About Buddhism
Unlike many other religions, Buddhism was founded by a human teacher who claimed no divine relationship whatsoever. Just as all his family members, he also was just a human being and lived a very normal life until he renounced the world and attained Buddhahood, which is an achievement he described as is in any human being’s reach. The Buddha was a historical person, not God incarnate or prophet of any superhuman being. He attributed all his realization, success and achievement to his human endeavour and intelligence. And for no reason he placed human beings subordinate to any god, creator or not. Therefore one may expect a very high recognition of humanity from the Buddha’s teachings.
Although man’s supremacy is recognized, Buddhism does not make him superior to other beings in his right to life. He has to recognize and share the right to good life with other beings. His survival is not an absolutely independent phenomenon. His well being depends on many other beings that consist both human and animal. Buddhist morality requests that man should practice love to his physical and biological environment promoting well being of everyone who in effect will bring well being to him as well. According to the theory of dependent origination man’s survival is dependent on many factors.
Buddhism recognizes that man is a social being. No being can survive alone. The feeling of loneliness itself is stressing as depicted in the story of Brahma reported in Brahmajala sutta. Man has to achieve his mundane goals in a social setting. What an individual does affect and influence society and the surrounding world in either good or evil way. Therefore one is not supposed to act in any way that brings harm to others.
Individuals become happy together with others. The world is tied up with the law of interdependence. This assumption has become the base of Buddhist social ethics called Attupanayika Dhamma pariyaya. It insists that one does not do anything to others that one does not want them to do to you. One has to get into other people’s shoes before doing anything to them. The Buddhist five precepts have this social basis.
Buddhism maintains that man is one species. All class and caste differences are just conventions valid only within the limits of time and space. All biological and psychological features of human beings prove that they belong to one species. Depriving weaker groups of their justifiable rights in society with reference to their birth and vocation is, therefore, criticized. For instance, the cast system in India which prevented upward mobility of Sudras was criticized by the Buddha as undemocratic, unethical and unscientific.
Extracted from:
Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies,
University Of Kelaniya
Postgraduate Diploma in Buddhist Studies
DBSX 03 - Buddhist Library Graduate School, Singapore
Professor Wijebandara Chandima
Although man’s supremacy is recognized, Buddhism does not make him superior to other beings in his right to life. He has to recognize and share the right to good life with other beings. His survival is not an absolutely independent phenomenon. His well being depends on many other beings that consist both human and animal. Buddhist morality requests that man should practice love to his physical and biological environment promoting well being of everyone who in effect will bring well being to him as well. According to the theory of dependent origination man’s survival is dependent on many factors.
Buddhism recognizes that man is a social being. No being can survive alone. The feeling of loneliness itself is stressing as depicted in the story of Brahma reported in Brahmajala sutta. Man has to achieve his mundane goals in a social setting. What an individual does affect and influence society and the surrounding world in either good or evil way. Therefore one is not supposed to act in any way that brings harm to others.
Individuals become happy together with others. The world is tied up with the law of interdependence. This assumption has become the base of Buddhist social ethics called Attupanayika Dhamma pariyaya. It insists that one does not do anything to others that one does not want them to do to you. One has to get into other people’s shoes before doing anything to them. The Buddhist five precepts have this social basis.
Buddhism maintains that man is one species. All class and caste differences are just conventions valid only within the limits of time and space. All biological and psychological features of human beings prove that they belong to one species. Depriving weaker groups of their justifiable rights in society with reference to their birth and vocation is, therefore, criticized. For instance, the cast system in India which prevented upward mobility of Sudras was criticized by the Buddha as undemocratic, unethical and unscientific.
Extracted from:
Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies,
University Of Kelaniya
Postgraduate Diploma in Buddhist Studies
DBSX 03 - Buddhist Library Graduate School, Singapore
Professor Wijebandara Chandima