Buddhist Democracy: A Pathway to Peaceful Coexistence

Abstract

This academic article aims to examine democracy through the lens of analytical thinking and behavior, to study the principles of governance in Buddhism that contribute to peace, harmony, and fraternity in society, and to promote social transformation within the framework of Buddhist democracy. The study found that Buddhist doctrines can be applied to governance, such as the Ten Royal Virtues (Dasavidha-rājadharma) for monarchs and the Aparihāniya-dhamma for leaders or administrators in democratic systems. The highest form of governance, as praised by the Buddha, is governance based on Dhamma or Dhammocracy, which upholds righteousness and legitimacy as the supreme principle. Buddhist democracy emphasizes that both rulers and the ruled should share moral and ethical conduct for the collective well-being and prosperity of society. However, modern democracy tends to focus primarily on quantitative indicators such as elections and vote counts, while leaving core ideals such as rights, liberty, equality, and fraternity largely in name only. To achieve genuine democracy, it is necessary to cultivate wisdom and morality at the individual level, enabling the development toward Dhammocracy, which represents the most just and complete form of governance according to the Buddhist political ideal.