In this 21st Century Quantum Physical World why observe Buddhist Precepts? Taking refuge in the 3 Jewels is the initial step in becoming a Buddhist and following the precepts forms the foundation of the path. Buddhists practitioners observe various levels of precepts, depending upon each individual's level of commitment to the path. The initial refuge in the 3 Jewels signifies the starting point on the path of the eradication of suffering and the awakening of not just one's self but all sentient beings. Taking precepts can be compared to military personnel adhering to the rules of military law or citizens of a particular country abiding by the common law of their society. The difference between the first two approaches and the Buddhist approach is that the military rules or the common laws are external restrictions whereas the Buddhist precepts spring forth from a practice of self-discipline which eventually can become self regulated.

Buddhist Precepts: A Guide for Western Lay Practitioners, Robert Moore and Paul Lynch, Before Thought Publications, Paperback, 149 pages, $18.00

Robert Moore, PhD was Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology, Psychoanalysis and Spirituality in the Graduate Center of the Chicago Theological Seminary where he was the Founding Director of the new Institute for Advanced Studies in Spirituality and Wellness. An internationally recognized psychoanalyst and consultant in private practice in Chicago, he served as a Training Analyst at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago and was Director of Research for the Institute for Integrative Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy and the Chicago Center for Integrative Psychotherapy. Author and editor of numerous books in psychology and spirituality, he lectured internationally on his formulation of a neo-Jungian psychoanalysis and integrative psychotherapy.

CONTENTS: Buddhist Precepts
Note: This list omits the lowest level from the Table of Contents which often reflect multiple entries per page of the book.
Dedication		11
Foreword		13
The History of Buddhist Precepts		17
	The Buddhist Precepts	19
Excerpts from the Anguttara Nikaya		33
Concerning the Precepts for Lay Practitioners		33
	Anguttara Nikaya	35
	Abhisanda Sutra--Rewards	37
	Vipaka Sutra--Results	43
	Uposatha Sutra--The Lunar Observance	45
	Visakhuposatha Sutra	49
Brahamajala Sutra		57
	About the Dharma Net Sutra	59
	Preface to the Dharma Net Sutra	61
	Introduction	63
	The Bodhisattva Precepts Ceremony	69
	Bodhisattva Mind--Ground	75
	Sakyamuni Buddha	77
	The Buddha Reciting the Bodhisattva Precepts	81
	The Ten Major Precepts	83
	Conclusion: The Ten Major Precepts	87
	The Forty-Eight Secondary Precepts	89
	Conclusion	114
	Epilogue	115
	Verses of Praise	117
	Verses of Dedication	119
Precepts for the Golden Wind Zen Order A Mazu Daoyi Ancestral Chan Order		121
	Precepts	123
About the Authors		133
Zen Master Robert Moore		133
Paul Lynch, JDPSN		134
Footnotes		135