Triple Gem : The Buddhist Ethics For Society In Action

Phramaha Somphong Santacitto Phuengcharoen

PhD Candidate, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

                      

In the modern age, even though society has materially and technologically advanced, it still experiences deadlock.  Relating to rapid communication and transportation, it seems that our world is so getting smaller – we can now travel further, faster and more comfortably.   Optimistically, if it would be more accessible and convenient, we can make contact across the world within a few minutes as our mind may desire.  Also Dhamma diffuses through many mediums and channels as well.  Pessimistically, society moves on to get close to disaster built up by humans.

Someone may say that it is our [unfortunate] kamma for us to be born into this digital age [others suggest we are fortunate[1]] - there are many complicated problems and temptations occurring.  The form and degree of problems, whether spiritual, mental or physical have been altered and modified.  For instance, technology would be used wisely for the benefit and happiness of others; but instead, is misused for seeking benefits and making trouble.  Some young people use the internet for negative or unproductive purposes.  They fall ‘victim’ through misusing the internet – leading to the social problems, crimes, etc.  Recently, a youth actually violently re-enacted a scene from a popular video-game – shooting and killing a taxi-driver. 

In this technological age that we are living in, life is very complicated.  Social problems result from many components.  In this age, with a mixture of industrial and information technology, people can change their ways of life, leading to new behaviors, rarely encountered in previous ages.  The cultural-lifestyle also change according to the hectic and stressful life - because of immorality leading to crime.

In Buddhist views, society is subjected to three natural disabilities or diseases: desire (iccha), hunger (anasana) and decay (jara).[2]  Also, society is not only confined to humanity but this includes all living beings whether they be animals or lower sentient beings: “as a mother who protects her own child as her own life, so should one develop thoughts toward all living beings.”[3]  In this sense, ‘social development’ includes not only developing human society, but also for other beings: “one should not abandon the well-being of oneself for the well-being of another.[4]  In this paper, I examine the Buddhist ethics for society by exemplifying the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha as role models for Buddhist ethics for society.

 

Buddha for the Society:

 

Social development in Buddhist sense, started simultaneously with the advent of Buddhism under the Bodhi tree where the new Buddha contemplated and reflected the intellectual levels of human beings who are spiritually ripe (eye with little dust) enough to attain enlightenment.  The Buddha strove hard to develop social benefits as good examples for all Buddhists to realize - and through his one of three qualities: compassion in action to all beings.  The Buddha was of several ‘positions’ - as being a social-reformer, as coined by western scholars sometime during the early period in the flowering of western knowledge – during the European Age of their own refreshing enlightenment – though the Buddha’s Enlightenment was more than 2000 years before.[5]  The Buddha determined centuries before, to work for the benefit and compassion of the world.  This would make Buddhism a religion for society through his 45 years resorted and devoted efforts and ministry.

Max Muller wrote that the ancient history of Brahmanism leads onward, into Buddhism, much in the same way or necessity that Medieval Roman-Catholicism led to Protestantism.[6]  The analogy between the Buddha and Martin Luther, between Buddhism and Protestantism served to illuminate Buddhism, and this anti-Catholic polemic.  Buddha was considered as a radical social reformer rejecting the pretensions of the secular ruling class or aristocracy because anti-Catholicism was combined with or replaced by an anti-socialistic polemic.  By this time, Buddha was ‘dis-respected’, as: “an ideal Victorian gentleman”[7] – as if Victorian standards should be globally implemented - because of his remarkable and striking compassion and sympathy.  Victorians might have rather wished to be considered Noble upholders of Buddhist Ethics – that would be truly complimentary.

Buddha exercised compassion in action through Sangahavatthu as a tool to assemblies of sentient beings, including various gods, humans and animals [the Elephant Nalagiri comes to mind].  As the role-model, being the Buddha is actually consists of different mental qualities unique to him.  This is explained in great details - the Buddha is endowed with nine qualities of virtues or attributes[8] - recollected daily in monastic chanting ceremonies[9] - seen concerning the society in the fifth through seventh verses (Lokavidu, Anuttaro purisdammasarthi, Sattha devamanussanam).  For instance, he also gave morning Dhamma lectures to his ordained disciples, lay-followers, and other attendees received talks during the day or before bedtime, and he replied to the questions raised by deities or fairies at midnight.  He traveled from place to place, from small villages to big cities, from kingdoms to state-republics – to offer the Dhamma eye to people.  The Buddha sometimes even gave the four basic necessities to monks.  This is the first generosity (Caga) based on his great compassion.

