ETHICS OF MATERIAL PROGRESS : THE BUDDHIST ATTITUDE - PART 1
Sanath Nanayakkara
When viewed against the totality of the Buddha's teachings his views on economics fall on the periphery. These views are not worked out and developed as a composite thesis but put forward as and when occasion demanded. Therefore, one who attempts to gain an insight into the Buddha's views on economics has to laboriously wade through the texts and cull the basic economic principles scattered therein. This is an attempt in this direction for it is felt that most of the views so put forward by the Buddha have much bearing and relevance to economics in general and to the economy of a country like Sri Lanka in particular.
From numerous definitions put forward by renowned economists it becomes clear that economics, as understood at present, especially in the Occident, is primarily concerned with the varied activities adopted by man in securing numerous kinds of things he requires to satisfy his multiplex wants.1 According to those economists man's motives that prompt him to engage in these activities are only of secondary importance. This explains why these economists are generally not concerned with the ethical aspect of man's activities in his pursuit of his requirements. On this fundamental point, the Buddha totally differs from the modern day economists. Whatever interest the Buddha displayed with regard to economic
problems of his day was primarily due to his concern with the ethics involved in them. This was because he upheld the view that human activities if they are to be conducive to the well-being of oneself as well as another have to be necessarily ethically motivated and directed. As economics is primarily based on human activities the above mentioned view of the Buddha lent economics open to ethical evaluation. The economic principles the Buddha advocated are, therefore, primarily the result of his ethical evaluation of the economic activities that prevailed in his time.
The economy of the Buddha's time was in a state of transition from that of a basically agricultural one into a mixed economy. When evaluating the economic activities that sustained this economy the Buddha found numerous drawbacks and shortcomings which he considered should be rectified and put to right if they are to result in the material well-being of the people. The Buddha considered that such a rectification was very necessary for, according to his view, material well-being provides an environment favourable to ethical and spiritual advancement of the people.
A fundamental observation made by the Buddha was that poverty (da(iddiya) is a primary cause that brings about ethical degeneration leading to social disharmony and conflict. This observation is very forcefully presented in the Cakkavatt/sThanSda Sutta as well as in the Kuta-danta Sutta, both occurring in the DTghanikaya? The CakkavattisThanSda Sutta illustrates how poverty that becomes rife due to maldistribution of goods, wealth and resources gradually corrodes the social fabric destroying
its ethics, increasing violence and crime, finally engulfing the whole country in a mass-scale war between the haves and have-nots. The text reads:
"Thus brethren, from goods not beng bestowed on the destitute, poverty grew rife, from poverty growing rife stealing increased, from the spread of stealing violence grew apace, from the growth of violence the destruction of life became common, from the frequency of murder both the span of life of those beings and their comeliness also wasted away, so that, of human beings whose span of life was eighty-thousand years, the sons lived but forty thousand years. Thus,
from goods not being bestowed......lying......evil
speaking......immorality......abusive speech and
idle talk......covetousness and ill-will......false
opinion......incest, wanton greed and perverted
lust......till finally lack of filial and religious piety
and lack of regard for the head of the clan grew great.. Among such humans the ten moral courses of conduct will altogether disappear, the ten immoral courses of action will flourish excessively, there will be no word for morals among such humans far less any moral agent. Among such humans, brethren, they who lack filial and religious piety, and have no respect for the head of the clan-it's they to whom homage and praise will be given......the "world will fall into
promiscuity......Among such humans, brethren, keen mutual enmity will become the rule, keen ill-will, keen animosity, passionate thoughts even of killing, in a mother towards her child, in a child towards its mother, in a father towards his child, in a child towards its father......Among such hum.ins, brethren there will arise a sword-period of seven days during which they will -look on each other as wild beats, sharp swords will appear ready to their hands, and they thinking: "This is a wild beast, this is a wild beast' will with their swords deprive each other of life "
This account very effectively demonstrates the shocking impact of the economic inequalities on the individual and its devastating repercussion on society; how it corrodes and destroys the long-cherished values and beliefs which keep society well-knit together, how it kindles jealousy and hatred to the extent of forcing the haves and have-nots to consider each other as arch rivals; how it turns human beings into the likeness of wild beasts ready to pounce on each other for the final kill. Who is responsible for their increase of poverty, the moat salient factor of what contributes to this vicious circle of events? The answer is found elsewhere in the same Sutta. It is said that this whole vicious circle of poverty, jealousy, hatred, violence etc. started with the king's (i.e. the State's) failure to provide economic support to the needy. The king, though he took steps to provide righteous security and protection to the people, did not take necessary action to alleviate poverty. This statement is very significant for the fact that it clearly points out that the provision of economic security for the people is a prime responsibility of the rulers.
