Buddhist Perspective on the Development of Social Welfare

by Ashin Indacara | 2011 | 61,386 words

Buddhism Theravada

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Summary: This essay studies the Buddhist Perspective on the Development of Social Welfare, primarily using the concepts of Utthana-sampada (persistent effort) and Arakkha-sampada (watchfulness). Based on the teachings of the Buddha in the Dighajanu Sutta and other canonical texts, it emphasizes the importance of effort, knowledge, and good karma in achieving social welfare. This essay educates readers on the Buddhist view that true progress arises through diligent effort, wisdom, and ethical living, underlined by moral precepts and the guidance of wise and experienced advisors. This thesis further explores the obstacles to effort, such as laziness and idleness, while highlighting methods to sustain and enhance wealth against threats from various foes like rulers, thieves, and natural disasters. Ultimately, this work urges individuals to engage in meritorious deeds and ethical behavior, ensuring a balance between rights and duties, and achieving material and spiritual well-being in harmony with Buddhist philosophy.

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Source 2: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

Contents of this online book ( + / - )

The full text of the Buddhist Perspective on the Development of Social Welfare in English is available here and publically accesible (free to read online). Of course, I would always recommend buying the book so you get the latest edition. You can see all this book’s content by visiting the pages in the below index:

+ Chapter 1 - The Accomplishment of Persistent Effort and Watchfulness or Protection

. 1. Introduction

. 2. The Definition and Interpretation of Uṭṭhāna (Effort)

. 3. The Accomplishment of Persistent Effort (Uṭṭhāna-sampadā)

. 4. The Fourfold Characteristic of Ultimate Realities (Lakkhaṇādi-catukka)

. 5. The Eight Roots of Making Effort (Attha-ārambha-vatthu)

. 6. The Eight Roots of Laziness and obstacle to Vīriya (Aṭṭha-kusīta-vatthu)

. 7. The Six Roots of Idleness from Singālovāda Sutta

. 8. Making an Effort for Enthusiasm

. 9. Six Conditions for the Development of Welfare (Introduction)

. 9.1. The Completeness of Good Health

. 9.2. Observing Precepts

. 9.3. Using the Advice or Instruction of the Wises or Scholars

. 9.4. The Accomplishment of Knowledge

. 9.5. Practicing Ten Meritorious Deeds (Ten Sucarita)

. 9.6. Making Effort for Being without Idleness

. 10. The Four Supreme Efforts (Four Sammappadhāna)

. 11. Human Welfare and Duties

. 12. Four Adhipatis (Four Dominating Factors)

. 13. The Accomplishment of Watchfulness or Protection (Ārakkha-sampadā)

. 14. The Way to Protect Welfare Instructed by the Buddha

. 15. The Five Enemies (Introduction)

. 15.1. Protection from Occupying of King

. 15.2. The Protection from the Danger of Thieves

. 15.3. The Protection from the Danger of Natural Calamities Such as Fire

. 15.4. The Protection from the Danger of Water or Flood

. 15.5. The Protection from the Danger of Children

. 16. Conclusion

+ Chapter 2 - The Accomplishment of Good Friendship (Kalyāṇa-mittatā)

. 1. Introduction

. 2. General Characteristics of Good Friendship

. 3. Definition and Interpretation of Friend (Mitta)

. 4. Significance of Good Friend

. 5. Four Kinds of Loyal Friends

. 6. Seven Qualifications of Good Friend

. 7. Further Seven Characteristics of Good Friend

. 8. The Sixteen Characteristics of True and Loyal Friend

. 9. Five-fold Kinds of a False Friend

. 10. The Sixteen Bad Characteristics of a False and Pretended Friend

. 11. Causes of End of Friendship

. 12. Causes of Stable and Steady Friendship

. 13. Characteristics of the Wicked and Wise Person (Introduction)

. 13.1. Four Characteristics of the Wicked Person

. 13.2. Four Characteristics of the Wise Person

. 14. Good and Bad Qualifications of the Wise and the Wicked Person

. 15. The Characteristics of the Outcaste

. 16. Ten Kinds of Great Friends

. 17. Who should not be Associated as a Friend

. 18. The Duties Of A Good Friend

. 19. Conclusion

+ Chapter 3 - The Accomplishment of Balanced Livelihood (Sama-jīvitā or Jīvikatā)

