Buddhism and Human Rights

The book opens by situating the discussion within contemporary Buddhist ethics and the urgent political context of Tibet and global human-rights debates. It then presents the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Dalai Lama’s “Human Rights and Universal Responsibility,” emphasizing interdependence, compassion, equality, freedom, and the responsibility of individuals and societies to protect human dignity. Kenneth Inada’s essay develops a Buddhist response to the nature of human rights, while Damien Keown asks whether human rights can be found in Buddhism and Craig Ihara replies critically by questioning the fit between Buddhist ethics and rights-language. Peter Junger continues this debate by arguing that the Buddha has no rights in the modern legal sense. Soraj Hongladarom studies human-rights thought in Sulak Sivaraksa and Phra Dhammapidok, showing how Thai Buddhist thinkers engage social justice and moral responsibility. Jay L. Garfield links human rights with compassion, while Santipala Stephan Evans examines the risk of Buddhist resignation becoming politically passive. Charles R. Strain discusses socially engaged Buddhism and its contribution to Catholic social teaching on human rights. John Powers compares the political values of the Dalai Lama with those of the People’s Republic of China, highlighting cultural and ideological conflict. David Bubna-Litic extends the discussion into Buddhist ethics and business strategy, considering how ethical conduct may shape organizational decision-making. The volume closes with an epilogue, a “Declaration of Interdependence,” and a bibliography that positions Buddhism and human rights as a multidisciplinary field involving philosophy, law, politics, religion, culture, ecology, and social ethics.