could vouch without hesitation that the religious center of their faith in the community is the place that becomes a meeting place. It is these religious centers that contribute to make the migrant's life easy and better and give them some relief filling the vacuum of missing the motherland.

It is in the light of this background that the Buddhist Vihara of Queensland, Goodna, Australia, popularly known as Goodna Temple came in to existence in 1998 and is being discussed in this article. The Sri Lankans in Brisbane are fortunate to have one more Buddhist temple in Forest Lake in addition to the "Goodna temple".

The elegance and the serenity of a temple of worship depend greatly upon its location. Knowing well of this fact, the chief priest of the Buddhist Vihare, Ven. Sitinamaluwe Sugathasara Thero had been looking for the most suitable location for the temple with great patience for a long period. "I spent hours, months and years exploring the internet looking for the most suitable location for the temple that was in my mind to be built. Once you are committed to buy a substandard location the whole idea is lost. I did not want to compromise for a sub standard location. I was aiming at a specious block of land on a hill top and when my eyes set on this location on the Eric Street , I knew that the most suitable location has been found." the Ven. monk explained.

Two and a half acres of the hilly land with a well maintained large bungalow constructed in the Queenslander style, a special form of architecture typical to Queensland for buildings of the post war period is now used as the shrine room and the residence for monks. The temple premises are located on a hilly area of Goodna with tall trees creating shade to make the environment peaceful and give it the natural atmosphere of a meditation center. Three items that make a temple complex complete are the "Stupa", "Bodhi Tree" and the "Shrine room" and within this short period the temple has established all these features and more.

The beautiful "stupa" was completed only an year ago and had been ceremonially opened in September 2013.

The "Stupa" has been built on a high flat form with a fleet of steps leading to it and with the few tall pillars around it creates the atmosphere of the "Thuparamaya" in Anuradhapura. What adds to its serenity is the simple white colour of the complex with the surrounding floor area in plain white cement. The magnificent simple lighting makes the "Stupa" looking very serene at nights.

The "Bodhi Tree" at the temple has a special unique story. It had been "root lifted" from the place where the temple was earlier located and transported and replanted here at a cost of eight thousand dollars. With all the huge investment and care the Bodhi tree had died due to drought but the arborist assured that its root system would bring out a new plant.

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Brisbane's exemplary temple

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Pema Chodron : notable American figure in Tibetan Buddhism : Best Sayings Collection !
Pema Chdrn is a notable American figure in Tibetan Buddhism. A disciple of Chgyam Trungpa Rinpoche, she is an ordained nun, author, and acharya, senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist...

By: Rakesh Asari

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Pema Chodron : notable American figure in Tibetan Buddhism : Best Sayings Collection ! - Video

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Dr. Tanaka - LDC WORKSHOP LECTURE HD 12/09/2014 - Video

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New releases

Fu-Go: The Curious History of Japans Balloon Bomb Attack on America by Ross Coen (University of Nebraska Press, $28.95). Toward the end of World War II, the Japanese military sent thousands of hydrogen balloons armed with incendiary and high-explosive bombs over the western U.S. One device killed a mother and five children near Bly, Ore. The book delves into this slice of history. The author lives in Seattle.

Taming the Ox by Charles Johnson (Shambhala, $17.95). National Book Award author and University of Washington scholar offers a collection of essays, reviews and short stories about politics, races and Buddhism. He will do a reading from the book at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at Seattles Elliott Bay Book Co.

Ken Jennings Outer Space by Ken Jennings (Little Simon, $19.99). Seattles superstar Jeopardy! champion releases the fourth installment of his Junior Genius Guide series designed to help young people get smarter. It is full of facts and questions like, Did you know Mars has a volcano bigger than Arizona?

The Haunted Library and The Ghost in the Attic by Dori Hillestad Butler and illustrated by Aurore Damant (Penguin, $4.99). For ages 7-9. Kaz, a lost ghost blown into a library, works with Claire, a real girl, to find his family and solve some ghostly mysteries in this beginning chapter-book series. Butler lives in Seattle.

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Japans balloon bomb attack in WW II; meditations on Buddhism

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[Buddhism for Peace of Mind] Being an Emotional Wreck by Ajahn Sumedho, Wisdom of Buddh
[Buddhism for Peace of Mind] Being an Emotional Wreck by Ajahn Sumedho, Wisdom of Buddha.

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[Buddhism for Peace of Mind] Being an Emotional Wreck by Ajahn Sumedho, Wisdom of Buddh - Video

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Gelek Rimpoche - Do Everything With Enthusiasm - Essence of Tibetan BUddhism 66
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Students learn about Buddhism through sand mandalas - Video