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.
