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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A paper which considers Gandhi's satyagraha in terms of Tibetan Buddhism, with reference to its value as both a spiritual concept and a means of political struggle. Bibliography lists 2 sources
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: JL5_JLsatya.rtf
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means "insistence on truth", although since Gandhis time it has been seen as referring to a political and spiritual technique of passive resistance, or non-violent struggle. It is regarded as
an effective and morally superior way of standing up to injustice and oppression, and one which accords well with the tenets of Buddhism. However, as van Manen also points out,
the Tibetan Buddhist version of satyagraha as set out by Rinpoche has not achieved widespread acceptance amongst younger people, since they tend to regard it as primarily spiritual as opposed
to political. This is something which van Manen sees as indicating immaturity on the part of Rinpoches critics, rather than any flaw in the concept of satyagraha itself, although he
also notes that recent texts by the Dalai Lama are having a salient impact on educating younger people into the value of satyagraha.
As Keown (1996) points out, one can trace the concept of non-violent conquest in Buddhism back
to Ashoka, who drew the same kind of philosophies from the Buddhist Dharma as Gandhi drew from the Bhagavad Gita. Ashoka, originally a Hindu, ruled India in the third century
BC and embarked on numerous expansionist campaigns. He later turned to Buddhism and, repenting of his earlier policies of violent conquest, focused instead on spreading the ideas of Buddhism throughout
the subcontinent through peaceful means. He followed the basic tenets of Buddhism and ahimsa, and was able to expand Buddhism through the East without resorting to further bloodshed. As Keown
notes, the Mahayana Buddhists in Tibet derive their beliefs from a wider collection of sacred writings, but continue to regard ahimsa as having primary importance.
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