A Constitution For Living
Ven. P. A. Payutto

A Constitution for Living is an accessible, concise handbook for Buddhist laypeople on the ethical principles of lay practice. When sincerely taking up these principles, which are advocated by the Buddha in the instruction to Sigála and other discourses, it will lead to the happiness and benefit of both oneself and others.

The book consists of two parts. The first part, The Buddhist's Life Standards, is a concise summary of the principles, which are elaborated upon in the second part, A Constitution for Living.  The first part can be taken as the lay Buddhist's essential principles for leading a virtuous life, while the latter part consists of general Dhamma principles for leading a virtuous, successful, happy and perfected life.

The author, Venerable Payutto, is the most renowned scholar monk of Thailand. He was born in 1939 and became a novice when he was 13. He has written a wide range of works, including an extensive exposition of the Suttas and Vinaya, a Buddhist dictionary, and works with perspectives on the problems of society, environment, economy, law and technology. In 1994 he received the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education.

In this reprint, translations of four discourses on lay ethics have been added as a supplement—thea Sigalovada Sutta, Mahamangala Sutta, Paraabhava Sutta and Vyagghapajja Sutta. They were earlier published as the BPS Wheel Publication No. 14 called Everyman's Ethics

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