Buddhism is open to traditions and customs provided they are
not harmful to the welfare of others.
The Buddha advised us not to believe in anything simply because
it is the traditional custom. However, we are not advised to
suddenly do away with all traditions. 'You must try to experiment
with them and put them thoroughly to test. If they are reasonable
and conducive both to your happiness and to the welfare of others,
only then should you accept and practise these traditions and
customs.' (Kalama Sutta) This is certainly one of the most
liberal declarations ever made by any religious teacher. This
tolerance of other's traditions and customs is not known to some
other religionists. These religionists usually advise their new
converts to give up all their traditions, customs and culture
without observing whether they are good or bad. While preaching the
Dhamma, Buddhist missionaries have never advised the people to give
up their traditions as long as they are reasonable. But the customs
and traditions must be within the framework of religious
principles. In other words, one should not violate the religious
precepts in order to follow one's traditions. If people are very
keen to follow their own traditions which have no religious value
at all, they can do so provided that they do not practise these
traditions in the name of religion. Even then, such practices must
be harmless to oneself and to all other living creatures.
>Rites and Rituals These are included within customs and
traditions. The rites and rituals are an ornamentation or a
decoration to beautify a religion in order to attract the public.
They provide a psychological help to some people. But one can
practise religion without any rites and rituals. Certain rites and
rituals that people consider as the most important aspect of their
religion for their salvation are not considered as such in
Buddhism. According to the Buddha, one should not cling to such
practices for his spiritual development or mental purity. Festivals
Genuine and sincere Buddhists do not observe Buddhist festivals by
enjoying themselves under the influence of liquor and merry-making
or holding feasts by the slaughtering of animals. The true
Buddhists observe festival days in an entirely different manner. On
the particular festival day, they would devote their time to
abstaining from all evil. They would practise charity and help
others to relieve themselves from their suffering. They may
entertain friends and relatives in a respectable way. The festivals
that have been incorporated with religion sometimes could pollute
the purity of a religion. On the other hand a religion without
festivals can become very dull and lifeless to many people. Usually
children and youths come to religion through religious festivals.
To them the attraction of a religion is based on its festivals.
However, to a mediator, festivals can become a nuisance.
Of course, some people will not be satisfied with religious
observances only during a festival . They naturally like to have
some sort of merry-making and outward show. Rites, rituals,
ceremonies, processions and festivals are organized to quench that
thirst for emotional satisfaction through religion. No one can say
that such practices are wrong, but devotees have to organize those
ceremonies in a cultured manner, without causing a nuisance to
others.
==Buddhism and Women ==
A female child may prove even to be a better offspring than
a male.
Women's position in Buddhism is unique. The Buddha gave women
full freedom to participate in a religious life. The Buddha was the
first religious Teacher who gave this religious freedom to women.
Before the Buddha, women's duties had been restricted to the
kitchen; women were not even allowed to enter any temple or to
recite any religious scripture. During the Buddha's time, women's
position in society was very low. The Buddha was criticized by the
prevailing establishment when He gave this freedom to women. His
move to allow women to enter the Holy Order was extremely radical
for the times. Yet the Buddha allowed women to prove themselves and
to show that they too had the capacity like men to attain the
highest position in the religious way of life by attaining
Arahantahood. Every woman in the world must be grateful to the
Buddha for showing them the real religious way of living and for
giving such freedom to them for the first time in world history. A
good illustration of the prevailing attitude towards women during
the Buddha's time is found in these words of Mara: 'No woman, with
the two-finger wisdom (narrow) which is hers, could ever
hope to reach those heights which are attained only by the sages.'
