Introduction
The Buddha’s teaching is not only for the benefits of supra-mundane but also the mundane. Hence, it pervades all humanities such as the socio-political, economical, and environmental issues as well as bio-ethical philosophy even. There are much more in the corpus of the Buddha’s teaching which are segmentalised as Buddhist social philosophy by the scholars. All these demonstrate that the Buddha’s teaching does provide much guidance for societies and the mundane. The Bodhisattva’s peerless parental gratitude propelled him invariably to strive and attained Buddhahood. His altruistic concerns and compassion for all sentient beings who were his parents throughout his wanderings in the samsara is a well-known motivating fact.
To understand the social relevance of Buddhism and its applications clearly, one should research Buddhism until he realises the profound root and core of the Buddha’s teaching. In this short essay, I will focus on the application of the Buddha’s teaching for solidarity and societal cohesiveness. Let us now concentrate on the roots of dispute and the six principles of cordiality that appear simple yet would take sincere efforts and persistence to practice. This teaching might appear to be solely for the sangha and organizations on the outset for some.
Roots of dispute:
There are roots of disputes in the Buddha’s teaching. What are they? Firstly, there exist anger and resentment such as for one to be angry and resentful, dwelling without respect and deference toward his teacher, the Dhamma and sangha and not having fulfilled the training (sikkhā).
This include also having to be contemptuous and insolent, envious and niggardly, deceitful and fraudulent as well as having evil wishes and wrong views and adhering to one’s own views, holding on them tenaciously, and relinquishing them with difficulty. If a person dwells without respect and deference toward the teacher, the Dhamma, and sangha and not fulfilling the training (sikkhā); this creates a dispute in society, which would cause harm or unhappiness of many, it is for the loss, harm, and suffering of devas and humans. If one sees any such root of dispute either in oneself (yet unmanisfested) and/or externally, one should strive to abandon that same evil root of dispute. If one sees any such root of dispute present either in oneself and externally, one should strive to abandon that same evil root of dispute, one should practice so as that same evil root of dispute does not erupt in the future.[1]
Six Principles of Cordiality:
There are six principles of cordiality that create love and respect, and conduce cohesion, non-dispute, concord, and unity. What are the six?
1) A person maintains bodily acts of loving-kindness both in public and in private toward his companions in the holy life.
2) A person maintains verbal acts of loving-kindness both in public and in private toward his companions in the holy life.
3) A person maintains mental acts of loving-kindness both in public and in private toward his companions in the holy life.
4) A person enjoys things in common with his virtuous companions in the holy life; without
reservations, he shares with them any righteous gain that has been obtained in righteous way, including even the mere content of his alms bowl.
5) A person dwells both in public and in private possessing in common with his companions in the holy life those virtues that are unbroken, untorn, unblemished, freeing, praising by the wise, ungrasped, leading to concentration.
6) A person dwells both in public and in private possessing in common with his companions in the holy life that view that is noble and of emancipation, leads the one who practices in accordance with it to the complete destruction of suffering.
These are the six principles of cordiality that create love and respect, and conduce to cohesion, to concord, and unity.[2]
A very good culture in Thailand
In Thai community, monks chant the following verse whenever they accept offerings from the laity:-
abhivādanasῑlissa, niccaṃvuddhāpacāyino
cattārodhammāvaddhanti, āyuvannosukhaṃbalaṃ.
To those who are endowed with the nature of piety and who always revere the elders, these four boons shall prosper; namely longevity, beauty, happiness and strength.[3]
People in Thailand
The Buddha taught the filial young man named Sigāla in Sigālovāda Sutta that duties and responsibilities done well equates one’s worship and respect to parents and associate. Duties and responsibilities of the six quarters are one’s parents, children, friends, teachers, servants, and ascetics.[4]
When people know and practice their duties according to the sutta, they are united and do not have dissent. Then they are surely happy and peaceful in their communities. In Patimokkha Pāli, Buddha guided the monks how to live harmoniously in society as below:-
Let the venerable one be reconciled with the community, for a united community, on courteous terms, without dispute, with a common recitation, dwells in peace.” [5]
Conclusion
Solidarity is of utmost importance in societal unity and cohesiveness. Buddha placed much emphasizes on society, this is why he admonishes “Donation for community (sangha) is much more beneficial (Sanghe dinnaṃ mahaphalaṃ). When one causes schism and divides a community, he will surely end up in the worst of hells called Avici. If Dhamma[6] application on society is learnt, it should be learnt thoroughly to avoid misunderstanding, not in parts. Having said this, the famous analogy of the six blind men and elephant came to my mind.
A group of blind men (or unenlightened men in the dark) touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each one feels a different part, but only one particular part, such as the side or the tusk. They then compare notes and learn that they are in complete disagreement.
The story says that the six born blind men were asked to determine what an elephant looked like by feeling different parts of the elephant's body. The blind man who feels a leg says the elephant is like a pillar; the one who feels the tail says the elephant is like a rope; the one who feels the trunk says the elephant is like a tree branch; the one who feels the ear says the elephant is like a hand fan; the one who feels the belly says the elephant is like a wall; and the one who feels the tusk says the elephant is like a solid pipe[7].
