RIGHT LIVELIHOOD (SAMMĀ ĀJĪVA) AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS FOR ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AS DEPICTED IN EARLY BUDDHISM.

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to illustrate the importance of Right Livelihood (sammā ājīva) in Buddhism as a means of replacement for today's economic inequality. Today, economic crisis has become one of the most troubling social issues in the modern world. Due to economic crisis, crimes, misconduct, social stress, environmental pollution, ethnical wars are prevalent all over the world. The Buddhist doctrines concern about the practical issues of suffering like the socio-economical problems in the world. The Buddha obviously realized that it was very difficult to lead a spiritual way of life without basic human needs such as food, cloth, shelter and medicine. The Buddha, as a peerless economist, gave a number of practical exemplified teachings, contributing the stable economic development. Earning is the necessary part in every human being. From the Buddhist perspective, it should be based on Right Livelihood (sammā ājīva). Buddhism maintains that mal-distribution of goods and services is likely to create economic inequalities, resulting in the division of the world into rich and poor, the haves or have-nots. This has been created a great economic pressure in society. The rulers are expected to alleviate poverty by making planned gifts of money to put people on their feet and enable them to make a start in life on their own as Buddhism concerns. The Buddha speaks of managing wealth which earned with earnest and hard from acceptable ways where no violating the social procedure is one of the crucial segments to get best use of it. The Buddhist discourses are of the opinion of the importance of rightly gained wealth and its utilization. The suttas like Singālaka, Chakkavattisīhanāda, Kūtadanta, Viyaggapajja, Ujjaya, Pattakamma, Ina, Kula, Addhammika, Dhanñjāni, Rāsiya, Vanijjā, Anana are expected to be used in this connection.