Undoubtedly, the Buddha was vehement in contradicting such
attitude. The nun (bhikkhuni) to whom Mara addressed these words,
gave the following reply: 'When one's mind is well concentrated and
wisdom never fails, does the fact of being a woman make any
difference?' King Kosala was very disappointed when he heard that
his Queen had given birth to a baby girl. He had expected a boy. To
console the sad King, the Buddha said:
'A female child, O Lord of men, may prove Even a better
offspring than a male. For she may grow up wise and virtuous, Her
husband's mother reverencing, true wife, The boy that she may bear
may do great deeds, And rule great realms, yes, such a son Of noble
wife becomes his country's guide,' - (Samyutta Nikaya)
The Buddha has confirmed that man is not always the only wise
one; woman is also wise. Nowadays many religionists like to claim
that their religions give women equal rights. We only have to look
at the world around us today to see the position of women in many
societies. It seems that they have no property rights, are
discriminated in various fields and generally suffer abuse in many
subtle forms. Even in western countries, women like the
Suffragettes had to fight very hard for their rights. According to
Buddhism, it is not justifiable to regard women as inferior. The
Buddha Himself was born as a woman on several occasions during His
previous births in Samsara and even as a women He developed the
noble qualities and wisdom until He gained Enlightenment or
Buddhahood.
==Buddhism and Politics ==
The Buddha had gone beyond all worldly affairs, but still
gave advice on good government.
The Buddha came from a warrior caste and was naturally brought
into association with kings, princes and ministers. Despite His
origin and association, He never resorted to the influence of
political power to introduce His teaching, nor allowed His Teaching
to be misused for gaining political power. But today, many
politicians try to drag the Buddha's name into politics by
introducing Him as a communist, capitalist, or even an imperialist.
They have forgotten that the new political philosophy as we know it
really developed in the West long after the Buddha's time. Those
who try to make use of the good name of the Buddha for their own
personal advantage must remember that the Buddha was the Supremely
Enlightened One who had gone beyond all worldly concerns. There is
an inherent problem of trying to intermingle religion with
politics. The basis of religion is morality, purity and faith,
while that for politics is power. In the course of history,
religion has often been used to give legitimacy to those in power
and their exercise of that power. Religion was used to justify wars
and conquests, persecutions, atrocities, rebellions, destruction of
works of art and culture. When religion is used to pander to
political whims, it has to forego its high moral ideals and become
debased by worldly political demands.
The thrust of the Buddha Dhamma is not directed to the creation
of new political institutions and establishing political
arrangements. Basically, it seeks to approach the problems of
society by reforming the individuals constituting that society and
by suggesting some general principles through which the society can
be guided towards greater humanism, improved welfare of its
members, and more equitable sharing of resources. There is a limit
to the extent to which a political system can safeguard the
happiness and prosperity of its people. No political system, no
matter how ideal it may appear to be, can bring about peace and
happiness as long as the people in the system are dominated by
greed, hatred and delusion. In addition, no matter what political
system is adopted, there are certain universal factors which the
members of that society will have to experience: the effects of
good and bad kamma, the lack of real satisfaction or everlasting
happiness in the world characterized by dukkha
(unsatisfactoriness), anicca (impermanence), and
anatta (egolessness). To the Buddhist, nowhere in Samsara
is there real freedom, not even in the heavens or the
world of Brahama.
Although a good and just political system which guarantees basic
human rights and contains checks and balances to the use of power
is an important condition for a happy in society, people should not
fritter away their time by endlessly searching for the ultimate
political system where men can be completely free, because complete
freedom cannot be found in any system but only in minds which are
free. To be free, people will have to look within their own minds
and work towards freeing themselves from the chains of ignorance
and craving. Freedom in the truest sense is only possible when a
person uses Dhamma to develop his character through good speech and
action and to train his mind so as to expand his mental potential
and achieve his ultimate aim of enlightenment. While recognizing
the usefulness of separating religion from politics and the
limitations of political systems in bringing about peace and
happiness, there are several aspects of the Buddha's teaching which
have close correspondence to the political arrangements of the
present day. Firstly, the Buddha spoke about the equality of all
human beings long before Abraham Lincoln, and that classes and
castes are artificial barriers erected by society. The only
classification of human beings, according to the Buddha, is based
on the quality of their moral conduct. Secondly, the Buddha
encouraged the spirit of social -co-operation and active
participation in society. This spirit is actively promoted in the
political process of modern societies. Thirdly, since no one was
appointed as the Buddha's successor, the members of the Order were
to be guided by the Dhamma and Vinaya, or in short, the Rule of
Law. Until today very member of the Sangha is to abide by the Rule
of Law which governs and guides their conduct. Fourthly, the Buddha
encouraged the spirit of consultation and the democratic process.
