Ronald Y. Nakasone 1990 Ethics of Enlightenment, Essays and Sermons in Search of a Buddhist Ethic. Freemont, California: Dharma Cloud Publishers.
This is a collection of essays and sermons by Ronald Nakasone, who
currently teaches philosophy and ethics and the Institute of Buddhist
Studies and the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, California.
Nakasone studies Buddhist doctrine in the USA and Japan, and was a
priest at the San Hose Buddhist Church Betsuin Hongwanji Sect.
The book contains Nakasone's reflections on Buddhists' aspirations and
beliefs and the implications these have on Buddhist's spiritual
exercises. The essays centre around developing and illustrating a
picture of Buddhist ethics based on Shakyamuni, Dharmakara and the
teachings of Shinran.
The essays, which comprise the first part of the book, are short and in
plain language, and they are aimed at elucidating the material for the
everyday person rather than an academic or monastic. Yet, they cover
quite complex themes and can be read again and again in order to
penetrate their full meaning.
The first chapter focuses on the story of Shakyamuni and takes his life
as the inspiration for Shin Buddhist ethical conduct-the story of
someone who strives, attains, and implements wisdom and compassionate
acts in the Bodhisattva ideal. Nakasone offers some keen insights into
the metaphorical aspects of the story. Such as describing Brahma's
request of Shakyamuni to teach as representing the deepest yearnings of
humanity to understand the unaccountable griefs and conflicts of life.
Chapter two takes the myth of Dhamakara as its focus. Nakasone writes
that it is a dramatization of Shakyamuni Buddha's life which has been
given epic proportions. "Myth gives poetic expression to the belief
that the universe is an embodiment of universal good will which is
inexorably leading all humanity to spiritual ease." P17 He writes that
Dharmakara's vow to spiritually emancipate all is the basis for the
ethics of enlightenment. Nakasone also writes that it "dramatizes the
ethical imperatives implicit in an interdependent world." , reflects
the universal good will of the universe, and reinforces Shakyamuni
Buddha's declaration at birth of the nobility and worth of every
individual, and that these factors are important in molding a system of
ethics.
Interdependence: The Doctrinal Rationale for Buddhist Thought and
Practice is the title of Chapter three. In this chapter Nakasone covers
the law of karma and its further development, as well as the logic and
significance of interdependence. Nakasone uses an excerpt from Shinran's
Tannisho to demonstrate how, due to the complexity of the workings of
karma, our ability to determine good and evil conduct may be beyond us
and that we need to be aware of the fragile circumstances of our
lives-not that we are unable to influence the course of our lives, but
that the ways in which we, and others, have influence is very complex.
These circumstances and conditions form the ideological basis for the
bodhisattva's career.
Chapter four is the final major essay of the book, Ethics of Enlightenment. In this Chapter Nakasone focuses on the spirit of the ethics of enlightenment as practiced by ordinary Buddhists, how it can minimize suffering and instil joy. The bulk of this chapter discusses suffering, death, the precept against taking life, and euthanasia. Nakasone puts forth a Buddhist model of paternalism rather than autonomy in such decisions. But, giving many examples from the sutras, there is no one answer. A bodhisattva must rely on wisdom and
compassion in his work.
The remainder of the book comprise various sermons and short essays which relate issues faced by Nakasone and his congregation and illustrate everyday examples of the ethical framework he has put
forward.
The book is interesting to me for its approach to ethics based/framed by the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and Dharmakara, rather than the vinaya. Though Nakasone does not condone ignorance of the precepts and
indeed highlights their importance, he does not put them forward as the primary basis for an ethical Shin Buddhist life. Much of the writing is interesting from a psychological perspective as well as from a purely
Buddhist perspective. I get a strong sense of naturalness from what Nakasone writes. His in depth knowledge of the topic is evident through the ease with which he makes it accessible to the everyday reader
without losing the subjects complexity. His message is that qualities of trust, wisdom and compassion are imperative to live an ethical life, as well as an understanding of the workings of the world. It is a book
worth reading several times.