Author: Mehrullah Azizi
An Analysis of the History and Beliefs of Buddhism (part 15)
Teachings (Doctrines) of Buddhism (Continued…)
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Prohibition of Hunting Animals
In the teachings of Buddhism, hunting animals is strictly prohibited. A Buddhist is not allowed to kill any animal neither for entertainment, such as hunting, nor even for serious purposes like slaughtering for food.
The Buddha advised his followers to treat animals with kindness, to regard them as their brothers in creation, and never to consider them inferior.
In Buddhism, hunting is considered an act that originates from violence and base desires, which produces negative karma. According to Buddhist belief, any action that goes against their principles results in negative consequences in life and leads to the continuation of suffering within the cycle of rebirth (samsara).
Hunting, killing animals, and even indirect participation in such acts are strictly forbidden for Buddhist monks. Violating this rule may even lead to expulsion from the monastic community. However, this ruling is not as strict for ordinary followers; they are only morally advised to avoid hunting. If they do engage in it, they are not considered offenders like monks, although such actions increase their negative karma.
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Emphasis on Love and Kindness Toward All Creatures
Love and kindness are among the most important and distinctive virtues in Buddhism. The Buddha strongly emphasized this and stated that all good deeds, in their various forms, do not equal even one-sixth of the virtue of love that purifies the heart from evil.
From the Buddhist perspective, love should not be limited to family, tribe, or like-minded individuals; rather, it should include all beings—humans, animals, friends, and even enemies. According to this belief, love purifies the heart from hatred, anger, and envy, and this purity leads a person to inner peace and nirvana.
However, there is a significant gap between Buddhist teachings and the behavior of some of its followers. In recent years, in Myanmar, extremist Buddhist groups have committed severe acts of violence against Rohingya Muslims, contrary to the principle of compassion emphasized in the teachings of the Buddha.
These events show that ethical teachings, even if valuable in theory, may be ignored in practice when ethnic, political, and religious biases dominate.
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Wealth and Possessions
Among the important teachings of the Buddha is his view on wealth and property. When individuals wished to enter this religion, he encouraged them to renounce their possessions, take up the begging bowl, and join the community of followers.
This reflects the general perspective of the Buddha toward wealth. However, he also clarified that wealth often enslaves its owner, occupies the heart, and becomes an independent goal.
Yet, if a person’s heart is not attached to wealth, if one does not become its servant, and if wealth is not treated as the ultimate goal—but instead is used for rightful purposes—then wealth is neither a misfortune nor an evil; rather, it becomes a blessing and a source of benefit. The same perspective applies to life and power.
One of the issues related to wealth is the Buddha’s view on work and idleness. From the practice of alms-seeking, it appears that he showed some inclination toward leaving worldly work. For this reason, a follower of Jainism once asked him: “Do you call people to abandon work and give up professions and skills?” The Buddha replied: “I call for abandoning any action that is evil and leads a person toward wrongdoing; but at the same time, I invite people to do whatever is good for the body, speech, and mind. I also encourage any action that leads to goodness and happiness.” Nevertheless, overall, the lifestyle of the Buddha was not fully aligned with a strong work-centered ethic. [1]
To be continued…
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[1]. “The man-made religions p. 222.”
