Almost all major works in philosophy and literature are accessible via online sources on the Internet. Fortunately, much of the best work in philosophy and literature is available in the public domain. A translation of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, in particular, became available through Project Gutenberg by Michael Pullen. This edited version of that text is subject to the legal notice following the title page referencing the GFDL License. By placing this edited reading selection under the GFDL, this product is being open-sourced, in part, to minimize costs to interested students of philosophy and, in part, to make it widely available in a form convenient to a wide variety of readers. A particular virtue of DocBook is that the same text may be converted into a variety of formats, including audio and Braille files. Also, students, themselves, can improve the product if they wish to do so. This particular edition represents a first step in the development of the open-source text. The development model of Siddhartha is loosely patterned on the "release early, release often" model championed by Eric S. Raymond.[1] Various formats of this work are being made available for distribution. If the core reading and commentary prove useful, the successive revisions will be released as incrementally numbered "stable" versions beginning with version 1.0.

These readings provide convenient sources for almost anyone seeking to learn about ethics and ethical theory. Our present collection is composed almost entirely of public domain sources, edited and emended, and subject to the legal notice following the title page which references Appendix A.

In this introduction to philosophical thinking, we will read some essays specially chosen from four main areas of interest: (1) the philosophy of life, (2) the philosophy of religion, (3) ethics, and (4) metaphysics and theory of knowledge. Although our approach is not comprehensive, it is reasonably representative of some of the more significant areas of philosophical inquiry. The readings are intended to illustrate the interrelations between these subject areas of philosophy and, as well, to provide the foundations for future investigations of these and related problems. Since the study of philosophy involves working with concepts rather than facts, the activity of philosophy seeks understanding rather than knowledge. In other words, emphasis in this course of study is placed on the reasoning process. Memorizing the subject matter of philosophy is less likely to give insight into the discipline than is engaging actively in process doing philosophy. In order to make the most of the present opportunity, it will be helpful if we can invoke what has been called the principle of charity as we approach new ways of looking at things. That is, we ought to attempt to set aside, provisionally and temporarily, preconceptions about the philosophical views presented-especially when our initial reaction is to disagree. While suspending our own beliefs and tolerating for the moment any ambiguity and inconsistencies, we can obtain an accurate, sympathetic understanding of the presentation of ideas. In many instances, invoking the principle of charity takes some acculturation.

Many classic works in Eastern philosophy are accessible via online sources on the Internet. Fortunately, many of the influential and abiding works are in the public domain; these readings provide a convenient way to produce quality learning experiences for almost anyone seeking information and help. Our present collection of edited readings is free but subject to the legal notice following the title page. By placing these selections in the public domain under the GFDL, the editors are, in effect, "open-sourcing" this product, in part, to minimize costs to interested students of philosophy and, in part, to make the readings widely available in a form convenient to a variety of readers. Moreover, users themselves can improve the product if they wish to do so. Viewed in this way, the release of these readings is, in a genuine sense, a small test of the Delphi effect in open-source publishing. This particular edition is not a completed work. It is the first step in the development of the open-source text. The development model of Readings in Eastern Philosophy is loosely patterned on the "release early, release often" model championed by Eric S. Raymond.[1] With the completion of version 1.0, various formats of this work can be made available for distribution. If the core reading and commentary prove useful, the successive revisions, readings, commentary, and other improvements by users can be released in incrementally numbered "stable" versions.