Sumanapal
Bhikkhu
Etymologically, the
English word right is derived from the Latin word rectus which means straight.
The word rectus on the other hand is derived from the Greek word orektos
meaning stretched out or upright. According to Richard Dagger, “By analogy with
the physical sense, the primary moral sense of ‘right’ was a standard or
measure for conduct. Something was right –morally straight or true –if it met
the standard of rectitude, or rightness.” Both ‘right’ and ‘rectus’ themselves
have a more remote ancestor in the Sanskrit ‘rju’ (straight or upright). Its equivalent form in Pali is uju (or ujju)
means ‘straight’ ‘ direct’ ‘honest’ ‘upright’ or ‘straightforward’. It would
therefore seem that the word right both in its objective sense and metaphorical
moral sense is found in Buddhist as well as in Western languages. But in spite
of this in Sanskrit or in Pali we do not find any word conveying the idea of
right or rights, understood as a subjective entitlements.1
Buddhism was founded by
Gotama the Buddha more than two thousand and five hundred years ago. At that
time The Buddha was thirty five years old and he spent the remainder of his
life i.e. forty five years in preaching the Dhamma or his teachings in order to
contribute to the well being and happiness of many. He gave foremost importance
to the Dhamma and the Vinaya and established them as the authoritative guide
for his followers after his Mahaparinibbana. No single person received the authority
from him. If we examine the Dhamma and the Vinaya we shall find that the Buddha
was greatly interested in human rights. But it should be kept in mind that in
the days of the Buddha the idea of human rights was not as important as it is
now. So in the Dhamma and the Vinaya as preached by the Buddhawe shall find no
direct reference to the term human rights.
Next we shall discuss
the word human rights briefly. It is said that what we call today by the term
rights were originally known as ‘natural’ rights or rights which flow from
human nature. From the seventeenth century philosophers and statesmen started
defining these rights and enshrine them in various documents and declarations.
But the modern concept of the term human rights is less than one hundred years
old. The Universal Declaration of Human Righta consisting of 30 articles was
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 1948. It encompassed
a wide range of civil, political, economic, and cultural rights which should be
enjoyed by every person irrespective of his or her race, colour, or creed. In the autumn of 1993 the Parliament of the
World’s Religions was held in Chicago and one of its major fruits was a
document which is known as the ‘Declaration towards a Global Ethic.”2 It states, “Wemake a
commitment to respect life and dignity, individuality and diversity, so that
every person is treated humanely.” The “Global Ethic further states, “ This
means that every human being without distinction of age, sex, race, skin,
colour, physical or mental ability, language, religion, political view or
national or social origin possesses an unalienable and untouchable dignity. And
everyone, the individual as well as the state, is therefore obliged to honour
this dignity and protect it.”3
The Buddha had a unique
concept of man. According to him to be born as a human being was a rarest
opportunity that one can have. He taught equal compassion for all beings
irrespective of their immense differences. He was not only concerned with the
rights of the human beings he was also concerned with the rights of all living
beings. He said that just as a mother protects her only child with her own life
we should develop the same loving kindness for all creatures. Killing a human
being is a grave offence and the monk who is guilty of this offence is liable
to lose his monkhood. We can find the Buddha’s glorification of human life and human
and human rights in the following verse of the Dhammapada. “Oneself is one’s
own master, who else there to master over you? By controlling of oneself
thoroughly one can attain the rare mastership".4 In this quotation the Buddha urges us to live a
disciplined and orderly life. There is no question of on any unseen unheard
foreign power. Our success in life depends on our self respect, self help and
self dignity. Every human being has the capacity to attain Nibbana or the
ultimate goal as designated by the Buddha.
