A Treatise on Ethics for Kings: An Ornament for Rulers

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A Treatise on Ethics for Kings: An Ornament for Rulers. (T. rgyal po lugs kyi bstan bcos sa gzhi skyong ba’i rgyan). A treatise by Jamgon Mipham on ethics and government.

José Ignacio Cabezón states:

Mipham’s work belongs to two interrelated verse genres of Indian and Tibetan literature. The first of these, the nīti treatises, are works on worldly ethics. Although they often allude to religious ideals, they do not deal with complex doctrinal issues, focusing instead on practical concerns like wealth, power, and the material aspects of human flourishing. From the earliest times, some of the nīti literature, called rājanīti, or “ethics for kings,” dealt with governance and statecraft: how kings should lead their lives to be effective and just rulers. The other genre is called subhāṣita, “well-spoken” or “well-turned” verses—wise sayings or adages that set forth fundamental truths about life and offer practical moral advice...
Although written principally for rulers, Mipham’s Treatise has been a source of inspiration and ethical guidance for Tibetan Buddhists—kings and citizens alike—for over a century. How relevant is the Treatise to us today? The principles that Mipham advocates—the importance of cultivating virtue and avoiding evil, of ahiṃsa or “non-harm,” of justice for the poor and downtrodden of society, of the equality of all people before the law—are just as important in the twenty-first century as they were in ancient times.
With some exceptions, ... most of the ethical principles found in these pages could be easily adopted as the basis for Buddhist social justice—as the foundation of what today we call Engaged Buddhism. As Mipham states, rulers and politicians have a special responsibility to uphold high moral standards, to serve as an example for others, and to protect society and the environment. It would require a bit of thought to translate all of the Treatise’s concerns to our own time, but the world would undoubtedly be a much better place if these ethical guidelines found their way into contemporary political life. It is true that Mipham did not know about nuclear weapons, or drones, or the ravages of modern mass warfare, but he writes eloquently about war as a last resort, about the need to avoid civilian casualties, destruction of cultural treasures, and harm to the environment. Buddhism, as Mipham shows, has a lot to say to the issues confronting our world today, but the Treatise is also meant as an ethical guide for ordinary individuals. Its principles apply not only to those in power, but to everyone.[1]

Translation

  • Jamgon Mipham (2017), The Just King: The Tibetan Buddhist Classic on Leading an Ethical Life, translated by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, Snow Lion 

Notes

  1. ↑ Jamgon Mipham 2017, Introduction.

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