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Social Crimes and Buddhist Solutions



An action which constitutes an offence and punishable by law is simply considered as a CRIME. Crime is associated with harm and violence. It harms to individual and destructs the property and also humanity. There is not respect to people by a crime. Crime has become a core concept in the society. It is continued in various ways to harm for all. It has no rule no regulations. Social crime is a big challenge for the balance of a good society. Offenders are increasing in the society as they have enough rooms to do their activities. There are any social crimes. They can list as follows,

  • Alcohol abuse
  • Drug abuse
  • Prostitution
  • Gambling
  • Smugglings
  • Abduction
  • Rapes
  • Despoilment
  • Murder

Categorize of Crime



It is not possible to categorize completely about crimes. Because it needs a big experiment. Southrland’s opinion is also same. Crimes can mainly divide into three.

1 Crimes of state

2 Crimes of property

3 Crimes of Human

Again crimes can be divided into three parts according to their nature.

  1. Crimes against to human (murder , injure, abduction and rapes )
  2. Crimes against property (stealing, smuggling, cheating, illegal manipulation)
  3. Crimes against Society (state betraying, crimes against the social harmony, crimes against the law)

    Klinard and Kwini have represented critical criminal behaviors. There are eight,


  1. Violent
  2. Occasional
  3. White collar
  4. Political
  5. Public order
  6. Conventional
  7. Organized
  8. Professional



Buddhist perspective on Crimes



Buddhism is a social service. It does not appear for any violence against the social order. It is fair when we introduce the Buddhism as a solution for social crimes. Since the base of the Buddhism is to eradicate the suffering of all beings in the world. The Buddha points out that how a crime arise and how it should be solved in many sutras. We can describe some sutras that are related to the social crimes as follows,

  • Agganna sutra
  • Cakkavatti sihanada sutra
  • Singalovada sutra
  • Parabhava sutra
  • Mangala sutra
  • ratthapala sutra
  • kutadanta sutra
  • Vyaggha pajja sutra
  • Mahatanhasankhaya sutra

    Craving is the main concept to arise social problems and crimes. Unlimited desires of people are the bases of crimes. People do not satisfy though they have enough wealth to live (na kahpana vassena natthi kamesu vijjati). There are main three objects to arise unwholesome or evil things in a human mind. They are Desire, animus and ignorance. When they grow up social conflicts are arisen. Mahanidana sutra in Digha Nikaya explains how a crime start.

    “ feelings create craving, craving creates experiment, experiment causes to attachments, attachment causes to make decisions, making decisions causes to sensual pleasure, since the desire protect the own things, weapons are taken to protect the desired objects, since that conflicts are arisen. Arguments, conflicts, crimes are arisen as a result”1

    According to the opinions of mahanidana sutra it says the basic roots of crimes. Cakkavatti sihanada sutra mentions another opinion for the origin of social conflicts,

    “Adananan dhane anuppadiyamane daliddiyan vepulla magamasi. Daliddiyan vepullan gate adinnadanan vepulla magamasi adinnadananm vepullan gate sattan vepulla magamasi, sattan vepullam gate panatipatan vepulla magamasi……..”

    “When the wealth does not divide accordingly poverty increases in the society. As a result of that stealing, cheating and killing gradually arise”

    Kalaha and Vivada sutra are good examples to say that social problems are arisen since the debates and u=disagreeable opinions of each people. Ratthapala sutra says that higher carving is the base of social crimes. In pursue of that sutra, though the kings have huge area surrounded by the sea, they try to undertake other states under their nods2.

    Once a god asks form the Buddha to solve some problems that all human have, how to solve the conflicts inside and outside3.
    Then the Buddha replies “the person who has clear wisdom, enthusiasm and the fearsome to the Samsara, is capable to solve this conflict”4.

    Above statements explain tha the problems and the conflicts or the crimes should be solved through the change of inside attitude of a person not the outside.
    Cakkavattisihanada sutra says that not to give rooms for illegal activities in the state because they creates crimes in the society and then the state also become unbalance. (ma ca te tata vijite adhammakara pavattitta)

    Ammabalattika rahulovada sutra gives nice explanation about crimes and how to stop the crimes and what is mean of crime. “if there is any action which is harmful to the others that should not be done, the activities that are good for all should be done by all”5. According to this , the action that are harmful for others can be consider as crimes, the Buddha thoroughly mentioned , not to do such activities.

    The Buddhism reveals many reasons to eradicate the crimes in a society. Good society provides good people. The Buddha needed good people to establish his teaching thickly in a society. Mangala, parabava, Singalovada sutras are some great teachings of the Buddha which are very helpful to keep the balance of the society. The fundamental teachings of the Buddhism are targeted the human mind to keep it as a correct one which is not associated the evil consciousness. Most of Buddhist teachings can be applied to the Buddhism to establish the crimeless society. Above mentioned many sutras are very favorable and make easy that.

     











 References



1 ithi ko panetan Ananda vedana paticca tanha tanha paticca pariyesana pariyesana paticca labho labhan paticca vincchayo………… ( maha nidana sutra. Digha nikaya)

2 raja asayhan patavin vijitva- sasaga rattan mahima vasanto

   Dharan samuddassa anittha rupo- paran samuddassapi pattayetha( rattapala sutra)

3 anto jata bahi jata jataya jatitha paja

   Tan tan gotama puccama koi man vijate jatan

4 sile patittaya naro sapanno- cittan pannan ca bhavayan

   Athapi nipako bhikkhu so iman vijathe jatan

5 idam,….. attavyabadhapi sanvatteyya paravvyabadhepi sanvatteyya ubhayavyabadhapi sanvatteyya akusalan idam kamman . dukkhudayan dukkha vipakan………………….. ( ammalattika rahulovada sutra, majjhima nikaya)



Bibiliography

  • Abhayasundara Praneeth, Buddhist social Administration and criminology
  • Karunarattne david, rules in ancient Sri Lanka, M.D Gunasena Pvt, Colombo, 1955






Social Crimes and THE Buddhist solutions

BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY

BUPH 31102

Lecturer:  Rev. Dapane Chandarathana  thero

Student :  Rev M Gnanaloka thero

Index     :  20133130

Std ID    :  LS/SA/2012/31










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