Some scholars with a little knowledge of Buddhism are of the opinion that there is no socio-economic and political philosophy of Buddhism. A well-known scholar, Max Weber, who is considered “the father of Sociology of Religion,” explaining the socio-political aspect of Buddhism says:
Buddhism had no sort of tie with any sort of social movement, nor did it run in parallel with such and it has established no social and political goal.
He further says that Buddhism is asocial and anti-political, and it can be considered to be an “other-worldly religion." This is a misleading and distorted concept of Buddhism. It is very clear that Max Weber has not deeply analyzed Buddhist teachings. Buddhism is in no way an other-worldly religion. It includes a well-defined socio-economic and political philosophy. Professor D.D. Kosambi and Professor Rhys Davids accept that there is a socio-economic and political philosophy of Buddhism, and they disprove the above-mentioned idea.
Another misconceived idea of Buddhism says that Buddhism is such a sublime system that ordinary people cannot practice it. One has to retire to a monastery if one desires to be a true Buddhist. This is a partial view. The doctrine of the Buddha is meant not only for monks but also for ordinary men and women living in their homes with their family members. The Noble Eightfold Path, meditation on loving-kindness and the Ten Perfections are meant for all. They can be practiced in anyone’s daily life.
It is incorrect to say that Buddhism is asocial. Addressing the first sixty Arahants (Perfected Ones), the Buddha says: “O monks, walk on tour, for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, for the welfare of the many, good and happiness of human beings and celestial beings.” This shows that the Buddha has laid much emphasis on the members of society and their welfare. Therefore, the old Buddhist monasteries became spiritual centers and the centers of learning and culture. The Five Precepts are meant for the whole human society. Any person can observe them and lead a spiritual life, and that would be of great benefit to this competitive society.
The Sigālovāda Sutta explicitly explains the family and social relationships. It gives a set of instructions and teachings that pertain to man’s socio-economic and spiritual progress. Modern man can lead a very happy and prosperous life if he understands the significance of these social relations explained in the Sigālovāda Sutta.
Some scholars are of the opinion that Buddhist philosophy is interested only in higher morality, and it ignores the social and economic welfare. This is also another misconception of Buddhist socio-economic philosophy. The Kūṭadanta Sutta explains the way of developing a country with proper planning and the nature of socio-economic progress. We should not forget that the Buddha expounded these words in the sixth century B.C. and that even today they are of great value.
The Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta explains the poverty, revolution, poverty related crimes and the chaotic situation of a country and the reasons for those social ills. Today, our competitive global society experiences these socio-economic and political ills that are explained in the Cakkavattisīhanāda Sutta.
In the Aggañña Sutta we find a theory of the origin of social classes. There the Buddha explains the arising and evolution of vegetation, the origin of state, the evolution of human race and social grades, the changing nature of moral values, and the relationship between moral degeneration and the deterioration of environmental elements. The sutta explains how the beings (sattā) were becoming less hard-working, less honest, less ethical, and how they lost their physical and mental qualities.
Fundamental unreasonable concepts relating to social organizations were radically transformed by the Buddha. The Buddha explained the nature of those concepts and their connection with the diṭṭhis or dogmatic views of certain religious traditions.
The socio-economic and cultural transformations by the Buddha can be seen explicitly even in the present time in our Buddhist societies. Making a comment on the social upheaval of Buddhism, Narendranath Bhatthacharya says:
The rise of Buddhism was certainly to serve some social purpose. It had some distinct social and functional role. But very few attempts have been made to understand all these.
It is true that Buddhism is capable of doing a drastic transformation of the present day competitive and war-like society. But it needs a proper knowledge and correct understanding of the teachings of the Buddha.
The first significant work in the Buddhist social field was Die Religion des Buddha (1857), written by C.F. Köppen. In his book Köppen explains:
. . . the Buddha was viewed as the emancipator of the oppressed and a great political innovator.
Here, it is very interesting to note that Köppen was a close friend of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Karl Marx ruthlessly criticized religion and the widely accepted concept of an omnipotent God. Buddhism is completely free from that criticism, for it does not have include concept of God. Trevor Ling in his work Buddha, Marx and God explains that Buddhism is free from his critique. French scholar La Loubere says that Buddhism is totally different from other religions as it does not have a doctrine of God and it teaches rebirth (re-becoming, or punabbhava) without accepting the concept of a soul. Addressing the Berlin Science Academy in 1856, Albrecht Weber explained that Buddhist teachings were so helpful for social reformation and it had accepted the equality of all human beings.
Karl Marx, writing a letter to his daughter Laura Marx, on March 20, 1866, said:
Most of my time I’m walking and breathing fresh air. I read nothing and write less. I go to bed at 9:00 p.m. Generally, I subside into the emotional state of non-existence that Buddhism considers to be the height of human delicacy.
This statement suggests that Karl Marx tried to practice Buddhist mindfulness and meditation in his final days. A well-known political philosopher who wanted to change the world society with revolutionary measures apparently changed his mind and came to the spiritual path.
Buddhism is the most socially-oriented religion. Early Buddhist monasteries were celebrated seats of learning which functioned to a great extent like the modern universities. Buddhist education paved the way for righteous existence and welfare of various societies. A more favorable socio-economic system for the world has been shown by the teachings of the Buddha.
The contribution of Buddhism in the field of an cannot be explained in words. It is inexpressible. Millions of pagodas and statutes speak volumes for the immeasurable kindness and pure motivations of the human heart. Those statues were able to tame the minds and change the hearts of human beings.
The very great and astonishing creations of Buddhist art can be seen in India, China, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, and in some other countries. The Borobudur Tope Complex in Central Java is a very wonderful creation of the Buddhist mind. Today, modern architects try to explain how they built it. The only thing that we can do is to admire and be astonished by seeing it. The immensity and beauty of these structures puts the observer in awe of the intense dedication and inspiration of the people who built them.
Candi Sewu, Candi Mendut and Candi Plaosan in Central Java are also very astonishing Buddhist complexes. Why do so many people visit these artistic creations? They definitely pave the way for mental peace and mental harmony of the visitors.
The society in which we live today is highly competitive and money-centered. That very competition and money-centeredness takes a lot of time, energy and effort, and results in mental stress and physical distress. So, where do we find the proper medicine for this inconvenience? If we look at those ancient statues in a silent place, they infiltrate love, compassion and peace into the pure side of our hearts. A society would be a very pleasant place if many human beings have pure hearts.
The greatness of the Buddha’s contribution to sociology as a psychotherapist is admitted by Dr. Robert H. Thouless, the well-known psychologist of Cambridge. If we carefully investigate the teachings of the Sutta Pitaka (Discourses) and the Vinaya Pitaka (Discipline), we certainly would find many fundamental theories of sociology in them.
Buddhism is certainly a socio-ethical movement and it appreciates nothing but socio-ethical progress. Material progress without ethical foundation is of no use. R. R. Bhole says, “Buddhism spread after first century A.D. to Middle Asia, China, Mongolia, Japan and Southeast Asia and triumphed as a far-teaching social humanistic movement”
References:
- Cakkavattisihanada Sutta, Digha Nikaya, P.T.S., London, 1960.
- Aggañña Sutta, Digha Nikaya, P.T.S., London, 1960.
- Dharmasiri, G., Fundamentals of Buddhist Ethics. Singapore.
- Gnanarama, Ven. P., Essentials of Buddhism, Singapore, 2000.
- Ariyasena, Ven. K., Karl Marx Saha Budusamaya, (Sinhala), Colombo, 1980.