Temples of Sri Lanka

THE IMMORAL RULER : A BUDDHIST APPROACH

By Dr. Shermila Milroy

The focus of this short article is to subtly bring up the Buddhist teachings on politics and economy and analyze the characteristic features of an immoral leader.
Political theoretical concepts are discussed in a very sensible manner in Buddhism. Buddha’s teachings explain national and international policies, economic policies and religious policies, a ruler should have. These teachings are available in numerous places in the ‘Tripitaka’. It is apparent that the Buddha had mastered state governance and the royal environment. As a person who renounced willingly, leaving behind the royal inherence and political powers, while showing the path way for liberation, had preached on how to carry on a country with a pleasant political environment for the sake of the citizens. It evidences how much he was caring for the good governance of a country. Being a person who ceased from active politics, the teachings given on state, origination of the state and moral governance were praised by many modern political thinkers.
The opinion of the scholars who have conducted research on the political theories of the Buddha, says that it is evident that the political thinking of the Buddha is perfect and rich with advanced features like democracy and philanthropy.
Once the Buddha has investigated whether a ruler can rule the country without killing or making others to kill, without confiscating or causing others to confiscate, without grieving or causing others to grieve is possible [SN.4.20]. The Buddha might have thought about these things because of the immoral rulers that existed during that time.
After giving up the governing powers and the royal inherence, the Buddha has equally focused not only on ending the suffering but also the political suppression. The Buddha has preached on successful and moral governance introducing political ethics and guidelines in order to reduce the suffering of the oppressed people. Conceptualization of ‘The state’ is excellently described in the Aggañña Sutta of Digha Nikaya [DN.III.4]. Probingly, the concept of ‘state’ has also been initiated due to the boundless greed of living beings.
He explains about the beginning of the Earth and the birth of social order and its structure, as follows: [ Aggañña Sutta. DN.III.4].
“Vāseṭṭha, there comes a time when, after a very long period has passed, this earth gets formed. As the earth gets formed, beings mostly pass away from the Ābhassara brahma world and come back to this world. Here, they are mind-made, feeding on happiness, self-luminous, moving through the sky, steadily glorious, and they remain like that for a very long time”.
“Vāseṭṭha, at one point, the earth was just a single mass of water and was totally dark. The moon and sun were not found, nor were stars and constellations, day and night, months and fortnights, years and seasons. Also, there was no difference between male and female. Beings were simply known as ‘beings’. After a very long period had passed, solid nectar curdled in the water. It appeared just like the curd on top of hot milk as it cools. It was beautiful, fragrant, and delicious, like ghee or butter. And it was as sweet as pure bee-honey. Now, one of those beings was greedy. Thinking, ‘Oh my, what might this be?’ the being tasted the solid nectar with its finger. The being enjoyed it, and craving arose in it. And other beings, following that being’s example, tasted solid nectar with their fingers. They too enjoyed it, and craving arose in them”.
“Vāseṭṭha, then, those beings started to eat the solid nectar, breaking it into lumps. However, when they did this, their luminosity vanished. And with the vanishing of their luminosity, the moon and sun appeared, stars and constellations appeared, days and nights appeared, and so were months and fortnights, and years and seasons. Vāseṭṭha, to this extent the world had evolved once more”.

“Vāseṭṭha, then those beings eating the solid nectar, with that as their food and nourishment, remained for a very long time. But so long as they ate that solid nectar, their bodies became more solid and coarse in appearance; some beautiful, some ugly. And the beautiful beings looked down on the ugly ones: ‘We’re more beautiful, they’re the ugly ones!’ And the vanity of the beautiful ones made the solid nectar vanish”.

“They gathered together and cried, ‘Oh, what a taste! Oh, what a taste!’ And even today when people get something tasty they say: ‘Oh, what a taste! Oh, what a taste!’ They’re just remembering an old memory about the forming of the ancient world, but they don’t understand what it means”.
“Vāseṭṭha, when the solid nectar had vanished, ground-mushrooms appeared to those beings. They appeared just like today’s various mushrooms. They were beautiful, fragrant, and delicious, like ghee or butter. And they were as sweet as pure bee-honey”.

“Then those beings started to eat the ground-sprouts. With that as their food and nourishment, they remained for a very long time. But so long as they ate those ground-mushrooms, their bodies became more solid and coarse in appearance; some beautiful, some ugly. And the beautiful beings looked down on the ugly ones: ‘We’re more beautiful, they’re the ugly ones!’ And the vanity of the beautiful ones made the ground-mushrooms vanish”.
“They gathered together and cried, ‘Oh, what a taste! Oh, what a taste!’ And even today when people get something tasty they say: ‘Oh, what a taste! Oh, what a taste!’ They’re just remembering an old memory about the forming of the ancient world, but they don’t understand what it means”.
“Vāseṭṭha, when the ground-mushrooms had vanished, Badālata vines appeared, like the fruit of the kadam tree. They were beautiful, fragrant, and delicious, like ghee or butter. And they were as sweet as pure bee-honey”.