Now the Buddha was born
in a society which had a class distinction. The Brahmins were regarded as the
most superior group who claimed to have originated from the mouth of the
Brahma. The Sudras were regarded as the most inferior of all and they had to serve
the three superior classes. But the Buddha believed in the equality of man and
protested against this division of man known as the caste system. Not only did
he raise his voice against it he also refuted and criticized it very
judiciously. He said that there was no difference between children born to
Brahmin women and children born to women of other castes. Just as a Brahmin
woman becomes pregnant has her period and gives birth to children so does the
women belonging to the so called lower castes. Again he goes on to say that
there is no distinguishing mark in man that is found in plants and animals of
different species. Human beings irrespective of their castes or colour have no
disguising mark. All men constitute a single species. That is why it has been
rightly said in Sutta nipata, “Not by hair, nor head, nor ears, nor eyes, nor
mouth, nor nose, nor lips, nor eye brows, nor neck, nor shoulder, nor belly,
nor back, nor buttock, nor chest… nor nails, nor calves, nor thighs, nor
colour, nor voice is there a distinguishing mark arising from their species as
in other species.” Human beings maybe different in colour, they may live in
different geographical climates, or in different regions but there are
basically no difference between them. The Buddha further said that there is no
fundamental difference between people belonging to the four castes. When people
of different castes produce fire by rubbing sticks there is no difference in
them regarding flames, colours, radiances and heats produced by them. Besides
the Brahmin as well as the people belonging to the other castes, are washed
clean by the water and bath powder. Again people belonging to the Brahmin as
well as the other castes have the potential to develop loving kindness in the
mind without hostility and ill will. So there is no fundamental difference
among human beings. The above argument shows that the Brahmins as well as the
other castes can make spiritual achievement. The Buddhahas shown that people
belonging to all castes have the capacity to purify themselves.
The Buddha also uses
another argument to prove that the division of the society into four castes
were not universal. In Kamboja and Jona there were only two castes and they
were the master and the slave. The reason for this was economic condition. The
Buddha has proved that if there is any difference between people then it is due
to their actions. The person whose actions are wholesome is a Brahmin and the
person whose actions are not wholesome is a Sudra (people belonging to the
lowest strata of the caste system).
The Buddha pointed out
that it is good conduct and character that makes a Brahmin. Even if a person
has been born in a Brahmin family and is well versed in the scriptures does not
guarantee his greatness as a human being. The Buddha refuted the notion of caste system
with a view in mind. He wanted to establish a human society that would remove
the distinction of castes.He believed human society should be guided by the
principles of equality fraternity and liberty. So he tried to nip in the bud
all such situations that would enable a group of men to exploit others.
Though the Buddha was
not a revolutionary in the accepted sense of the term but it was clear that he
did not believe in caste system. The Sangha created by him was utterly
classless. People belonging to every class were permitted to join this
association. Some of these monks and nuns came from the lowest strata of
society. In this connection we may mention he name of Ambapali who was a
courtesan. The Sangha constituted by the Buddha may be regarded as a vast
ocean. All the tributaries originate differently but after to the ocean they
cannot maintain their separate entity all of them become salty. Similarly in
the Sangha the Prince, the Princess, the Barber, the court women all had the
same status. In the Dhammapada the Buddha says, “Not by matted hair, not by
family, not by birth one a Brahmin. Whoever is truthful and maintains
righteousness is a real Brahmin.5
The Kutadanta Sutta
tells us that the Buddha was averse to take service from unwilling men. He told
the kings that if a sacrifice was performed by making unwilling persons work
then great fruits would not be produced by it and the king would not earn great
merits. This amply proves that the Buddha honoured human rights and tried to
protect it.
Besides the Buddha was
of the opinion that man should not accept anything imposed on him by force.
Thus he gave people a great freedom. He asked the Kalamas not to accept
anything simply because they have been prevailing for a long time and many
people have spoken about it or it can be found in the scriptures. Unless we
know from our experience that what we are going to accept will do good to us we
should not accept it. This sutta can be regarded as the Magna Carta of the
freedom of thought.
