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Authors: Priyanand Chakma
Keywords: Buddhist philosophy, social development, social injustices, sustainable progress, global leadership
Abstract: Many scholars note that in order to truly address prevailing social injustices, we must strive to understand its underlying causes. This paper analyzes the Buddhist philosophy on social development, which offers an opportunity to address social injustices. Buddhism, from its earliest times there has been a strong social justice ethic, born from the fundamental principle of compassionate action. It also discusses on the application of Buddha’s teachings to practical social lives of people, societies, races, and countries in order to direct people and society on to a proper path shown by the Buddhist philosophy. Sustainable family, society, environment, peace, improvement of human qualities shown in the teachings were emphasized. The paper focuses on four factors of development - physical, moral, mental and wisdom developments. On physical development, it examines that Buddhism not only teaches the ways to create economic growth, but also the ways to maintain what are the results of economic progress. To this sense, there are four ways, Utthānna Sampadā, Ărakkha Sampadā, Kallayān Mittatā, and Sama Chivitā to develop and maintain what are the developed results. On moral conduct development, the study stressed on for living with a peaceful mind and not harming others. With respect to mental development, it underscored the importance of the cultivation of mind to reduce defilements, insecurity, and suspicion through methods of meditation for common interests and sustainable progress. On wisdom development, the study centered on the right understanding of the world in the light of its transience, suffering, and insubstantiality, which are important for material and spiritual developments. Finally, the article closes with a call on the need for a truthful matured global leadership adopting the path shown by the Buddha leading to social justice, sustainable family, social ethics and social values, which has become the need of the day.