This is shown within the community of the Order in which all
members have the right to decide on matters of general concern.
When a serious question arose demanding attention, the issues were
put before the monks and discussed in a manner similar to the
democratic parliamentary system used today. This self-governing
procedure may come as a surprise to many to learn that in the
assemblies of Buddhists in India 2,500 years and more ago are to be
found the rudiments of the parliamentary practice of the present
day. A special officer similar to 'Mr. Speaker' was appointed to
preserve the dignity of the Parliamentary Chief Whip, was also
appointed to see if the quorum was secured. Matters were put
forward in the form of a motion which was open to discussion. In
some cases it was done once, in others three times, thus
anticipating the practice of Parliament in requiring that a bill be
read a third time before it becomes law. If the discussion showed a
difference of opinion, it was to be settled by the vote of the
majority through balloting. The Buddhist approach to political
power is the moralization and the responsible use of public power.
The Buddha preached non-violence and peace as a universal message.
He did not approve of violence or the destruction of life, and
declared that there is no such thing as a 'just' war. He taught:
'The victor breeds hatred, the defeated lives in misery. He who
renounces both victory and defeat is happy and peaceful.' Not only
did the Buddha teach non-violence and peace, He was perhaps the
first and only religious teacher who went to the battlefield
personally to prevent the outbreak of a war. He diffused tension
between the Sakyas and the Koliyas who were about to wage war over
the waters of Rohini. He also dissuaded King Ajatasattu from
attacking the Kingdom of the Vajjis.
The Buddha discussed the importance and the prerequisites of a
good government. He showed how the country could become corrupt,
degenerate and unhappy when the head of the government becomes
corrupt and unjust. He spoke against corruption and how a
government should act based on humanitarian principles. The Buddha
once said, 'When the ruler of a country is just and good, the
ministers become just and good; when the ministers are just and
good, the higher officials become just and good; when the higher
officials are just and good, the rank and file become just and
good; when the rank and file become just and good, the people
become just and good.'(Anguttara Nikaya) In the
Cakkavatti Sihananda Sutta, the Buddha said that
immorality and crime, such as theft, falsehood, violence, hatred,
cruelty, could arise from poverty. Kings and governments may try to
suppress crime through punishment, but it is futile to eradicate
crimes through force. In the Kutadanta Sutta, the Buddha
suggested economic development instead of force to reduce crime.
The government should use the country's resources to improve the
economic conditions of the country. It could embark on agricultural
and rural development, provide financial support to entrepreneurs
and business, provide adequate wages for workers to maintain a
decent life with human dignity.
In the Jataka, the Buddha had given to rules for Good
Government, known as 'Dasa Raja Dharma'. These ten rules
can be applied even today by any government which wishes to rule
the country peacefully. The rules are as follows:
1) be liberal and avoid selfishness, 2) maintain a high moral
character, 3) be prepared to sacrifice one's own pleasure for the
well-being of the subjects, 4) be honest and maintain absolute
integrity, 5) be kind and gentle, 6) lead a simple life for the
subjects to emulate, 7) be free from hatred of any kind, 8)
exercise non-violence, 9) practise patience, and 10) respect public
opinion to promote peace and harmony.