Again the Buddha taught
us about human dignity. Man is the maker of his own destiny. He can make or mar
his life, He has the power to cross the sea of sorrow suffering and grief and
attain Nibbana, the supreme bliss. It is he who is responsible for his
suffering or bliss. His unwholesome actions cause him suffering and he can get
rid of that suffering by following the Noble Eight Fold Path. It is a way of
life that means discipline in body word and mind. It is the last noble truth
leading to the cessation of suffering. Belief, prayer, and worship have little
relevance in this. The Noble Eight Fold Path is composed of eight categories.
Three factors among them are collectively called sila (morality). They are
Right Speech (samma vaca), Right Action( Samma kammanta) , and Right Livelihood
(Samma Ajiva). Right Speech means speaking the truth and the pleasant without
the intention of bringing hatred and enmity among individuals. Right action
means taking appropriate actions as well as refraining from unjustified actions
such as killing, stealing and sexual misconducts. Right livelihood means
earning one’s living in a proper way i.e. without harming oneself or others.
The Buddha advised his followers to avoid earning money from the following
professions such as abstaining from killing, from stealing, arms trading, or
trading in poisons, etc. Right livelihood also means earning money in a
completely honest manner.
In Buddhism morality
plays a very important role. The Buddha says that all human beings should
follow Panca-Sila or five precepts. These are Not to kill (PanatipataVeramani),
not to steal (Adinnadana Veramani), not to commit adultery (kamasu michaacara veramani)
, not to lie (Musavada veramani) and not to take intoxicants (surameraya majjapamadatthana
veramani) etc. The observance of these precepts is necessary for peaceful
coexistence and their violation would result in disorder, disruptions and
infighting. If we consider these Silas a little deeply we shall find the truth
of such assertions. The Sila not to kill means abstaining from killing life or
murdering anything. The opposite of this sila would deprive man and other
beings the right to live. Stealing means the act of taking away by force or other
methods someone else’s possessions. Again attempt to dishonour someone’s chastity
is tantamount to violating a person’s human rights. Lying also means trying to
deceive others and such an act would result in distrust, disbelief and discord.
The Buddha who was the
most compassionate and the wisest of the wise proclaimed many centuries ago
that “Na hi verani sammaati dhakudacanam/ Averena ca sammanti eso dhammo
sananttano.”6 This means
that enmity can never be quelled by enmity; by the application of loving
kindness it may be solved. This is the Eternal Law. It further says that the
principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” cannot solve the problem.
By the application of force the problem increases like wild fire which results
in bloodshed, torture and devastation reducing human beings and the
civilization to a heap of rubble. Only by the use of compassion love and
tolerance these evils can be wiped from the minds of man.
Again, in many other
verses we can find the Buddha saying that the word punishment terrifies all
living beings. Everyone is afraid to die. Life is the dearest to all of us.
Therefore the Buddha advises us not to harm or kill anyone. Since we cannot
revive a dead person we should not take somebody’s life.
In the Maha Mangala Sutta the Buddha has
advised his followers to feed and protect their ageing parents and nurture
their children. Evading such duties will be regarded as the violation of human
rights. In the Sigalavada sutta the Buddha narrates the duties of the laities.
Here he says that the householder should protect all directions comprising of
the parents (eastern), teachers (southern), wife and children (western) ,
friends and kins (northern), servant and working folks ( nadir), the Brahmins
and recluses (the upper).etc. In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya
the Buddha taught to the Vajji princes that it was the duty of the king to be
just and impartial and it is the right of the subjects to receive just and impartial
treatment before the law. The Buddha has
also said that serving the ailing humanity amounts to serving the Buddha
himself. Thus the Buddha says that the patients should be treated with
dedication and care.
