Last week, in this column, I wrote about the quality of Atthagngnu (‘acting with full understanding of meaning’) in relation to the ideal attributes of a king (leader) as laid out in the Buddhist discourse on matters of state and governance. The second attribute that a king ought to possess or cultivate, according to the Pagnamakkanuvattanasutta (Ref Raja Vagga, Anguttara Nikaya; ‘Grouping on kings’ in the Numerical Discourses of the Buddha) is Dhammagngnu or the quality of being conscious of the righteous.
The great
monarch (or leader) would necessarily be endowed with the quality of
understanding the dhamma and acting accordingly, i.e. as dictated by the
prerogatives of righteousness. ‘Dhamma’
in general would refer to the core teachings of the Buddha. ‘Righteousness’ (in
this context) therefore would have to draw from the recommended distinctions of
right and wrong, good and bad as expounded by Siddhartha Gauthama, the
All-Knowing, in terms of the interests and wellbeing of the larger polity,
sustainability of lives, livelihoods and indeed the particular state. While conceding that the term is
culture-bound, a privileging of the righteousness article (if you will) in
matters of governance clearly denotes a willingness or desire to err in favour
of the public good.
Given the
overwhelming centrality of things Buddhist pertaining to history, heritage,
culture, social organization and political process in Sri Lanka it
would not be inappropriate to flag those elements of this dhamma
or this particular corpus of principles and guidelines of righteousness in
order to shed light on what is appropriate, what is absent and what needs to be
instituted. It must be mentioned that this
dhamma as relevant to this particular subject in no way contradicts nor
proposes superiority over any other edicts espoused by any other major faith
that has adherents among the citizenry.
The beauty of
the Buddha Vachana (The Word of the Buddha) is its applicability in multiple
contexts and moreover the encyclopedic proportions of relevant material on a
wide range of subjects. The overwhelming
quality has a drawback in that it makes for picking and choosing in order to
buttress particular line of argument or justify particular decision or course
of action. I propose that a privileging
of fundamental tenets is what would give us the dimensions of ‘righteousness’
relevant to this exercise.
First and
foremost a righteous leader would subject him/herself to the discipline
associated with the Panchaseela (would not kill, would not steal, would
not engage in inappropriate acts of lustful nature, would not lie and would not
avail of alcoholic substances) and this discipline would find articulation in
all laws enacted and thereby find reflection in the structures of
governance. A righteous leader would not
sanction capital punishment, for example, and would ensure that the barbarous
practice is outlawed. Neither would such
a leader pilfer the Treasury or leave any room for any and all acts of theft.
In short, he/she would correct all systemic flaws that compromise the full and
effective functioning of law and order.
A righteous
leader would be fully cognizant of the Ashta Loka Dharma (profit-loss,
joy-sorrow, praise-blame and fame-vilification) and relevant vicissitudes. Cognizant also of the transient nature of all
things, he/she would exercise circumspection at all times and treat all these
ups and downs with equanimity. Such a leader
would not be swayed by or have ego inflated in times of triumph nor be despondent
and helpless when misfortune strikes.
Such a leader, endowed thus with fortitude, would earn the respect and
trust of the citizenry.
A righteous
leader would strive to act with fidelity to the Sathara Brahma Viharana (kindness,
compassion, equanimity and being joyful at another’s happiness). Such a leader would earn the affection and
support of the citizenry because he/she would be seen as just, good, strong and
humane and devoid of qualities such as greed, envy, ill-will and tendency to be
extreme in response.
A righteous
leader would embody the qualities that constitute the Sathara Sangraha Vastu
(the four kinds of hospitality). Such a
leader would be pleasant in speech, would be generous and giving, benevolent and
helpful in conduct and at all times affirm the principle of equality. Such a
leader would therefore be just and gracious and accordingly will win the love,
affection, trust and support of his/her people.
A righteous
leader, furthermore, would be conversant about the Noble Eight Fold Path to the
extent that he/she would use it as a guide to fashion thought, word and deed,
refer to it when in doubt or when forced to choose among several options. A leader benefits much from striving to abide
by the following (in their elaborations and interrelationships): Right View,
Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort,
Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration (where ‘right’ could meet ‘perfect’
or ‘ideal’). In reflecting on any issue
prior to making pronouncement or intervening and also in retrospection the
Noble Eight Fold Path can operate as guide as well as benchmark against which a
particular course of action can be assessed.
It is in this
manner that a leader acquires the right to be called righteous. The Dhamma is replete with
innumerable insights, points for reflections and guidelines for action, all of
which the wise ruler who wishes to remain righteous can draw heavily from. A leader who takes the trouble to understand
and internalize these ideals would be better equipped to deal with
adversity. A leader who in thought, word
and deed gives on-the-ground meaning to these notions would find that power
accrues to him/her almost without solicitation.
Conversely, a leader
who is ignorant of and consequently violates these fundamental tenets of being
and engagement risks losing everything or else will remain in power illegally
or on account of coercive instruments at his/her disposal. It would be a brief reign at best and never
one that history will record with anything except disdain. Such are the conclusions arrived at upon
reflecting on the quality of dhammagngnu proposed by the Buddha as a
requisite trait for a good king and of course the implications of its absence.
Sabbe Satta
Bhavantu Sukitatta. May all beings
be happy.
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