Significance of Corruption
Corruption is defined in various contexts, prominently in Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, where it represents impurities obstructing enlightenment or traits that Arhats have eradicated. In Indian history, corruption refers to the abuse of power by public officials for personal gain, which raises significant concerns about integrity in governance. This ethical decay affects societal trust and hinders effective political processes. Corruption remains a critical issue in the evolution of India's democracy, significantly impacting governance and law enforcement.
Synonyms: Bribery, Fraud, Wrongdoing, Dishonesty, Malpractice, Graft, Misconduct, Exploitation, Malfeasance, Deceit, Embezzlement
In French: Corruption; In Dutch: Corruptie; In Finnish: Korruptio; In Spanish: Corrupción; In Malay: Rasuah; In German: Korruption; In Swedish: Korruption; In Portugese: Corrupção; In Italian: Corruzione; In Polish: Korupcja
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Buddhist concept of 'Corruption'
In Buddhism, corruption signifies the defilements blocking enlightenment, the impurities an Arahat has overcome, and the negative traits or actions that hinder wisdom and promote attachment, which must be eliminated for spiritual progress.
From: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
(1) Things contained in the mind that maitri can counteract, such as hatred, hostility, avarice, lust, and the other passions.[1]
From: A Manual of Abhidhamma
(1) Defilements and impurities that an Arahat has completely eradicated, distinguishing them from still worldly beings.[2]
From: Dhammapada (Illustrated)
(1) Negative traits or actions that lead to attachment and unwholesomeness, which the wise seek to eliminate.[3]
The concept of Corruption in local and regional sources
Corruption in India involves the misuse of power by officials for personal gain, undermining governance, public trust, and democratic integrity. It manifests through unethical behavior, affecting law enforcement, land reforms, and societal morality.
From: Triveni Journal
(1) Corruption is described as a cancerous growth in the body-politic, caused by a long-starved people's excessive greed for personal acquisition of power's fruits.[4] (2) Undesirable consequences of Information Technology include corruption, along with retrenchment and a glut of production.[5] (3) A historical law suggests it follows revolution, and the text mentions it as a symptom of wider and grayer evils.[6] (4) An erosive factor eating into the vitals of the country, threatening to break down parliamentary democracy and preventing the average citizen from receiving honest, clean administration.[7] (5) The abuse of power for personal gain that undermines public trust and effective governance.[8]
From: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
(1) This is what the reformation of Buddhism carried off from the times.[9]
The concept of Corruption in scientific sources
The text highlights that corruption involves corrupt officials' attempts to shield their actions under the Protection of Information Bill, fearing exposure by media which could reveal their greed and misuse of public funds.
From: Sustainability Journal (MDPI)
(1) Corruption can hinder the effective implementation of environmental laws, and strong institutional quality helps to reduce its influence, thereby aiding environmental protection.[10] (2) Corruption, such as bribery, can negatively affect a firm's cash flow, making it difficult to secure funds for innovation and ultimately harming innovation performance.[11] (3) Corruption is dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery, and countries with higher levels of mutual trust generally exhibit lower levels of corruption.[12]
From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI)
(1) The manifestation of dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery, which influences governance indicators and can motivate the transfer of environmentally damaging industrial activities to less transparent jurisdictions.[13] (2) Corruption is a factor whose role cannot be ignored in the energy sector context, as a high level of corruption increases the likelihood that polluters might evade accountability for environmentally degrading activities.[14] (3) Corruption, along with the shadow economy and environmental regulation, is included in the theoretical model and empirical evidence from China to assess its combined impact on the final environmental quality outcomes.[15]
From: Religions Journal (MDPI)
(1) "Corruption" is used as a synonym for vanity and the death of Phil 2:8, representing the epitome of evil and the culmination of emptying humiliation, which helps to define the meaning of schema.[16] (2) Corruption is highest in countries with socialist Soviet law traditions and high in those with French civil law, indicating weaker institutional integrity.[17] (3) This has never been good for any country and is a form of repression against people whose resources are stolen. It causes instability that affects church members and other members of the general populace.[18]
From: African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine
(1) Taking a robust stance against this and the diversion of resources to serve non-public interests is crucial for improving transparency and public trust.[19]
From: South African Family Practice
(1) Corruption is a significant concern related to the NHI, tied to perceived fraudulence in government sectors and experiences with NHI pilot initiatives, and there is tolerance for corruption in leadership, creating expensive chaos.[20] (2) This is something that the Protection of Information Bill is widely seen as the ruling party’s attempt to cover up, and the author believes that corrupt officials will not like the media when their greed and misuse of the taxpayer’s money are exposed.[21]
Classical concept of 'Corruption'
From: Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt
(1) The corruption of his fellows deeply stirred a man who contemplates society as a whole, expressing his misery in view of the prospect of societal decay.[22]
From: The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians
(1) It refers to a state of decay that one hopes to avoid. It is associated with the preservation of the mummy.[23]
From: Ancient Egypt the Light of the World
(1) It is what befell him, and Horus proceedeth from the essence of his father and this, with matter considered to be this, and maternal, but spirit was paternal and held to be divine.[24]
From: The History of Herodotus
(1) 'Corruption' is described as arising when the people rule, leading to secret alliances among corrupt individuals who harm the commonwealth until someone takes leadership and stops them, eventually becoming a monarch.[25]