“Then those beings started to eat the Badālatā vines. With that as their food and nourishment, they remained for a very long time. But so long as they ate those Badālatā vines, their bodies became more solid and coarse in appearance; some beautiful, some ugly. And the beautiful beings looked down on the ugly ones: ‘We’re more beautiful, they’re the ugly ones!’ And the vanity of the beautiful ones made the Badālatā vines vanish”.
“They gathered together and cried, ‘Oh, what a taste! Oh, what a taste!’ And even today when people get something tasty they say: ‘Oh, what a taste! Oh, what a taste!’ They’re just remembering an old memory about the forming of the ancient world, but they don’t understand what it means”.
“Vāseṭṭha, when the Badālatā vines had vanished, fragrant rice appeared to those beings. It had no dust or husk, clean and fragrant, with only the rice-grain. What they took for supper in the evening, by the morning had grown back and ripened. And what they took for breakfast in the morning had grown back and ripened by the evening, therefore the place where it was cut initially was not visible. Then those beings eating the fragrant rice, with that as their food and nourishment, remained for a very long time”.
“Vāseṭṭha, so long as they ate that fragrant rice, their bodies became more solid and coarse in appearance. And female characteristics appeared on women, while male characteristics appeared on men. Women spent too much time gazing at men, and men at women. They became lustful, and their bodies burned with lust. Due to this lust they had sex with each other”.

“Those who saw them having sex embarrassed them throwing dirt, ashes, or cow-dung at them, saying, ‘Get lost, filth! Get lost, filth! How on earth can one being do that to another?’ And even today people in some countries, when a bride is carried off, pelt her with dirt, ashes, or cow-dung. They’re just remembering an old memory about the forming of the ancient world, but they don’t understand what it means”.
“Vāseṭṭha, what was reckoned as immoral at that time, these days is reckoned as moral. Vāseṭṭha, the beings who had sex together weren’t allowed to enter a village or town for one or two months. Ever since they excessively engaged in sex, they started to make houses to hide their immoral acts”.

“One day, a certain lazy person thought, ‘Hey now, why should I be bothered to gather rice in the evening for supper, and in the morning for breakfast? Why don’t I gather rice for supper and breakfast all at once?”

“So that’s what he did. Then one of his friends approached that person and said, ‘Come, friend, we shall go to gather rice.’ ‘There’s no need, friend! I gathered rice for supper and breakfast all at once.’ So that person, following his friend’s example, gathered rice for two days all at once, thinking: ‘This seems fine”.

“Then another friend approached that person and said, ‘Come, friend we shall go to gather rice.’ ‘There’s no need, friend! I gathered rice for two days all at once.’ So that person, following his friend’s example, gathered rice for four days all at once, thinking: ‘This seems fine”.

“Then still another friend approached that person and said, ‘Come, friend, we shall go to gather rice.’ ‘There’s no need, friend! I gathered rice for four days all at once.’ So that person, following his friend’s example, gathered rice for eight days all at once, thinking: ‘This seems fine”.

“Vāseṭṭha, however, when they started to store up rice to eat, the rice grains became wrapped in dust and husk, it didn’t grow back after reaping, the cutting showed, and the rice stood in clumps”.
“Vāseṭṭha, then those people gathered together and cried, ‘Oh, how wicked things have appeared among us! We used to be mind-made, feeding on happiness, self-luminous, moving through the sky, steadily glorious, and we remained like that for a very long time. After a very long period had passed, solid nectar curdled in the water. It was beautiful, fragrant, and delicious. We started to eat the solid nectar, breaking it into lumps. Over time, luminosity which spread from our bodies vanished”.
“Then, the moon and sun appeared, stars and constellations appeared, days and nights appeared, and so were months and fortnights, and years and seasons”.

