Idea of an Ideal Government
Buddhist Perspective
by Susan Child
Spiritual guide Teacher
Founder of the Waterloo Riverview Dharma Centre
Abstract of Theme Speech
The relationship between religion and politics has been problematic throughout history, and has given rise to tremendous human suffering. Recent significant events have magnified the issues inherent in this relationship, highlighting, once again, our fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of who we are and our relationship to one another; and, providing us with an opportunity to look deeply within ourselves for new understanding and wisdom.
The deeper question at the heart of this issue is not whether there is a place for religion in politics or whether church and state should be separate, but rather what creates ‘separation’ and causes division between human beings. Once we have answered this question, the answers to the other questions naturally follow.
From a Buddhist perspective, all human beings: Buddhists and non-Buddhists; religious or secular, share a fundamental misunderstanding of who they really are. This misunderstanding arises from a deeply conditioned ignorance, rooted in habitual patterns of thought, which gives rise to a separate sense of self and other, obscuring the fundamental ground of their being which is inherent goodness: wisdom, love, compassion- self-less and not separate. The practices of meditation and awareness, which derive from the Buddhist tradition, provide a vehicle to awaken and reconnect with this primordial goodness by focusing attention on attitudes and actions and the underlying motivation/intention. The essential question is whether our attitudes and actions express genuine concern for others, or are they motivated by selfish concern-unwholesome intention (greed, attachment, hatred, anger).
Throughout history, we can find examples of political and religious systems that have been harmful and corrupt, or benevolent and wise. Whether operating independently or in relationship with one another, religious and secular principles and beliefs have been and can be interpreted through any lens of perception and used to justify any action, i.e. Zen Buddhism’s support for Japanese militarism during WW 2; the Chinese/Tibetan situation with the Chinese oppression of the Tibetan people and the HH Dalai Lama, who advocates the practices of non-violence and compassion for all beings, including the
enemy.
In all aspects of life: personal, political, economic, military, social, religious, and secular we will continue to suffer and perpetuate suffering, individually and collectively unless we deepen our awareness and understanding of ourselves, and unless our motivations and actions are rooted in the genuine wish for the well-being of others.
The path to peace, mutual connection and understanding regardless of faith or secular orientation is through practices and methods that support awakening to this deeper potential and knowing through the heart that is free from the forms of hatred, violence, prejudice, and greed that lie hidden in our minds, and give rise to our own personal suffering and the suffering of the world.
We can be a force in the world for goodness and peace, or harm and suffering, depending on how we orient our minds and hearts. This is the essential training for all beings, all disciplines, all aspects of lifelearning to relate to our life and experience with present moment awareness, wise understanding and a loving heart-knowing our own hearts and minds. This is the ultimate responsibility, to live and act from that awareness.
Religious and secular leaders need to be trained in the knowledge and skills needed for their positions, as well as training in awareness that allows for a deeper wisdom and understanding of how things really are, and ultimately a knowing, intention, action that come through the heart.
In the words of the Buddha:
Phenomena are preceded by the heart,
ruled by the heart,
made by the heart.
If you speak or act with a corrupted heart,
then suffering follows you—
as the wheel of the cart,
the track of the ox that pulls it.
Phenomena are preceded by the heart,
ruled by the heart,
made by the heart.
If you speak or act with a calm, bright heart,
happiness follows you,
like a shadow that never leaves. (Dhp.1-2)
And, in the Buddha’s teaching to the Kalamas (AN 3:65) he points out that they should know for themselves, and he describes standards for doing this:
“….Kalamas, don’t go by reports, legends, traditions, scripture, logic, inference, analogies, agreement through pondering views, probability, or thought that this is what spiritual authority says. When you know for yourselves that, ‘ These thoughts, mental qualities, speech, actions are unskillful, blameworthy, criticized by the wise; when adopted and carried out, lead to harm and to suffering-then you should abandon them…….Don’t go by reports, legends, traditions, scripture, logic, inference, analogies, agreement through pondering views, probability, or thought that this is what spiritual authority says. When you know for yourselves that, ‘ These thoughts, mental qualities, speech, actions are skillful, blameless, praised by the wise; when adopted and carried out, lead to well being and happinessthen you should enter and remain in them…….’
And he provides precise instructions on how to judge the results of one’s actions, and learn from one’s mistakes.
Whenever you want to do a bodily action, you should reflect on it: ‘This bodily action I want do do-would it lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or both? Would it be an unskillful bodily action, with painful consequences, painful results?’ If on reflection, you know that it would lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or both; it would be an unskillful bodily action, with painful consequences, painful results, then any bodily action of that sort is absolutely unfit for you to do. But if in reflection, you know that it would not cause affliction… it would be skillful bodily action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results, then any bodily action of that sort is fit for you to do.
While you are doing a bodily action, you should reflect on it: ‘This bodily action I am doing-is it leading to self affliction, to the affliction of others or both? Is it an unskillful bodily action, with painful consequences, painful results?’ If on reflection, you know that it is leading to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both…. You should give it up. But if you know that it is not… you may continue with it.
Having done a bodily action, you should reflect on it:’ This bodily action I have done-did it lead to selfaffliction, to the affliction of others, or to both? Was it unskillful bodily action, with painful, consequences, painful results?’ If on reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; it was an unskillful action with painful consequences, painful results, then you should confess it, reveal it, lay it open to the teacher of to a knowledgeable companion in the holy life. Having confessed it…. You should exercise restraint in the future. But if on the reflection, you know that it did not lead to affliction……it was skillful bodily action with pleasant consequences, pleasant results, then you should stay mentally refreshed and joyful, training day and night in skillful mental qualities.
Similarly with verbal actions, and mental actions, except the last paragraph on mental actions states:
Having done a mental action, you should reflect on it: ‘This mental action I have done-did it lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both? Was it an unskillful mental action, with painful consequences, painful results?’ If, on reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both….. then you should feel distressed, ashamed and disgusted with it. Feeling distressed, ashamed and disgusted with it, you should exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection you know it did not lead to affliction…. It was skillful mental action with pleasant consequences,pleasant results, then you should stay mentally refreshed and joyful, training day and night in skillful mental qualities. (MN 61)