Bharatiya Chintan ki Parampara me Navin Sambhavanae Part 1

Author(s): Radheshyamdhar Dvivedi
Publisher: Sampurnanand Sanskrut Vishvavidyalaya Varanasi

Page 229

INDIVIDUAL & SOCIETY: THE BUDDHIST VIEWPOINT
PROFESSOR B. V. KISHAN
Buddhism recognises the concreteness of the world and the life of man. The words of the Buddha reflect the multi-dimensional aspects of human life within the perspective of the moral values, ideals and concepts which aim to coalesce the distortions and conflicts faced by men in history. Buddhism has stressed on the deeper bonds which link mankind together. Both on the individual and social levels the non-recognition of the unity underlying all manisfestations in nature throw the social sanity into jeopardy. Buddhist philosophy, in so far as it is near to the teaching of the Buddha inspires the individual to rise to great heights of altruism, and thus adopt a constructive role in shaping his life and society in accordance with the precepts laid down by the Buddha.
Man emerges as a vital entity in Buddhism. The shape and tone of his life has to be constructed and defined by the individual himself. It is true that according to the Buddhist theory the influence of past actions is strong in the makeup of man, but this does not mean that there is no scope to have redemption from the morass of suffering, evil and stagnation faced by man. The right actions can undo that which is the source of suffering and evil maintains the Buddha. The individual emerges supreme in the face of the heavy odds against him, due to the reason that the constituents which comprise him possess all the potentiality required to push him towards the higher success morally and also worldly. It is true that the Buddhist theory has given a most positive connotation of the moral values and has elaborately dealt with the nature and content of moral action.
But this should not be taken as indicative of any lack of positive approach towards the world and the huinan responsibilities which they bring forth. Moral values and ideals do not presuppose a vacuum to function without the presence of the numerous elements which formulate the totality of human life and activities. Moral theory can be exercised only in the presence of the humanity which surround man. There is no question of living the moral values if such living does not possess a
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