Lily de Silva

The Buddhist Attitude Towards Nature, by Lily de Silva (from Buddhist Perspectives on the Ecocrisis (Wheel Publication No. 346), edited by Klass Sandell; 1987; 50k/12pp.)

In this essay de Silva reviews the Buddha's teachings regarding humankind's relationship to the natural world. More than just laying the foundation for a Buddhist understanding of contemporary environmental issues, this essay also reveals the vital role that nature and wilderness played in early Buddhism. Copious footnotes with references to source passages from the suttas.

"Giving in the Pali Canon," by Lily de Silva, in Dana: The Practice of Giving, edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi (Buddhist Publication Society Wheel Publication No. 367/369; 1990; 114k/38pp.)

Ministering to the Sick and Terminally Ill, by Lily de Silva (Buddhist Publication Society Bodhi Leaves No. 132; 1993; 34k/11pp.)

An introduction to the Buddha's teachings on illness and death, drawn from the Pali Canon.

In these two carefully researched and annotated essays, de Silva explores the experience of Nibbana as it is presented in the Pali suttas. From the back cover:

What is Nibbana? In the first essay of this booklet Lily de Silva approaches this age-old question from a fresh angle. Rather than speculate about Nibbana as an objective reality, she asks, "What does the attainment of Nibbana mean in terms of the living experience of one who has reached the final goal?" She discovers in the Pali texts four outstanding attributes of this experience: happiness, moral perfection, realization, and spiritual freedom. These she explores one by one, with ample citations from the Buddha's discourses to support her conclusions.

In the second essay she examines the two types of individuals who have realized the ultimate goal, the Buddha and his arahant disciples. She contends that while both the Buddha and the arahants share the same realization of emancipation, the Buddha is distinguished from the arahants by the cosmic dimensions of his mission and the breadth of his enlightenment.

One Foot in the World: Buddhist Approaches to Present-day Problems, by Lily de Silva (Buddhist Publication Society Wheel Publication No. 337/338; 1986; 106k/35pp.)

Eight essays: "A Layman's Happiness," "The Mechanics of Bondage and Suffering," "Understanding and Managing Stress," "The Buddhist Attitude to Gain and Honor," "Livelihood and Development," "Facing Death Without Fear," "The Human Body," and "Sensualistic Social Trends and Buddhism in Modern Times."