The Teachings Of Karma: Can Buddhism Be Used To Combat Inequality Of The World
Can Buddhism be used to combat the ever growing social and economic inequality of the world? The main ways that Buddhism could help combat inequality would be through the teachings of Karma, dukkha and the finding of Buddha such as the four noble truths, the middle way, the five precepts and noble eightfold. These are all ways in which Buddhism could be used to combat inequality in a country or the world.
The teachings of Karma would benefit to the combat of inequality by teaching people that their actions will lead to future consequences. This means that karma opens up the opportunity for healing in the present. Karma is like a balancing action that offers everyone chances through their lives in all situations and relationships to learn important spiritual lessons. These lessons could be taught that helping the less fortunate and closing the inequality gap, you would be earning good karma which would lead to the determining factor for rebirth and enlightenment.
Dukkha meaning “sorrow” or “suffering” which is caused by greed, which is also called tanha meaning “thirst”. This “suffering” is what Buddhism is based around and that we are all looking for enlightenment to escape dukkha. Thus the use of Buddhism can be used to say that we can all escape dukkha by helping the less fortunate and preforming good deeds which also adds to one’s good karma.
One of the four noble truths is the truth of suffering. Those people in more economically developed countries should value what they have and be satisfied with it and help those in less economically developed countries to give them the basic necessities to life so that they do not have to suffer. Although it might not be as effective as the middle way.
The middle way is that path between self-indulgence and denial. Buddhists believe one can reach enlightenment by living the middle way. Since 20% of the population uses 80% of the worlds resources, the middle way teaches people how to live in moderate way and thus it would reduce inequality and poverty could be avoided entirely.
The first teaching of the five Precepts is the never harm other living things and that people should “act with compassion and loving-kindness to all people in an effort to avoid harm” (NA, 2020) thus people learning about Buddhism would want to help others who are suffering from poverty thus helping combat inequality. The second teaching of the five precepts that could help combat inequality is that people should not steal, because its believed that everyone is “inter-related and interdependent” (NA, 2020) and thus everyone should show compassion to one another because we are all a part of the same community.
Finally the noble eightfold path could combat inequality by teaching people they can achieve freedom from suffering by showing compassion to those who are suffering.
As discussed above the main philosophical ideas of Buddhism is the four noble truths, the middle way, the five Precepts, karma and dukkha. These all teachings of buddha on how to achieve enlightenment and escape dukkha, our suffering and to also help the less fortunate to escape unnecessary suffering by the more privileged doing what they can to support them and giving them the basic essentials to life that they cannot attain by themselves due to poverty or inequality. Thus the philosophical issue is helping the less fortunate. This is solved by teaching people about buddha and all his teachings. Especially the middle path, the noble eightfold path and the five precepts. These would make people realise that they can help and should help those in less economically developed countries.
Buddhism could be implemented into government run schools to teach children about inequality and the worth of helping the less fortunate and slowly stop inequality around the world. These kids would group up following in the buddha path and donating what they don’t need to the needy, not to hoard wealth and not to live a life style of greed. The element of karma would be used as a do good receive good and it will make people want to do good in hoping that they’ll receive something themselves. Dukkha would make children realize that even though they might be financially well off there are other who are not and are suffering from the lack of basic necessities and would promote helping them escape this suffering if they donate, it’d also teach people that they can achieve enlightenment by being a good person and not showing greed and taking all for themselves. It’ll also show people that if they work hard they can have nice things but they must also help those who cannot afford the basic of things.
Thus in conclusion the way inequality can be combated is to use the teachings of buddha and his findings on how to achieve enlightenment. the teaching of the middle path would help those in more economically developed countries humble their spending’s and donate what they can to the less economically developed countries and the lower class in their own country. The 4 noble truths would be used to make those who live in luxury realize that it won’t bring them true happiness and that they must find the middle way between greed and denial. Karma used to make people understand that their actions have reactions and they will be punished of wrong doing. Dukkha to make those who feel that hording wealth will not bring them true happiness and will not free them from their suffering. The five precepts to make people realize that we are all linked and if one person suffers it makes everyone suffer.
Bibliography
- NA, 2020. Wealth and poverty. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zkrkxnb/revision/3 [Accessed 30 March 2020].
- Braus, 2015. The Taste of Salt: Buddhism and Economic Inequality. [Online] Available at: https://medium.com/buddhist-economics/the-taste-of-salt-buddhism-and-inequality-6cc99e05f7d3 [Accessed 3 April 2020].
- Johnson, J., 2012. What Is Karma and How Does it Work?. [Online] Available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-karma_b_1376246 [Accessed 4 April 2020].
- Britannica, T. E. o. E., 2003. Dukkha. [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/dukkha [Accessed 3 April 2020].
- Berzin, D. A., 2011. The Relevance of Buddhism in the Modern World. [Online] Available at: https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/science-of-mind/emotional-hygiene/the-relevance-of-buddhism-in-the-modern-world [Accessed 3 April 2020].