This fact is further emphasised by the Kutadanta Sutta. This Sutta depicts a country engulfed in crime and social upheaval caused by poverty arisen primarily through unemployment. Herein the whole country is depicted as being pillaged, harassed and harried by dacoits. The roads, as they are infested by such dacoits, have become unsafe for travel. There Ts no safety of life or personal property. The people live in fear with doors closed. The Sutta makes it quite clear that all this disorder has been caused by the negligence of the king to provide a well planned employment - generating economic programme conducive to the welfare of his subjects. Both these suttas are equally emphatic on the point that the traditional remedial method adopted by rulers, namely, imposition of punishment, is certainly not an effective step to arrest crime and social unrest caused by poverty. These Suttas demonstrate that such traditional approaches to problems that require more novel, creative, well planned-out programmes would merely further complicate the situation. Thus, it is shown that such punishment meted out to control crime contributed, contrary to the expectation of the rules, to the increase of social unrest and crime. The Cakkavattisihanada Sutta with its emphasis on ethics presumes that such crime and violence, having taken its toll, would after some time cease on its own; and the remaining people, having learnt a bitter lesson, would realize their folly and once again start from the beginning to rebuild a peaceful society.
As the Sutta shows, this self-operating solution requires a long period to bring back the trouble-smitten country to normalcy. More than a practical solution this appears to be a pious hope, because a country after being subjected to such devastation cannot be developed without adopting constructive, result-oriented remedial measures. In this regard the Kutadanta Sutta presents a more realistic approach. It emphatically points out that a country, that is brought to the very threshold of ruination through crime and anti-social activities of the masses who are oppressed by poverty, could be developed only by ensuring gainful employment to the people and thereby increasing production which will contribute to economic advancement of the individuals as well as the state. The king's, chaplain, who in this case is made to voice the Buddhist point of view, advises the king thus:
'The king's country. Sire is harassed and harried. There are dacoits abroad who pillage the villages and townships, and who make the roads unsafe. Were the king, so long as that is so, to levy a fresh tax, verily his majesty could be acting wrongly. But perchance his majesty might think: 'I'll soon put a stop to these scounderls' game by degradation and banishment, and fines and bonds and death I But their licence cannot be satisfactorily put a stop to so. The remnant left unpunished would still go harassing the realm. Now there is one method to adopt to put a definite stop to this disorder. Whosoever there be in the king's realm who devote themselves to keeping cattle and the farm to them let his majesty the king give food and seed-corn. Whosoever there be in the king's realm who devote themselves to trade to them let his majesty the king, give capital. Whosoever, there be in the king's realm who devote themselves to government service to thorn let his majesty the king give wages and food. Then those men, following each his own business will no longer harass the realm; the king's revenue will go up, the country will be quiet and at peace; and the populace, pleased one with another and happy, dancing their children in their arms, will dwell with open doors.'
While reasserting that poverty alleviation is the primary duty of the state, this Sutta categorically points out also, that in doing so, the state should act wisely, according to a well laid-out programme. It is incumbent on the state to release capital necessary to commence a programme for the alleviation of poverty. As it is made clear by the Sutta this capital should not be utilized as mere unemployment relief for day to day consumption The CakkavattisJhanada Sutta, too, makes abundantly clear the futility of such a remedial measure. Therein it is described how, when it was brought to the king's notice that the people through poverty resort to crime and thievery, the king, in good faith, gave them money, requesting them to desist from such anti-social activities. This compassionate act of the king did not bring about the expected results. Instead, when the talk spread that the king was doling out money to criminals and thieves, many others began to engage themselves in such activities as a ruse to obtain easy money. Once again this also shows that conventional methods are not always effective to solve complex problems.
As the Kutadanta Sutta illustrates, in a situation of this nature one should not get emotional and act out of a feeling of charity. Instead the state should analyse the problem and get at its root-cause and then adopt suitable, effective remedial measures to solve the problem. Merely because the state detects unemployment as the root-cause of this problem the state is not advised to grant mass-scale employment to people in a haphazard manner, in order to keep the people employed. The advice offered is that the people should be employed gainfully, and that, too, should be carried out in a well-planned manner, in keeping with the country's total economic structure. When granting employment to people their ability, skill and inclination have all to be considered. Besides, the state should wisely identify and then select areas that require aid as well as the type of aid required, and grant them accordingly It is only then that employment will be productive, contributing to the enhancement of the total production of the country.
Another noteworthy point is that the state should provide financial assistance to those who are engaged in such professions as trade. The commentary adds that the money so provided to purchase goods, raw material etc. should be given as outright grants without calling for guarantors or sureties and even without any documentation.
Another very enlightening feature of this Sutta is seen when it demonstrates the fallacy of spending national wealth on festivals, celebrations, and fruitless rituals when the country is in the throes of poverty. To illustrate this vital point the Kutadanta Sutta narrates the story of King Mahavijita who, being elated about his own prosperity and well-being, decides to levy an extra tax, and with that money, to hold a magnificent sacrificial ritual to thank the gods. The chaplain, however, reasons out and dissuades the king from such wasteful enterprises—which if allowed could have consumed a good portion of the national revenue, and advises the king to utilize the wealth in productive investments. Both these Suttas stress also the important fact that the state should not get alienated from the people, but should be constantly aware and alert about the true nature of the situation in the country, and be sensitive to the aspirations of the people. It is only then that the state would be able to plan the economy in a constructive manner.
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