In his spiritually good and compassionate speech (Piyavaca), he always made useful and spiritual conversation conducive to spiritual growth with people from all walks of life such as Yāsa, until his final life-moment, never fatigued to delivered final anecdote or admonition (Pacchimavaca).  In beneficial action, by means of exercising energy - he did provided great benefits to his relatives and greater society as a whole.  Fruitfully, there were variances in degrees of enlightenment – but societies were given temporal, spiritual, or hereafter benefits. The Buddha not only devoted and sacrificed himself (caga) and gave a dhamma talks and spiritual discourses (piyavaca) but also helped with his physical energy (atthacāriya) such as he approached a group of  bhikkhus, one monk fell ill, lying down on his side on bed.  No monks looked after him at all.  In this case, Buddha himself looked after him and said that whoever looked after the sick monk he looked after me (Tathagata).  The Buddha encouraged monks to perform social works or be service-minded to others.  Even in samanattatta, he set himself in the middle path on socio-economic plane and was very wise with getting well along with or tuned in others – certainly, as when he balanced or reconciled multi–sided social disputed or conflicts, like that over the water in the Rohini River.  With his great compassion – if living today, he would receive the Noble Prize or other awards for his peace-activities. 

 

Buddhist Teachings for the Society:

 

In some of his teachings, the Buddha did not lay much importance to material progress in the modern sense; towards mundane welfare, he never entirely ignore it because, it is the basis for human mental or spiritual progress.  Buddha’s teachings are therefore concerned with certain aspects of material conditions and social welfare.  So the solidarity and security of society, the stability of economic welfare and the stability of the governmental setting are considered as pre-requisites for human happiness and security.  With such progress of empty happiness and security, materialism can be seen to be devoid of a spiritual and moral foundation.  While encouraging material progress wisely, the emphasis on the development of moral and spiritual progress for a happy, peaceful and contented society are emphasized in Buddha’s teachings – holistically integrated towards a sustained-development.

The Buddhist ethics for social development starts with the teachings for society.  It is Sangahavatthu[10] that is regarded as the behavioral or overt expression of the brahmaviharas.[11]  The latter puts the emphasis on the conscious cultivation of love and equanimity at the mental or abstract level.  The former emphasizes their cultivation at the behavioral or concrete level.  There is a mutual process of feedback and interaction between the purely inner mental, or thought plane, and the overt, behavioral or action, plane.  All  examined demonstrate that generosity (caga) good speech (piyavaca) is conduct that conduces to the well-being of others (atthacāriya), based on loving-kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy respectively.  Giving (Dāna) which is the starting and stepping stone for further social growth is a most crucial quality for society.  This giving (dāna) and generosity (caga) considered the key starting point for social development appear in many principles for society, including the famous ten duties of a king.[12]  It should be noted that Buddhist teachings would not be reductionistic or separate but  holistic or incorporated.  So it is with metta and karuna or mudītā  and upekkha that one begins to learn how to give and who to give to - without any conditions.  Of three levels: behavioral, mental and spiritual phases - social development falls under the behavioral category, regarded as coarse or elementary.  The Buddhist Ethics at the basic level of Sīla deeply affects personal and social life.  On the social level, Sīla contributes to harmonious and peaceful coexistence among community members and consequently assists to promote social growth and security.  In a society where morality prevails and members are conscious of their role and function, there will be general security, mutual trust and close cooperation - all of which in turn lead to greater progress and prosperity.  Without morality, there will be corruption and disturbance, and all members of society are adversely affected.  Most of the problems that society experiences today are connected, directly or indirectly, with a lack of good morality.

Another level of Buddhist teachings for the society is a matter of saccadhamma.  The causality for dependent origination of the social problems through the principle of conditionality in the Mahanidana Sutta is elaborated upon both on an individual basis, as it occurs within the mind, and also in the social context, as it occurs in human relationships.  The arising of social ills is described along the same lines as that of personal suffering, but from craving onwards, it diverges into a description of external events: the individual craving leading to cling (upadana); for the social level: craving leading to seeking gain.[13]

In addition to above sutta, several other discourses, such as the Aggañña Sutta, the Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta and the Vasettha Sutta describe the working models of social levels and deal mainly with the development of events in human society, as such the advent of class structures.  The aim of Aggañña Sutta is to enumerate the origin of the class system as a matter of natural development based on related causes, not as commandments from an Almighty God.[14]  The evolution of society is enumerated in the Aggañña Sutta, about the laziness of people hoarding rice - leading to problems we are not facing in our contemporary society, until later ‘practice’ breaks off into smaller groups, some renouncing tradition and household life and take to the homeless life called the ascetics (samana).[15]  The purpose of the Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta is to account for the arising of crime and social ills within a society, in accordance with cause and effect.[16]

In the present, social development is a halfway success, not sustainable, and not long-lasting.  Social Development in the Buddhist sense, is not as in modern times, attempts to resolve social ills – and are rarely attuned to their genuine causes by seeking to provide the stop-gap solutions, such as establishing counseling for drug addicts and delinquents.  Attempts have not been made to delve deeply into the social conditions affecting the emergence of problems in the first place, such as consumerism and the mass media.[17]  In this respect, the Buddhist teaching of dependent origination on the social-scale offers an invaluable precedent for truly intelligent, and an effective social analysis, and a model for reform.  In Buddhist sense, whatever the society be, or in any form - the people must worship or praise the Dhamma.  That means Dhamma is the highest among the human and gods.

