“Some of his recorded words would come like a distant echo through two thousand five hundred years ago.”
Jawaharlal Nehru, first Indian Prime Minister in ‘The Discovery of India’
The Buddha delivered Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, his first discourse on the Esala Full Moon Poya Day to the five ascetics, Ven. Kondangna, Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanama and Assaji, at the deer park of Isipathana in Benares. It consists of the central theme of the Dhamma. At the end of the preaching, the eldest of the five, Kondangna Thera attained the first stage of sainthood or Sovan. According to history, many other important events had taken place on the Esala Poya Day. Among them, the conception of Siddartha in Queen Mahamaya’s womb, and Prince Siddartha leaving the palace at the age of 29 in seeking the truth, after giving up all royal comforts.
The drafting of Sri Lanka’s Independence Constitution appears relatively diluted in its nationalism. The 1948 Constitution, under which the Colonial rulers transferred powers of self-rule to Ceylon, was designed mainly by the twosome DS Senanayake and Sir Ivor Jennings, the Constitutional expert.
They shielded the Constitution drafting from nationalists on two sides: the anti-colonial nationalists, the Young Turks in the Ceylon National Congress, such as Dudley and JR who wanted to make Ceylon a ‘free republic’ and communistic nationalists who sought special protections for the island’s Sinhalese majority and non-Sinhalese minority.
Buddhist clergy
DS was under pressure to include a special clause for Buddhism from the leading Buddhist clergy. A few days before, the two Mahanayakas of Asgiriya and Malwatta threatened to boycott the inauguration ceremony in Kandy. Prime Minister D S Senanayake did not succumb, but he himself took the initiative of handling the matter diplomatically. He travelled to Kandy and convinced the two Mahanayaka Theras of the importance of not introducing special provisions on the foremost place to Buddhism in the new Constitution. He said, “If equality is a provision, then you cannot give primacy to one religion.”
DS who was well prepared for the summit had explained to the prelates quoting from the chronicle a few stanzas where Buddha emphasized the fact that the State or the Ruler should treat all his subjects, irrespective of race, caste and religion as equals and treat all with no special privileges or rights granted or conceded to a selected group. “You cannot treat other people differently because they are members of that political party, or they are from that race, or from that culture. Dhamma forbids such special treatment to a section of the community”, DS enlightened and transformed the two Mahanayaka Theras who gave up their protest and participated in the ceremony to bestow the blessing of the triple gem on the new constitution and the independent nation.
The concept of Good Governance (GG) seems unclear for many people. Some have expressed their own views, others have written policy papers. But it is one of the main themes which have been discussed by different international organisations, foundations and political leaders worldwide.
The concept remains ambiguous and without an exact definition. Scholars who carried out research on Buddhist ideals of GG believes, Buddha who did not engage in politics associated the Kings of his day giving them instructions on Ten Royal Duties (Dasa raja dharma) which leads to GG by creating social and economic prosperity and maintaining harmony, tolerance and peace.
Democratic governance
Former President of America Ronald Reagan had said, "A nation is destroyed through racists." Martin Luther King Jr. has said that racism is being blood-thirsty.
Heroes, who have been deflated in the presence of the people, yell and scream to somehow, in any dastardly way regain power.
Original Buddhist manuscripts contain quite a lot of guidelines and obligations to be fulfilled to achieve corruption free democratic Governance. Several Jataka stories give hints on establishing rule of law, the righteousness of the ideal ruler, and how such leaders should abstain from the four wrongdoings (Agathidhammas) such as malice, excitement, fear and dilution. A good ruler, it says, should behave with Sila high moral character and dasa kusala.
They should refrain from, taking life, taking what is not given, adultery, telling lies, slander, harsh speech, frivolous talk, covetousness, evil-mindedness and hearsay. The Pali Canon, in addition to the above, speaks of characteristics to be maintained by good rulers. They are honesty and sincerity, dedication and commitment selfless service high morals, respect of law, consensus agreements for national interest, equanimity and impartialness, solidarity and respect to obligations.
Buddha’s teachings on philosophical and spiritual matters are well-known, but his teachings on social, economic, and political issues are less known. His attitude on good governance is narrated in important discourses dealing with it. Today there are unprecedented incidents of crime, violence, and immorality in society.
Basic requirements
Due to the hardship of life, without seeing any solution to the problems they face and to protect social identity, people commit theft, cruelty, hatred and violence. According to Kuutadanta Sutta, the state making an effort to suppress such action by punishment is futile and should not be encouraged. Buddha suggests a series of alternatives to eradicate crime and violence. He proposed educating the people who commit wrongdoings and economic development of the concerned by proving basic requirements of the farmers; granting of financial support to traders at the reduced rate of interest as alternative strategies.
The increase in salaries and wages of employees, opportunities in professional fields for the educated without political interference; high-quality administrative services. Buddha says when such methods are applied by a king or ruler, the people will be happy and contented, fear and anxiety will disappear; as a consequence, the nation would be free of public protests against the government.
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