The role of socially engaged Buddhism in social welfare: a study with reference to Australian society

Abstract

Apart from being a religious order, Buddhism is also a set of ideas and ideals and, above all, a time tested way of life. This fact has been vividly exemplified and profusely illustrated centuries after centuries in the form of the Buddhist precepts and ideals like Sikkhapada-s, stages of Purisa-puggala-hood, Brahmavihara-s, Bodhisattva-cariya-s, Bodhisattva-bhumi-s, and so on. A newer and contemporary incarnation of all these elements has come up in the form of Socially Engaged Buddhism. The Socially Engaged Buddhism is a topic which has attracted worldwide attention. Because of its immense relevance in the contemporary world, the researcher proposes to develop insights into the authoritative texts and their interpretations centred on the concept in different perspectives. In the proposed research, the concept of socially engaged Buddhism will be discussed with exclusive focus on Australia. The term Engaged Buddhism appears originally to have been coined by the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh in 1963, and the expanded term, Socially Engaged Buddhism, emerged during 1980s.1 The term Socially Engaged Buddhism refers to an active involvement by Buddhist members in society and its problems, practitioners in this nascent movement seek to actualize Buddhism s traditional ideals of wisdom and compassion. Drawing on traditional Buddhist ethical and social teachings, Engaged Buddhism seeks to apply them to social life as well as to social issues.2 It is in fact a movement of engaged Buddhist which is comprised of a wide range of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. Inspired by Buddhist values, they are united by a common drive to lessen the suffering of the world, in particular by engaging (as opposed to renouncing) the various social, political, economic, etc, institutions, structures and systems in society.This present study has been completed in all chapters consist of seven chapters which has been listed in the previous synopsis.