BUDDHIST ANSWERS TO CURRENT ISSUES: Studies in Socially Engaged Humanistic Buddhism An internationally reputed Buddhist scholar and activist - Vice-President and Liaison Officer to UN and UNESCO of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB); Patron, European Buddhist Union; President, World Buddhist University Council; Honorary Consultative Editor, Encyclopaedia of Buddhism: Professor of Buddhist Studies, Dean of Academic Affairs and Director, International Academy of Buddhism (IAB), University of the West, California, USA; Editor, Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism; Member, UNESCO International Interreligious Council; Former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to UNESCO, France, U.S.A., Spain, Algeria and Mexico; Former Senior Special Advisor to the Director General of UNESCO; and Author of 49 books on Buddhism, history and education - explores in eight chapters Buddhist answers to such issues as - Can Buddhism be the dogma-free humanistic spirituality, which the humankind searches to replace organized religion? How can Buddhism help in socialization and development of social awareness and responsibility of children and youth?What is the Buddhist bioethical response to abortion, euthanasia, suicide, asexual procreation, cloning, genetic engineering, eugenics, euphenics and the like?
How does Buddhism help to accomplish the many-sided goals of a "whole person" education? How can Buddhism contribute to securing the human right to Peace, Security and Prosperity? What tasks lie ahead for the traditionally Buddhist countries to preserve and propagate Buddhism? How can Buddhism in the West usher in Universal Buddhism? How can we tap Sino-Indian Buddhist literature to answer current issues?
Author Biography:
Dr. Ananda W.P. Guruge is Dean of Academic Affairs, Director of the International Academy of Buddhism and Editor of Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism of the University of the West (formerly Hsi Lai University), Los Angeles County, California. He is also an adjunct professor of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Peace Studies of California State University, Fullerton; the Vice-President and Liaison Officer to the United Nations and UNESCO of the World Fellowship of Buddhists; the Chairman of the World Buddhist University Council; and the Patron of the European Buddhist Union; former Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of Sri Lanka to UNESCO, France and USA (with non-resident accreditation to Spain, Algeria and Mexico) (1985-1994); and former Senior Special Adviser to the Director General of UNESCO (1995-2000). He is the author of forty-nine books and about 175 research papers. The most recent among them are: What in Brief is Buddhism? Montrey Park, California, USA 1999, Free at Last in Paradise (A Historical Novel on Sri Lanka), Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA 1998 buybooksontheweb and paperbck edition, Bloomington, Indiana, USA 2000 Authorhouse, The Unforgettable Dharmapala, Bloomington, Indiana, USA 2002 Authorhouse and Humanistic Buddhism for Social Well-being, Buddha Light Publishing, Hacienda Heights, CA, USA 2003, another historical novel on Sri Lanka: Serendipity of Andrew George, Summer 2003 Authorhouse and Buddhist Answers to Current Issues, 2004, Authorhouse. E-mail: anandaguruge@cs.com; Address: 8351 Snowbird Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92646, United States of America.
