RELG 370 Chapter Notes - Chapter reading: Gautama Buddha, Social Philosophy, Begging
15 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Buddhists focused more on perfecting the individual through cultivation of mortality, meditation, and insight rather than on reforming society. Literature and learning in the areas of philosophy, meditation and individual moral development are remarkably well developed. Buddhists have never developed any comprehensive social philosophy or theory. In the 1991 buddhist ethics and modern society, justice is only mentioned in one passage. There is nothing in the scriptures that directly advocated radical social transformation. Buddhist morality can provide an indirect method to protect fundamental human rights. Buddhism doesn"t talk about rights, but instead emphasized duties and obligations. Traditional buddhist discourse lacks terms that correspond to western ideas of justice and human rights. Human rights in the western sense cannot be found anywhere in. Buddhist teach that the ultimate religious goal for each individual is the elimination of the idea of an independent self through the elimination of craving for benefit. Generally, east asians lack human rights traditions.