Regarding the behavior of rulers, He further advised:
- A good ruler should act impartially and should not be biased
and discriminate between one particular group of subjects against
another. - A good ruler should not harbor any form of hatred
against any of his subjects. - A good ruler should show no fear
whatsoever in the enforcement of the law, if it is justifiable. - A
good ruler must possess a clear understanding of the law to be
enforced. It should not be enforced just because the ruler has the
authority to enforce the law. It must be done in a reasonable
manner and with common sense. -- (Cakkavatti Sihananda
Sutta)
In the Milinda Panha,it is stated: 'If a man, who is
unfit, incompetent, immoral, improper, unable and unworthy of
kingship, has enthroned himself a king or a ruler with great
authority, he is subject to be tortured‚ to be subject to a variety
of punishment by the people, because, being unfit and unworthy, he
has placed himself unrighteously in the seat of sovereignty. The
ruler, like others who violate and transgress moral codes and basic
rules of all social laws of mankind, is equally subject to
punishment; and moreover, to be censured is the ruler who conducts
himself as a robber of the public.' In a Jataka story, it is
mentioned that a ruler who punishes innocent people and does not
punish the culprit is not suitable to rule a country.
The king always improves himself and carefully examines his own
conduct in deeds, words and thoughts, trying to discover and listen
to public opinion as to whether or not he had been guilty of any
faults and mistakes in ruling the kingdom. If it is found that he
rules unrighteously, the public will complain that they are ruined
by the wicked ruler with unjust treatment, punishment, taxation, or
other oppressions including corruption of any kind, and they will
react against him in one way or another. On the contrary, if he
rules righteously they will bless him: 'Long live His Majesty.'
(Majjhima Nikaya) The Buddha'semphasis on the
moral duty of a ruler to use public power to improve the welfare of
the people had inspired Emperor Asoka in the Third Century B.C. to
do likewise. Emperor Asoka, a sparkling example of this principle,
resolved to live according to and preach the Dhamma and to serve
his subjects and all humanity. He declared his non-aggressive
intentions to his neighbors, assuring them of his goodwill and
sending envoys to distant kings bearing his message of peace and
non-aggression. He promoted the energetic practice of the
socio-moral virtues of honesty, truthfulness, compassion,
benevolence, non-violence, considerate behavior towards all,
non-extravagance, non-acquisitiveness, and non-injury to animals.
He encouraged religious freedom and mutual respect for each other's
creed. He went on periodic tours preaching the Dhamma to the rural
people. He undertook works of public utility, such as founding of
hospitals for men and animals, supplying of medicine, planting of
roadside trees and groves, digging of wells, and construction of
watering sheds and rest houses. He expressly forbade cruelty to
animals. Sometimes the Buddha is said to be a social reformer.
Among other things, He condemned the caste system, recognized the
equality of people, spoke on the need to improve socio-economic
conditions, recognized the importance of a more equitable
distribution of wealth among the rich and the poor, raised the
status of women, recommended the incorporation of humanism in
government and administration, and taught that a society should not
be run by greed but with consideration and compassion for the
people. Despite all these, His contribution to mankind is much
greater because He took off at a point which no other social
reformer before or ever since had done, that is, by going to the
deepest roots of human ill which are found in the human mind. It is
only in the human mind that true reform can be effected. Reforms
imposed by force upon the external world have a very short life
because they have no roots. But those reforms which spring as a
result of the transformation of man's inner consciousness remain
rooted. While their branches spread outwards, they draw their
nourishment from an unfailing source -- the subconscious
imperatives of the life-stream itself. So reforms come about when
men's minds have prepared the way for them, and they live as long
as men revitalize them out of their own love of truth, justice and
their fellow men.
The doctrine preached by the Buddha is not one based on
'Political Philosophy'. Nor is it a doctrine that encourages men to
worldly pleasures. It sets out a way to attain Nibbana. In other
words, its ultimate aim is to put an end to craving
(Tanha) that keeps them in bondage to this world. A stanza
from the Dhammapada best summarizes this statement:
'The path that leads to worldly gain is one, and the path that
leads to Nibbana(by leading a religious life)is another.'
However, this does not mean that Buddhists cannot or should not get
involved in the political process, which is a social reality. The
lives of the members of a society are shaped by laws and
regulations, economic arrangements allowed within a country,
institutional arrangements, which are influenced by the political
arrangements of that society. Nevertheless, if a Buddhist wishes to
be involved in politics, he should not misuse religion to gain
political powers, nor is it advisable for those who have renounced
the worldly life to lead a pure, religious life to be actively
involved in politics.