. 1. Introduction

. 2. Balanced Livelihood (sama-jīvitā): Abstaining From Over Consumption

. 2.1. The Four Sources of Destruction of Welfare

. 2.2. The Four Sources of Developing Welfare

. 3. Way of Developing Wealth in Householder Life

. 4. The Objective of the Buddha for the Development of Welfare

. 5. The Duty of House Wife and Balanced Livelihood

. 6.1. Wrong Livelihood in Five Kinds of Business

. 6.2. Wrong Livelihood in False or Fraudulent Buying and Selling

. 7. Right Livelihood (Sammā-ājīva)

. 8. Buddhist View on Consumption Based On Right Livelihood

. 9. Right or Wrong Livelihood in Buddhist Monastic Order

. 10. Four Kinds of Happiness in the Householder Life

. 11. The Benefit of Wealth

. 12. The Purpose of Making Material Developed

. 13. Conclusion

+ Chapter 4 - The Accomplishment of Faith and Charity

. 1. Introduction

. 2. The accomplishment of Faith (Saddhā-sampadā)—Introduction

. 2.1. Highest Grace of Confidence on Tiratana (Triple Gems)

. 2.2. The Accomplishment of Confidence on Incontrovertible Teaching

. 2.3. Self-Confidence in Noble Eightfold Path for All Welfare

. 3. Definitions and Interpretations of Saddhā (faith)

. 4. The Characteristics of Saddhā (faith)

. 5. Four Kinds of Saddhā

. 6. Saddhā: the Seed of Wholesome State

. 7. Saddhā: A Partner of Human Being

. 8. The Benefit of Saddhā in the Present Life

. 9. The Advantage of Believing

. 10. Saddhā: The Cause of Crossing over Flood of Saṃsāra

. 11. The Accomplishment of Charity or Generosity (Cāga-sampadā)

. 12. Meanings, Definitions and Interpretations of Cāga

. 13. The Link between Cāga and Dāna

. 14. Characteristics of Dāna or Cāga

. 15. Cāga and Five Great Renunciations (Pañca-mahā-pariccāga)

. 16. Cāga: One of Four Grounds of Fellowship

. 17. The Great Benefit of Dāna or Cāga

. 18. Cāga-anussati—and Exulting One’s Charitable Deed

. 19. Conclusion

+ Chapter 5 - The Accomplishment of Virtue and Wisdom

. 1. Introduction

. 2. The Accomplishment of Virtue (Sīla-sampadā)

. 3. Definitions and Interpretations of Virtue

. 4. Basic Twofold Kinds of Virtue (Sīla)

. 5. The Four Kinds of Morality (Catu-pārisuddhi-Sīla)

. 6. Sikkhāpada: Steps of Training, Moral Rules

. 7. Three Abstinences Mental Concomitants or States (Viratī-Cetasika)

. 8. Sīla: Moral Conduct and the Foundation of Samādhi and Paññā

. 9. The Fourfold Characteristics or Classifications of Sīla

. 10. Three Types of Sīla

. 11. Classes of Virtue

. 12. The Perfection of Morality (Sīla-pāramī)

. 13. How to Fulfill Sīla

. 14. The Benefit of Sīla and Guilt of Lack of Sīla (Virtue)

. 15. The Development of Noble Eight-fold Path Based on Sīla

. 16. Sīla and Sīlanussati (Recollection of Virtue)

. 17. The Accomplishment of Wisdom (Paññā-sampadā)

. 18. Definitions and Interpretations of Paññā

. 19. Characteristics Of Paññā

. 20. Two Kinds of Wisdom and the Perfection of Wisdom (Paññāpāramī)

. 21. The Power of Wisdom (Paññā)

. 22. Conditions and Causes of Developing Wisdom (Paññā)

. 23. The Benefit of Sīla, Samādhi, Paññā

. 24. Interrelationship or Mutual Support between Sīla-Samādhi-Paññā

. 25. Balance or Equilibrium

. 26. Conclusion

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Last Updated: 01 January, 2025

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