“With solid nectar as our food and nourishment, we remained for a very long time. Since wicked things appeared among us, solid nectar vanished. Then, Ground-Mushrooms appeared. They were beautiful, fragrant, and delicious. With Ground-Mushrooms as our food and nourishment, we remained for a very long time. Since wicked things appeared among us, Ground-Mushrooms vanished. Then, Badālatā vines appeared. With Badālatā vines as our food and nourishment, we remained for a very long time. They were beautiful, fragrant, and delicious. With Badālatā vines as our food and nourishment, we remained for a very long time. Since wicked things appeared among us, Badālatā vines vanished. Then, fragrant rice appeared. It had no dust or a husk, clean and fragrant, with only the rice-grain. What we took for supper in the evening, by the morning had grown back and ripened. And what we took for breakfast in the morning had grown back and ripened by the evening, so the cutting didn’t show. Then we ate the fragrant rice. With that as our food and nourishment, we remained for a very long time. Since wicked things have appeared among us, the rice grains became wrapped in dust and a husk, it didn’t grow back after reaping, the cutting showed, and the rice stood in clumps”.

“‘We’d better divide up the paddy fields and set boundaries.’ So that’s what they did”.
“Vāseṭṭha, a certain lazy person while guarding his own share, he took another’s share without it being given, and ate it”.

“Then, people grabbed that person who had done this and said, ‘You have done a bad thing, in that while guarding your own share you took another’s share without it being given, and ate it. Do not do such a thing again”.

“Yes, friends,’ replied that person. But for a second time, and a third time he did the same thing, and were told not to continue. And then people struck that person, some with fists, others with stones, and still others with sticks. From that day on, stealing was found, and blaming and lying and the taking up of sticks”.

“Vāseṭṭha, then those people gathered together and cried, ‘Oh, how wicked things have appeared among us, in that stealing is found, and blaming and lying and the taking up of sticks! Let us elect one person who would rightly accuse those who deserve it, blame those who deserve it, and expel those who deserve it. We shall pay him with a share of rice”.

“Then those people approached the person among them who was most attractive, handsome, popular, and powerful, and said, ‘Come, sir, rightly accuse those who deserve it, blame those who deserve it, and banish those who deserve it. We shall pay you with a share of rice.’ ‘Yes, friends,’ replied that person. He acted accordingly, and was paid with a share of rice”.
“‘Elected by the people’, Vāseṭṭha, is the meaning of ‘the elected one’ (Mahāsammata), the first term to be specifically invented”.
[ https://suttafriends.org/sutta/dn27/ referred on 21.09.22]
As a result, the concept of ‘state’ and ‘democracy’ were originated.
The first thing we can see when we examine the ‘Aggaṅṅa Sutta’ is that when the creatures were without greed and desire, they lived by enjoying only the happiness generated in their own minds. The desire and greed that arose with the pleasure of enjoying the taste became more and more intense, and in the end, they were motivated to divide the land using boundaries. The Buddha has explained here in a very simple and interesting way how the concept of ‘state’ was born from it.

With the practice of dividing into kingdoms and states , malpractices such as stealing, lying, cruelty to animals, and insulting others emerged. In order to manage these sins, they appointed a leader according the will of the people. Appointing a ruler according to the will power of the people manifests the democratic political philosophy. Accordingly, it is a historical fact that democracy is a common ideology developed according to the needs of the people of a country and was initially introduced to the world by the Buddha.
Written sources testify to the fact that the Lord Buddha has very wisely given advice to the rulers in order to protect the basic rights, and religious, social, and spiritual unity of the people of the country. The political philosophy presented by him is universally applicable and can be adapted to any type of government. Parables testify that, In India during the Buddha’s time, when the kings started building new dynasties to strengthen their power circles and show their lust for power, the Lord Buddha kindly came forward to educate such rulers for the sake of the people who were suffering from the oppression and violence of the society. The ‘Jataka’ stories presents the fine communication skills of the Buddha. According to Professor Chandima Wijebandara, the ‘Jataka Katha Sangrahaya’ [jathaka stories] is a ‘Sashrika Rajovada Sangaraha’ which means a book full of advices to kings. As he further says, the ancient kings ruled the country in a just manner without overstepping the moral limits in order to preserve peace and the rights of all creatures, and the best practices followed in solving difficult problems are in those stories.
Among the instructions included in the Jataka Katha, ‘Dasa Rāja Dhamma’ [tenfold virtue of the ruler] can simply be considered as a set of instructions for the moral qualities that a ruler should have. These virtues are recorded in the ‘Jathaka Stories’ in ‘Kuddaka Nikāya’ in ‘Sutta Pitaka’.
1. Dānaŋ [charity] 2. Sīlaŋ [morality] 3. Pariccāgaŋ [altruism] 4. Ājjavaŋ [ honesty] 5. Maddavaŋ [gentleness] 6. Tapaŋ [self-controlling] 7. Akkodaŋ [non-anger ] 8. Avihimsañca [non-violence] 9. Khantiñca [ forbearance)] 10. Avirodhanaŋ [uprightness]

