Background
Saddhatissa was born in 1914 Hammalawa, a hamlet in the northwest of Sri Lanka.
("For more than a quarter of a century, those in search of...)
"For more than a quarter of a century, those in search of an introduction to Buddhist moral thought have turned and returned to this little volume..." Thus notes Charles Hallisey of Harvard University in his introduction. Starting with an examination of classical Greek notions of ethics, Venerable Saddhatissa goes on to explain the development of Buddhist moral codes and their practical application. In this work, Venerable Saddhatissa starts with an examination of Western notions of ethics, beginning with the early Greek philosophers and moving on to show us how the study of morality is crucial to a clear understanding of the Buddhist tradition. Drawing on a vast array of Buddhist scriptures, Venerable Saddhatissa explains the development and position of Buddhist precepts from a traditional perspective, while simultaneously offering clear and practical advice on how best to live the moral life of a lay Buddhist practitioner. Throughout Buddhist Ethics, Venerable Saddhatissa always keeps us in touch with the pragmatic uses of Buddhist moral practices, not only as a way to live in harmony with the world, but as an indispensable aspect of the path to the Buddhist's highest spiritual goal.
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Saddhatissa was born in 1914 Hammalawa, a hamlet in the northwest of Sri Lanka.
The Venerable (of an Archdeacon) He was a contemporary of and in many ways equal to Walpola Rahula, also of Sri Lanka. Early He ordained as a sāmaṇera (novice monk) at the age of twelve in 1926. He received his early education at the Sastrodaya Pirivena at Sandalankawa and continued his higher studies at Vidyodaya Pirivena, Colombo, where he passed the final examinations with honours.
The Maha Bodhi Society invited Saddhatissa to become a missionary (dharmaduta) monk in India like his contemporary Henepola Gunaratana.
In order to teach to Indians he learnt Indian languages such as Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. While in India, he came to know B. R. Ambedkar, who reportedly obtained advice from him on how to draft the Indian constitution along the lines of the vinaya.
He also obtained an Master of Arts Degree from the Banaras Hindu University and then became a lecturer there. In 1957 he traveled to London at the request of the Maha Bodhi Society and lived the rest of his life in the West.
He obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh and held academic appointments at a number of universities.
He was posthumously honored in 2005 by Sri Lanka with a postage stamp bearing his image. Due to spending years at SOAS, University of London, Saddhatissa developed a sensitivity to Western philosophical discourse.
("For more than a quarter of a century, those in search of...)