A (8). Speaking up for Human Rights

[Full title: Buddhist Contributions to the Australian Society (8). Speaking up for Human Rights]

The social order to which Buddhist social action is ultimately directed must be one that minimizes non-volitionally caused suffering, whether in mind or body, and which also offers encouraging conditions for its citizens to see more clearly into their true nature and overcome their karmic inheritance.

The Buddhist way is, with its compassion, its equanimity, its tolerance, its concern for self-reliance and individual responsibility.

A disciple of the Buddha must maintain a mind of kindness and cultivate the practice of liberating beings. He should reflect thus: 'All male beings have been my father and all females have been my mother. There is not a single being who has not given birth to me during my previous lives, hence all beings of the Six Destinies are my parents. Therefore, when a person kills and eats any of these beings, he thereby slaughters my parents. Furthermore, he kills a body that was once my own, for all elemental earth and water previously served as part of my body and all elemental fire and wind have served as my basic substance. Therefore, I shall always cultivate the practice of liberating beings and in every life be reborn in the eternallyabiding Dharma and teach other to liberate beings as well.' Whenever a Bodhisattva sees a person preparing to kill an animal, he should devise a skilful method to rescue and protect it, freeing it from its suffering and difficulties.. (Brahma Net Sutra I 162)

The lack of understanding of the true cause of happiness is the principal reason why people inflict suffering on others. Some people think that causing pain to others may lead to their own happiness or that their own happiness is of such importance that the pain of others is of no significance. But this is clearly shortsighted. No one truly benefits from causing harm to another being. Whatever immediate advantage is gained at the expense of someone else is short-lived. In the long run causing others misery and infringing upon their peace and happiness creates anxiety, fear and suspicion for oneself.

The key to creating a better and more peaceful world is the development of love and compassion for others.

In any ways political and economic relations and a technology which will help people to overcome ego-centeredness, through co-operation with others, in place of either subordination and exploitation or the consequent sense of "righteous" struggle against all things so it really brings the peace and truth happiness for all, offer to each a freedom which is conditional only upon the freedom and dignity of others, so that individuals may develop a self-reliant responsibility rather than being the conditioned animals of institutions and ideologies but Buddhism can adapt all these for all sentient. 24% of Buddhist organization in Australia are involved in such activities, included amongst there are several groups publicizing, educating and loppying dor human rights.^[1]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Patricia Sherwood. The Buddha is in the Street. Engaged Buddhism in Australia. Cowan University, Sunbury, 2003. P. 92-93