 

Sangha - Buddhist Ethics for Society:

 

Another aspect of Buddhist Ethics for society based on Vinaya, deals mainly with a monk through his individual and social phases.  This Buddhist Ethics for society in Vinaya sense, is based on 'community structure.  In the early period of the Buddha’s teaching career, the Sangha[18] was considered mostly noble ones (arahants).  Vinaya was not so much emphasized – as it came to be in the mid and later-modern periods, which community of Sangha members grew and mixing noble and ordinary monks (Savakasangha and Bhikkhusangha).  Authority is handed over to the Sangha through the Vinaya as a tool for Sangha government in community, as well as fundamental precepts (sikkhapada) for individual monk.

Although the Buddha and other Buddhist monks renounced material bonds or worldly concerns with society, they did not abandon the society.  The perfected monks are expected to live in society, like the lotus flower growing in the muddy water that rises and stays untainted above the level of the muddy water.  Bhikkhus still work so hard for society but in the end, never attach to society.  In this case, the Buddhist Temple is not allowed to be far from society and too close to society. But Bhikkhus still go out for alms-round in order to make contact with society - they still do their activities, do meditation (attahita) and share dhamma with society (parahita).

In Sangahavatthu, in the first caga, Bhikkhusangha still do social work through giving spiritual guidance and talks to lay people, this is called Dhammadana.  Not only lay people make a donation or present material gift (Vatthudana) to monks but also monks make a gift for society by giving Dhamma (Dhammadana) for the sake of society.  In the Vinaya, monks are not allowed to remain speechless, without conversation during vassa, monks should speak to each other with beneficial communication in spiritual matters; monks cannot even be quiet in Buddhist Holy Days, giving Dhamma talks to people.  Monks, after taking their daily meal in lay-homes, after the invitation-meal - should say something and give a blessing.  In the doing the benefits to others, a monk must not be doing nothing, must do the benefit to others. Even in society of monks, apart from benefiting fellow monks, a monk should care for society and the environment.  Monks in rural areas lead villagers or communities to clean roads, some open rehabilitation centers for drugs addicts, HIV patients, orphanages, and other forms of social work.  In part of self-samanattata, monks should be neutral or not overtake impartiality – taking sides with people or be prejudiced  - but should be ready to assist anyone.  This means a monk does not get involved or stuck in society and forget their own wisdom and mental-development – nor should they cry or be in sorrow while laity are in sorrow or cry.  Monks would remain in a state of equanimity or in ‘the middle way’.

In case of Noble Sangha (Savakasangha or Ariyasangha), their attitude towards society is focused on compassion towards all sentient beings, especially those in the lay Noble Sangha who attained sotapanna (stream-entry) such as Anathapindika and Vīsakha.  They still supported the monastic communities through material gifts or donations to monks and dāna to all.  Asoka the Great gave Abhayadana and Dāna to monks, and Dāna to his subjects, gave freedom to lesser and greater animals within his domain.  Pertaining to speech, it is important to utilize useful and timely-spoken speech – and use metta when speaking or interacting with companions or the environment – examples found, are in the examples of Anathapinadika.  He spoke sweetly to everyone with the words Ama and Tata – meaning ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ honoring everyone, including subordinates or employees.  Later important lay Buddhists, like Dr. Ambedhar greatly benefited society, based on his large store of metta, karuna, and mudītā  checked by Upekkha – towards his followers and greater society.

Ultimately, the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha) set the role model for society by viewing the Buddha as the social reformer, who incorporated dhamma into society, and used dhamma as the guiding principles for social development, and upheld the Sangha as the ideal community structure for ideal society.  Society deals with each individual unit (human), society (itself) and surrounding natural environment.  Without each unit, social development could not last long, be sustainable or merely depend on causes and conditions within these context or rooted from the conditions that humanity imposes since becoming demoralized and unethical. 

Events or external phenomena could appearing as greed, when facing natural calamities like famine, hatred in the form of widespread violence, and epidemics of ignorance when the ethical-morality of people ebbs and flows, either up and down in society.  Immorality grips society, people and nature deteriorate, morality reigns, the quality of human life and nature improves; greed, hatred and delusion produce pollution within and without. Generosity (caga), good spiritual speech (piyavaca), useful conduct for benefit (atthacāriya) based on loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna) and sympathetic joy (mudītā ) build up purity of the society within and without.  That is why the Buddha has pronounced that the world is led by the mind (cittena niyati loko).  In modern society, social dangers arise anywhere and at any time, society would not be peaceful without that spiritual role model or leader of that society (Buddha), practicing strategy (Dhamma) and structure (Sangha community) as the ‘ideal’.  As the Dhammapāda stresses: anyplace wherever be a village, woods, hill - the enlightened ones (arahants) dwell in these pleasurable or inspiring places.[19]