Looking critically at ‘Dasaraja Dharma’, one can argue that they are qualities that should exist not only in a diplomat but also in any ordinary person. But when we look at the governments of oppressive states in the world, we have a doubt if those rulers at least have one of these qualities. It must be accepted that when the power is concentrated around a single person maintaining democracy only nominally, his administrative policies are shaped according to his character traits. Accordingly, these ‘Dasa Raja Dhamma’ preached by the Buddha are qualities that naturally should exist in every person, but a ruler or an administrator must have these character traits. Although many of these moral values should be present in a person from birth, it is also possible to train these moral values if they don’t have them from birth.
We can understand that these virtues have human values rather than political values, and without those virtues, the morale of the people of a country cannot be built. . When the ruler is a thief, a liar, abusive, a hard-tempered person, bitter, and lacking in directness, so are the ministers who gather around him. A person like that will only surround himself with thieves, swindlers, and those without direct convictions.
It is confirmed that leadership devoid of values is declining values of a great country and that it cannot be prevented from turning towards social and political decline.
It is mandatory for a ruler to possess or develop the quality of ‘Dānaya’ or charity. If not he or she will compel to use the wealth of the treasury of the country for personal needs. The ruler who arranges the thefts also needs the support of his henchmen and for that he has to provide them with support and opportunity for the theft.
An interesting story about a king who stole from the treasury by having undue lust for the royal property is mentioned in the ‘Padamana Jatakaya’. Since charity is always accompanied by a religious motive, one can do it with the intention of accumulating merits. For one who has the practice for it, it is not a difficult task. And one who has the practice for charity can easily practice altruism. But the rulers we see in the world are engaging in theft on a large scale while also doing charity on a large scale. Comments should not be posted here regarding the future and emotional state of the people of a country with a thieving ruler.
‘Sīla’ is the second aspect of ‘Dasaraja Dharma’. ‘Sīla’ is the avoidance immoral physical actions and verbal actions. Killing, stealing, adultery, lying and drunkenness are inferiorities that violate human rights. What kind of prosperity do a country and people expect from a ruler who engages in all these evil deeds?
The third sutta of the ‘Pathikavagga Pali’ of the ‘Digha Nikaya’, ‘Cakkavatti Sihanada Sutta’ contains a series of instructions given by King Dalhanemi Chakrawarthi when he handed over the kingdom to his son. There is historical evidence that a concept of a ‘Sakvithi King’ ruled an ocean-bounded land that extended till the great sea was among the Indians at that time.
Accordingly, King Dalhanemi has explained to his son how to fulfill his responsibilities as ‘sakvithi’ without being blamed.
“My son, Yourself depending on the Dhamma, honoring it, revering, cherishing it, doing homage to it and venerating it, having the Dhamma as your badge and banner, acknowledging the Dhamma as your master, you should establish guard, ward and protection according to Dhamma for your own household, your troops, your nobles and vassals, for Brahmins and householders, town and country folk, ascetics and Brahmins, for beasts and birds. Let no crime prevail in your kingdom, and to those who are in need, give property. And whatever ascetics and Brahmins in your kingdom have renounced the life of sensual infatuation and are devoted to forbearance and gentleness, each one taming himself, each one calming himself and each one striving for the end of craving, if from time to time they should come to you and consult you as to what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, what is blameworthy and what is blameless, what is to be followed and what is not to be followed, and what action will in the long run lead to harm and sorrow, and what to welfare and happiness, you should listen, and tell them to avoid evil and do what is good. That, my son, is the duty of an Ariyan wheel-turning monarch”.
In a society where the rulers create racial differences under the guise of “religion differences” instead of depending on, honoring and cherishing the Dhamma, it is needless to say that neither monks and Bahamians nor a single living being are safe.
The Buddha has preached that if any ruler immorally rules a country, his reputation will fade like the waning moon.
This makes it clear to us that according to the teachings of the Buddha, a king does not become a ‘chakravarthi’ by conquering countries, but by his position in the ‘Panchasila’, which is a universal moral code. Also, King Dalhanemi Chakavarthi told his teacher that the kingship is not a gift from father to son, and that it should be completed as a blameless activity. Thus, the Buddha also preached, unarmed, spiritual and Dharmic victory is not about conquering a state, state leadership is not inherited from the father to the son. By this the democratic vitality of the Buddha was made evident.
Buddhist political agenda explains that the ruler’s power rests only on the basis of the universal law and that it should be a system of governance established by the norms of the common people.
A moral leader is a righteous ruler who takes good care of all living beings from animals to brahmins. We need to work with determination towards this notion.

 

© Satipatthana Magazine

You might also like
en English
X
X