The root causes of
suffering, are greed hatred and delusion
the have resulted in disparity in accumulation of wealth, concentration of
power, abuse of women, children and the underprivileged, religious and racial
cultural discrimination. Superiority complex, anxiety, conflict and unhealthy competition
between the individuals and nations are increasing day by day. Technological
advancement hascontributed only to the material prosperity of the world but has
created a void in the spiritual world of man. The mind which is uncontrolled
and subject to the enemies mentioned above is man’s greatest and on the
contrary the mind which is balanced and controlled can hardly inflict harm on
us and in reality such a mind is our greatest friend. In order to keep the mind
under control The Buddha has prescribed meditation. It can be divided into two
categories. One is called the samatha and the other is called the Vipassana.
Samatha means calmness meditation of a temporary nature and the Vipassana is
the way to deal to deal with the arising of moment to moment feeling through
the six sense doors. In this way our mental defilements can be eradicated and
uprooted.
We can also find out
the deepest regard for human rights in the actions of the Buddhist king like
Asoka the Great. Asoka expresses a sincere desire to work for
the welfare of the people through
administrative measures. In order to spread the message of the loving kindness
preached by the Buddha he inscribed advices to his subjects on rocks and
pillars. He very carefully monitored the activities of the bureaucracy and
established a parental feeling for his subjects. He always wanted to remain
close to his subjects. He frequently mentions violence, evil social practice,
mutual distrust and intolerance and always ready to take appropriate and prompt
actions in order to quell them. He was always accessible to his officials and
reporters. They could meet him at any place and at any time. So he assumed the multi dimensional role of
friend philosopher and guide for his subjects. Thus he sacrificed his privacy
and rest for the welfare of the citizens. He also went a step forward. He even
gave his officials to point out any inconsistency that was found in the order
issued by him. Though Asoka was a Buddhist he viewed all his subjects as
equals. For instance, he remained helpful to the ajivakas known as the arch
rivals of the Buddhists.
The entire Buddhist
literature whether Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, or Tantrayana is filled with instances of mutual respect
and collaboration. If we think about the first two verses of the Dhammapada we
shall definitely come to the conclusion that man is responsible for the
condition of himself and his society. The Indian Constitution seems to have
been influenced by the Buddhist thought. For instance, many other human rights
and fundamental rights of our constitution such as the Right to Liberty and
Security seem to show the influence of Buddhist moral teachings. `
Thus it can be
concluded from the above discussion that the idea of human rights and human
dignity was inherent in the teachings of the Buddha and it is relevant even in
our modern world.
Notes:
1. Damien V. Keown, and Charles S. Prebish, Wayne
R. Husted, (Edited), Buddhism and Human Rights, Curzen press, 1998, p.20.
2. Ibid.,
p.23.
3. Ibid.,
p..24.
4. “Atthahi
attano natho koi natho parosiya / Attana va sudantena natham labhati dullabham’’
(Dhammapada, Atta Vaggo verse- 160).
5. “Na
Jatahi na gottena na jacca hoti brahmano / yamhi saccan ca dhammo ca so suci so
ca Brahmano” (Dhammapada, Brahmana Vaggo verse- 393).
6. Dhammapada,
YamakaVagga, Verse 5.
Bibliography:
1.
Anand, V.K., Human Rights, Allahabad Law
Agency, Haryana, 2003.
2.
Narada, Mahathera, The Buddha and His
Teachings, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysi, Buddhist Missionary Society, 1988.
3.
Narada, Mahathera, Dhammapada, Mahabodhi
Society Book Agency, Kolkata, 2012.
4.
Perera, L.P.N., Buddhism and Human
Rights, Colombo, Karunaratane and Sons, 1991.
5.
Piter Harvey, An Introduction to
Buddhist Ethics, Cambridge University Press, New Delhi, 2012.
6.
Subhas Chandra Khare, Human Rights and United Nations,
Metropolitan Book Co., New Delhi, 1977.
7.
Saneh Chamarik, Buddhism and Human
Rights, The International Book Institute, Bangkok, 2000.
Guest Lecturer, (in Evening) Tibetan Language, Department of Languages, Calcutta University, Guest Lecturer, (in Evening) Pali Language, Department of School of Language and Linguistics, Jadavpur University,
