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In the teaching of the Buddha, the practice of giving claims a place of special eminence, one that singles it out as being in a sense the foundation and seed of spiritual development. This publication was compiled by Bhikkhu Bodhi to explore this cardinal Buddhist virtue in greater depth by featuring essays in which four modern writers and a classical commentator set forth their understanding of giving and its relation to the wider body of Dhamma practice.

By performing an act of body, speech, or mind as the outcome of one’s volition, one also creates a possibility to act in a similar way in future. One, so as to speak, lays foundations for creating a way of behaving, a habit or a tendency. In other words, one adds some new or strengthens some old feature of one’s personality, perpetuating thereby one’s state of conditioned existence and determining the quality of one’s future character.

Is Buddhism closely related to psychology? To some extent, yes - but with one tremendous difference: While psychology helps you to understand yourself intellectually and, at best emotionally, Buddhism helps you to get beyond the intellect to the actual experience of life itself. That's why applied Buddhism goes so much deeper than any school of psychology can ever claim to do....

These two inspiring works were published by the Buddhist Publication Society under the Bodhi Leaves imprint as Bodhi Leaves No. 72. The authors address two of the most significant qualities needed to conquer the mind and reach enlightenment: will and energy.