Download Buddhism is a religious tradition that

2011 HSC Studies of Religion
Exam solutions
Extended response questions
Question 1
Some religions emphasise justice, while other emphasise compassion.
To what extent does the statement apply to the underlying unity of the whole
Buddhist tradition?
Buddhism is a religious tradition that emphasises compassion among its many
variants and throughout the non-Buddhist world. This emphasis on compassion is
clearly seen in the life and teachings of the Buddha and many Buddhist masters
including the work of the 14th Dalai Llama, Tenzin Gyatso. This obligation for
compassion which ultimately leads to justice for all is exemplified in Buddhist
responses to problematic environmental issues, Buddhists draw on their ethical
teachings to ensure that equity and justice in relation to environmental matters are
followed by all concerned.
Tenzin Gyatso has said “From my own limited experience I have found that the
greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and
compassion.” The Dalai Llama’s life work has concentrated on the theme of
compassion; he has ensured that his work and teachings have influenced not only
Tibetan Buddhists but also Buddhists from other variants of the faith. In addition, the
Dalai Llama has had an impact on the west, lecturing in many countries around the
world on his philosophy of love and compassion. He has made inroads into
discussing important issues such as global warming, world peace and interfaith
dialogue with many world leaders in both the religious and secular realms.
The Dalai Llama’s basic philosophy instructs that humans should recognise that
everybody undergoes suffering at times in their lives. He says that individuals should
be aware of one another’s problems and in doing so they will build better, more
compassionate understanding towards others by finding empathy in common
suffering. The Dalai Llama maintains that together humans can strive to become
more compassionate, and as a result, personal serenity and inner peace will
increase. This philosophy can be applied to the Dalai Llama’s understanding of
issues associated with peace in his home country, Tibet, and his response to
interfaith dialogue as this applies to the entire human community. The Dalai Llama
was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989 for his contributions to negotiating
peace between China and Tibet.
Buddhist views on the environment are informed by their ethical teachings found in
the eightfold path: “Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood,” and the first two of
the five precepts: “I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life and I
undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given.” Buddhist
teachings that emphasise compassion are also evident in Buddhist viewpoints in
regard to treatment and care of the environment. Buddhism appreciates that planet
earth is our only home and that humans of all faiths should ensure that they care for
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it. The Dalai Llama refers to this as ‘universal altruism’. From the Buddhist point of
view, humans are no different to other sentient beings, as they are neither inferior
nor superior. In Buddhism perceptive beings are known to have the ‘Buddha-nature’,
i.e. the prospect of becoming fully enlightened. Most Buddhists do not believe in
treating other sentient beings as objects for human consumption. Buddhists believe
that to maintain enlightenment they must have total compassion for all beings
whether they are sentient or not; this concept is called "ahimsa" (avoiding injury to
any sentient creature. Harming the planet through pollution, global warming
deforestation and other derogatory practices is considered harmful and unnecessary.
Buddhism by its very nature is profoundly environmental, and Buddhism itself is an
ecological religion. It strongly articulates humankind’s connection to the environment.
Buddhists believe that all things, including humans, exist by their interrelationship
with all other parts of the environment. Buddhist teachers and masters continually
remind people of the significance of living compassionately with nature and
respecting life.
The precepts of Buddhism direct the faithful to seek a right livelihood by teaching
that if we wish to save the planet, we must first reflect on our lives to decide how we
can best work against environmental destruction. The Buddhist attitude to resolving
the global environmental crisis embraces the philosophy that compassion is the
foundation for a balanced view of the planet in its entirety. Groups such as the
International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) believe that we exist ‘in a time
of ecological and social crisis’. This group works towards raising compassion,
awareness and consciousness amongst Buddhists and other faiths around the world.
INEB is an organisation that links Buddhists from around the world. It has members
in Asia, the USA, Australia and Europe. Its members include monks, nuns, activists,
academics and social workers. While it is primarily a Buddhist organisation, some of
its members come from other spiritual traditions and interfaith activities are part of its
program.
For Buddhists, compassion means feeling empathy for others and as such Buddhists
believe that humans should do as much as possible to lessen each other’s pain and
suffering as this and only this will lead towards enlightenment. In Buddhism, an
individual’s spiritual development flourishes logically into concern for the welfare of
others. The Buddha’s life illustrates this. As Buddhists seek to emulate the life of the
Buddha, Buddhist beliefs regarding mercy and compassion are strongly upheld by all
members of the faith. This is evident in the life and work of the great masters such as
the 14th Dalai Llama and in the Buddhist attitude to environmental ethics.
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