The Just King: The Tibetan Buddhist Classic on Leading an Ethical Life

(Paperback)

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A translation of a popular Buddhist work on worldly ethics by Tibet's most famous philosopher. This first ever translation of Jamg n Mipham's Treatise on Ethics for Kings is a substantial and historic contribution to the field of Buddhist ethics. The text consists of a set of verses advising the king of Derge in Tibet on how to ethically behave in accordance with Buddhist principles. It is perhaps the longest premodern work of its kind and is designed as a code of conduct for anyone to follow, not just kings. Mipham speaks of how to rule with compassion, to abstain from taking life, of fair taxation, environmental sustainability, aiding the poor, and the importance of freedom of religion. He also warns that leaders must be weary of close associates who are easily corruptible, and that in order to govern one must have measured emotions and always consider the law of karma, cause and effect, in making decisions. Jose Cabez n, a renowned scholar of Buddhism, introduces us to the only known work on ethical kingship coming from Tibet. He points out to the reader that Mipham repeatedly mirrors many ethical treatises from classical India, but deviates when presenting a distinctly Buddhist perspective that emphasizes impermanence, karma, and compassion. Throughout the text Cabez n provides valuable commentary that helps transport the reader to the Buddhist world of nineteenth-century Eastern Tibet, where monks and kings relied on one another and the primary role of the king was to protect his people from physical, mental, and even spiritual harm.

Reviews

Written more than a century ago for a prince in eastern Tibet, Mipham's great didactic poem on the principles of royal ethics, The Just King, is stunningly relevant to our own era. Jos Cabezn's typically lucid and learned translation is a pleasure to read and brings Mipham's insights alive for the modern reader. If every president, CEO, or indeed anyone in a position of authority, took seriously the sage counsel of The Just King, the world would be a far better place for it: more just, more peaceful, more harmonious.
Roger Jackson, Professor Emeritus of Asian Studies and Religion, Carleton College

Ju Mipham Rinpoches treatise of The Just King remains a profound inspiration for our world today. The book highlights the mutual bonds of affectionate respect that must exist between people in positions of power and the general population in order for the word civilization to have any deeper meaning. In what was to be our final conversation, Khenpo Dazer Rinpoche, whom I am fortunate to count among my kind philosophy teachers, impressed upon me his wish to see Mipham Rinpoches treatise translated into English. I am grateful and delighted to know that Professor Cabezn has devoted his scholarly erudition to this project and has translated this work so masterfully. Tossing flowers of praise, I rejoice and offer prayers for a wise and compassionate world.
Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche

This is a wonderful book thatdraws out a commonground ofethics forBuddhists, politicians, and Dharma kings.Professor Cabezn delivers a readable and accurate translation of this unique treatise in JamgnMiphams vast corpus.His introduction draws the reader into this remarkable text by situating the work within the distinctive social and historical contexts of this genre in Tibet and India, while highlighting the complex and tenacious relationships between politics and religion, as well as spiritual and secular power.
Douglas Duckworth, author of Jamgn Mipam: His Life and Teachings

Author Bio

JAMG N MIPHAM (1846-1912), one of the great luminaries of Tibetan Buddhism in modern times, has had a dominant and vitalizing influence on the Nyingma School and beyond. He was an important member of the Rime, or nonsectarian movement, which did much to strengthen and preserve the entire tradition. A scholar of outstanding brilliance and versatility, his translated works are eagerly anticipated by English-language readers as he is perhaps the most famous Tibetan Buddhist philosopher. JOS IGNACIO CABEZ N is the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Professor of Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. Formerly a Buddhist monk at Sera Monastery in South India, Professor Cabez n has authored a number of works on Tibetan literature, Buddhist philosophy, and sexuality. He is originally from Cuba and currently resides in California.