In the same way, if a problem arises in society, people should find the wise hats that are like the ones with good eyes to deal with the problem correctly and peacefully. A problem will not be solved, discord will not cease if otherwise .Buddhism is full of social relevant teaching that the Buddha discovered. Any Buddhist endeavour to improve society should have the Dhamma as its foundation. Buddhists should call to mind the Dhamma and apply the Dhamma for their own benefits and the good of the society at large.
When we study Buddhism, we should not neglect how Bodhisatta Sidhatta (the then Future-Buddha) took different forms for the welfare of the many. He had carried out his duties and accumulated his perfections. This is clearly stated in every of his birth-story (Jatakas). This pattern never ceases to appear in his life story since the commencement of his Noble vow - pledged in the presence of Lord Dipankara to become a Buddha. The Tathagata[8] had fulfilled all the thirty Perfections (paramitas viz the ten ordinary perfections, the ten (upaparamitas) superior perfections, and the ten (paramattha paramitas) supreme Perfections.)
In addition to the paramitas, there include the five Great Sacrifices (Pancaparica); the three Modes of Practice (Tissocariya), viz the practice for the welfare of the world, for the welfare of kinsmen and relatives, and for the benefit of his attainment of Buddhahood.
The first sixty Arahants were taught the message and delegated on missions by the Buddha with the following: O monks! Walk on tour, for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many, for the welfare of the many, for the good and happiness of human beings and celestial beings.”[9]
According to a commentator named Dhammapala in Buddhism, Sammasambuddha (Omniscient Buddha), PaccekaBuddha (Individual Buddha), Catusacca Buddha( Buddha who enlighten the four Noble truth, and Suta Buddha, persons who memorise tipitaka), the term ‘Buddha’ is revealed - they are all called Buddha.[10] Therefore, everyone needs to carry out what Boddhisatta did in his previous lives.
When all Buddhists comprehend and are on the path onward to Nibbāna, all Buddhists and non-Buddhists will live happily, peacefully, and cohesively in the world by holding onto the concept of Perfection (paramita). When all missionaries keep loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and Equanimity in their mind, they are able to propagate their religions successfully without force, weapon, power, and wars. This makes them similar to the great King Asoka who propagated Buddhism excellently dispatching the earliest missionaries, monks who had trained themselves thoroughly in Dhamma learning (pariyatti) and Dhamma practicing (patipatti). These nine missions during King Asoka’s period went down in history as the golden period of Buddhism. These said missions epitomise the maxim of For the Good of the Many. Buddhist missions benchmarking them will just be as the real gems everyone is favourite.
AtanatiyaSutta, MahaparittaPali. Pathikavagga, DighaNikaya and Dhammapada, KhuddakaNikaya.
AnuvattakaSikkhapada, PatimokkhaPali. www.dhammarain.org. Retrieved.22.1.2012.
http://www.dhammarain.org.tw/canon/pc-Bhikkhupatimokkha.pdf.
Bodhi Bikkhu. (2005). In the Buddha’s words. Somerville 199 Elm Street , Somerville , MA
Blind men and an elephant. Answers.com. Retrieved.26.1.2012.
http://www.answers.com/topic/blind-men-and-an-elephant
SajalBarua Ven.(Dipananda). (2012). Social Relevance of the Buddha’s teaching and Significance of the Course, Leture-1. P.10. Khorat: International Buddhist College , Thailand
[1] Bikkhu Bodhi. (2005). In the Buddha’s words. P. 130. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, Inc. 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144.USA
[2]104.Samagama Sutta, MajjhimaNikaya,
http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/2Majjhima-Nikaya/Majjhima3/104-samagama-e.html. Retrieved 21.1.2012
[3]AtanatiyaSutta, MahaparittaPali.Pathikavagga, DighaNikaya and Dhammapada, KhuddakaNikaya.
http://www.thisismyanmar.com/nibbana/sound/atanat.htm. Retrieved.22.1.2012
[4]Ven. SajalBarua (Dipananda). (2012). Social Relevance of the Buddha’s
Teaching and Significance of the Course, Leture-1. P.10. Khorat:International Buddhist College ,Thailand
[5] AnuvattakaSikkhapada, PatimokkhaPali. www.dhammarain.org. Retrieved.22.1.2012.
http://www.dhammarain.org.tw/canon/pc-Bhikkhupatimokkha.pdf.
[6]Dhamma means tipitaka, all Buddha’s teaching.
[7]Blind men and an elephant. Answers.com. Retrieved.26.1.2012.
[8] The one who knows as it is or The Buddha
[9]Ven. SajalBarua (Dipananda). (2012). Social Relevance of the Buddha’s
Teaching and Significance of the Course, Leture-1. P.7. Khorat: International Buddhist College
[10]Prof. TilakKariyawamsa.(2012). Buddhism in Sri.lanka.Khorat: International Buddhist College ,Thailand
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