The venerable Prof Walpola Sri Rahula (1907–1997) was one of the most influential Buddhist monk and a scholar of the 20th century. He was the first Buddhist monk to become a professorial chair of a university in the western hemisphere. He was a well-known author who extensively wrote about Buddhism in English, French and Sinhalese. His book, What the Buddha Taught, is considered by many to be one of the best books written about Theravada Buddhism. After its first publication in 1959, the book was printed several times and translated into many languages. Following excerpts from the book are on the rulers and war, which are more relevant to present day situations.
The Buddha was just as clear on politics, on war and peace. It is too well known to be repeated here that Buddhism advocates and preaches non-violence and peace as its universal message, and does not approve of any kind of violence or destruction of life. According to Buddhism there is nothing that can be called a ‘just war’ – which is only a false term coiled and put into circulation to justify and excuse hatred, cruelty, violence and massacre. Who decided what is just or unjust? The mighty and the victorious are ‘just’, and the weak and the defeated are ‘unjust’. Our war is always ‘just’, and your war is always ‘unjust’. Buddhism does not accept this position.
In the days of the Buddha, as today, there were rulers who governed their countries unjustly. People were oppressed and exploited, tortured and persecuted, excessive taxes were imposed and cruel punishments were inflicted. The Buddha was deeply moved by these inhumanities. The Dhammapadaṭṭhakathā records that he, therefore, directed his attention to the problem of good government. His views should be appreciated against the social, economic and political background of his time. He had shown how a whole country could become corrupt, degenerate and unhappy when the heads of its government, that is the king, the ministers and administrative officers become corrupt and unjust. For a country to be happy it must have a just government. How this form of just government could be realized is explained by the Buddha in his teaching of the ‘Ten Duties of the King’ (dasa-rāja-dhamma), as given in the Jātaka text.
Of course the term ‘king’ (Rāja) of old should be replaced today by the term ‘Government’. ‘The Ten Duties of the King’, therefore, apply today to all those who constitute the government, such as the head of the state, ministers, political leaders, legislative and administrative officers, etc.
The first of the ‘Ten Duties of the King’ is liberality, generosity, charity (dāna). The ruler should not have craving and attachment to wealth and property, but should give it away for the welfare of the people.
Second: A high moral character (sīla). He should never destroy life, cheat, steal, and exploit others, commit adultery, utter falsehood, and take intoxicating drinks. That is, he must at least observe the Five Precepts of the layman.
Third: Sacrificing everything for the good of the people (pariccāga), he must be prepared to give up all personal comfort, name and fame, and even his life, in the interest of the people.
Fourth: Honesty and integrity (ajjava). He must be free from fear or favour in the discharge of his duties, must be sincere in his intentions, and must not deceive the public.
Fifth: Kindness and gentleness (maddava). He must possess a genial temperament.
Sixth: Austerity in habits (tapa). He must lead a simple life, and should not indulge in a life of luxury. He must have self-control.
Seventh: Freedom from hatred, ill-will, enmity (akkodha). He should bear no grudge against anybody.
Eight: Non-violence (avihiṃsā), which means not only that he should harm nobody, but also that he should try to promote peace by avoiding and preventing war, and everything which involves violence and destruction of life.
Ninth: Patience, forbearance, tolerance, understanding (khanti). He must be able to bear hardships, difficulties and insults without losing his temper.
Tenth: Non-opposition, non-obstruction (avirodha), that is to say that he should not oppose the will of the people, should not obstruct any measures that are conductive to the welfare of the people. In other words he should rule in harmony with his people.
If a country is ruled by men endowed with such qualities, it is needless to say that that country must be happy. But this was not a Utopia, for there were kings in the past like Asoka of India who had established kingdoms based on these ideas.
The Buddha says: ‘Never by hatred is hatred appeased, but it is appeased by kindness. This is an eternal truth.’
‘One should win anger through kindness, wickedness through goodness, selfishness through charity, and falsehood through truthfulness.’
There can be no peace or happiness for man as long as he desires and thirsts after conquering and subjugating his neighbour. As the Buddha says: ‘The victor breeds hatred, and the defeated lies down in misery. He who renounces both victory and defeat is happy and peaceful.’ The only conquest that brings peace and happiness is self-conquest. ‘One may conquer millions in battle, but he who conquers himself, only one, is the greatest of conquerors.’
There are only handful of countries that recognize the Buddhism as a national religion, although Buddhists live all around the world. Unfortunately many of the rulers in these countries which were cultured by Buddhism for centuries, now dictate their people completely in a non-buddhist way.
Access the online version of the book “What the Buddha Taught” here.
