Buddhism and Human Rights (Keown, Prebish, Husted, 1998)

Buddhism and Human Rights (Keown, Prebish, Husted, 1998)

By Dr. Bhante Nivitigala Sumitta

For our course on "Historical Background of Buddhist Culture," this volume provides excellent material for examining how Buddhist culture adapts to and engages with modern global ethical challenges while maintaining its distinctive philosophical foundations.

This groundbreaking volume, published by Curzon Press (now Routledge) in 1998, represents one of the first systematic academic examinations of the relationship between Buddhism and human rights. The book emerged from a conference sponsored by the Journal of Buddhist Ethics and contains ten chapters by leading scholars in the field.

Complete Chapter Listing:

1. "A Buddhist Response to: The Nature of Human Rights" - Kenneth Inada
2. "Are there Human Rights in Buddhism?" - Damien Keown
3. "Why there are no Rights in Buddhism: A Reply to Damien Keown" - Craig K. Ihara
4. "Why the Buddha has no Rights" - Peter D. Junger
5. "Buddhism and Human Rights in the Thoughts of Sulak Sivaraksa and Phra Dhammapidok (Prayudh Prayutto)" - Soraj Hongladarom
6. "Human Rights and Compassion: Towards a Unified Moral Framework" - Jay L. Garfield
7. "Buddhist Resignation and: Human Rights (Freedom is What I am)" - Śāntipāla Stephan Evans
8. "Socially Engaged Buddhism's Contribution to the Transformation of Catholic Social Teachings on Human Rights" - Charles R. Strain
9. "Human Rights and Cultural Values: The Political Philosophies of the Dalai Lama and the People's Republic of China" - John Powers
10. "Buddhist Ethics and Business Strategy Making" - David Bubna-Litic

Key Themes and Debates in the Volume:

The Central Debate: Are There Rights in Buddhism?

The volume centers around a fundamental scholarly debate initiated by Damien Keown's argument that Buddhism does contain implicit human rights concepts, countered by Craig Ihara's response arguing that rights are fundamentally incompatible with Buddhist thought.

Keown's Position:

• Buddhism contains implicit rights concepts that can be developed into explicit human rights discourse
• Buddhist ethics provides foundation for human dignity and moral obligations
• The Five Precepts can be understood as protecting fundamental rights

Ihara's Counter-Argument:

• Buddhism is fundamentally duty-based rather than rights-based
• The concept of "rights" is foreign to Buddhist philosophical framework
• Buddhist ethics focuses on liberation from suffering rather than protecting individual entitlements

Kenneth Inada's Buddhist Framework

Inada presents a distinctively Buddhist approach to human rights that emphasizes:

• Interdependence (pratītyasamutpāda) as foundational to understanding human relationships
• Relationality rather than individual autonomy as the basis for ethics
• Process-oriented thinking that sees rights as dynamic rather than fixed

The Engaged Buddhism Perspective

Several chapters examine how contemporary Engaged Buddhism approaches human rights:

Sulak Sivaraksa and Phra Dhammapidok (analyzed by Soraj Hongladarom):

• Sulak Sivaraksa, the Thai social activist and founder of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), represents a practical application of Buddhist principles to human rights advocacy
• Phra Dhammapidok (Prayudh Prayutto), a renowned Thai Buddhist scholar, provides theoretical frameworks for Buddhist social engagement
• Both figures demonstrate how traditional Buddhism can address contemporary social justice issues

Key Insights from Sulak Sivaraksa's Work:

• Integration of Buddhist meditation practice with social activism
• Critique of Western consumer capitalism from Buddhist perspective
• Emphasis on "buddhism with a small b" - rejecting ritual formalism in favor of practical application
• Development of alternative models based on traditional Buddhist values

Compassion and Human Rights Framework

Jay Garfield's chapter explores how Buddhist compassion (karuṇā) can provide a foundation for human rights that differs from Western liberal approaches:

• Universal compassion as basis for protecting all beings
• Skillful means (upāya) in applying rights concepts contextually
• Non-attachment to rigid rights formulations while maintaining commitment to reducing suffering

Political Philosophy and Cultural Context

John Powers' chapter examines the contrasting approaches of:

• The Dalai Lama's integration of Buddhist principles with international human rights discourse
• People's Republic of China's emphasis on collective welfare over individual rights
• The tension between universal rights and cultural relativism in Buddhist contexts

Critical Perspectives

The volume includes significant critical voices:

Peter Junger's radical position argues that the Buddha himself had no rights because:

• Enlightened beings transcend the ordinary human condition that gives rise to rights claims
• Buddhist liberation aims at going beyond the self-other dualism that underlies rights discourse
• True Buddhism seeks elimination of the ego that would claim rights

Śāntipāla Evans examines whether Buddhist acceptance and resignation conflict with human rights activism, addressing concerns that Buddhist equanimity might lead to political passivity.

Methodological Approaches in the Volume:

1. Philosophical Analysis: Examining conceptual compatibility between Buddhist ethics and rights theory
2. Historical Investigation: Tracing development of human rights discourse in Buddhist societies
3. Comparative Study: Contrasting Buddhist and Western approaches to human dignity
4. Practical Application: Analyzing contemporary Buddhist human rights activism

Key Findings and Contributions:

Areas of Convergence:

• Buddhist emphasis on reducing suffering aligns with human rights goals
• Concepts of dignity and equality implicit in Buddhist teachings
• Non-violence principle supports many civil and political rights
• Compassion provides motivational foundation for rights protection

Areas of Tension:

• Individual vs. collective emphasis
• Rights-based vs. duty-based moral frameworks
• Universal vs. contextual application of principles
• Liberation from self vs. protection of individual autonomy

Innovative Perspectives:

• Relationality: Buddhist understanding of interdependence offers alternative to Western individualism
• Process Philosophy: Dynamic understanding of rights as evolving rather than fixed
• Spiritual Dimension: Integration of inner transformation with social change
• Cultural Sensitivity: Respect for local contexts while maintaining universal principles

Contemporary Relevance:

The volume's exploration of Engaged Buddhism has proven particularly prescient, as the movement has grown significantly since 1998. Key developments include:

• Growth of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)
• Buddhist involvement in environmental activism
• Application of mindfulness to social justice work
• Buddhist contributions to conflict resolution and peace-building

Scholarly Impact:

This volume established several important precedents:

• Academic legitimacy for Buddhist human rights studies
• Methodological frameworks for comparative religious ethics
• Theoretical foundations for Engaged Buddhism scholarship
• Dialogue platforms between Buddhist and Western ethical traditions

Limitations and Criticisms:

Some scholars have noted:

• Limited representation of non-Western Buddhist voices
• Emphasis on Theravada and Tibetan traditions over East Asian Buddhism
• Insufficient attention to gender and minority perspectives
• Theoretical focus that sometimes lacks practical application

Conclusion:

The Keown, Prebish, and Husted volume remains a foundational text in Buddhist human rights studies. It successfully demonstrates that while Buddhism and human rights discourse emerged from different historical and cultural contexts, they share fundamental concerns with human dignity, the alleviation of suffering, and the creation of just societies. The volume's strength lies in its willingness to engage with both the possibilities and limitations of Buddhist approaches to human rights, rather than offering simplistic harmonizations.