Paper 12
The Perspective of Buddhist Community on Social Discrimination
Abstract
Social discrimination based on gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, education, and physical appearance remains a persistent global challenge despite advancements in human rights frameworks. While Buddhist teachings advocate for the inherent equality and dignity of all human beings, structural inequalities continue to manifest within contemporary Buddhist-majority societies. However, there is a significant lack of empirical research examining how the Buddhist community perceives social discrimination and whether these biases stem from religious doctrines or external socio-cultural structures. Therefore, this study investigates the attitudes, perspectives, and lived experiences of the Buddhist community regarding social discrimination in Myanmar. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-methods research design, combining qualitative textual analysis of early Pali canonical scriptures with empirical field data gathered from 92 university-educated monastics and laypeople, alongside in-depth interviews. The findings reveal a significant gap between ideological belief and lived social reality. While the vast majority of respondents theoretically reject discrimination particularly regarding physical appearance and wealth,they frequently experience gender and socio-economic biases in daily life. Furthermore, the analysis identifies that these discriminatory practices are driven primarily by deep-rooted cultural traditions, feudal norms, and structural violence rather than religious doctrines. In conclusion, this research underscores that social discrimination within the Buddhist community is a sociological phenomenon rather than a theological one, highlighting the need to decouple core Buddhist ethical values from inherited cultural prejudices to dismantle structural inequalities and foster long-term social harmony.
Keywords: Social discrimination, Buddhist ethics, Human rights, Equality, Ideology-reality gap,
The Perspective of Buddhist Community on Social Discrimination
Introduction
Social discrimination based on gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, education, and physical appearance remains a persistent global challenge. Although modern societies have advanced significantly in human rights frameworks, structural inequalities continue to manifest in everyday social interactions. According to Buddhist teachings, all human beings possess equal dignity and spiritual potential regardless of their external backgrounds. However, a noticeable contradiction exists between these high ethical ideals and the practical social realities within Buddhist-majority societies.
This research paper examines how the Buddhist community perceives and experiences social discrimination in contemporary contexts. By investigating the gap between textual Buddhist principles and lived social experiences, this study seeks to highlight the societal mechanisms that sustain discrimination and provide meaningful pathways toward social harmony and inclusion.
The main aim of this study is to critically investigate the attitudes, perspectives, and lived experiences of the Buddhist community regarding social discrimination, and to identify the underlying socio-cultural factors that perpetuate discriminatory practices despite religious doctrines of equality.Research Objectives are To analyze the perspectives, attitudes, and behaviors of the Buddhist community toward various forms of social discrimination (gender, wealth/class, ethnicity, education, and physical appearance).To investigate whether discriminatory practices stem from religious doctrines or from external cultural, historical, and traditional structures.To examine the personal experiences of monastics and laypeople regarding social bias in their daily lives.
This study employs a mixed-methods research design, combining qualitative textual analysis with empirical quantitative and qualitative field research conducted in Myanmar.
Quantitative Survey: Administered to a sample of 92 university-educated respondents (comprising 43 monastics: 31 monks and 12 nuns; and 49 laypeople: 14 men and 35 women) across various regions in Myanmar. The survey included 50 structured questions measuring attitudes toward discrimination and personal experiences.
Qualitative In-depth Interviews: Conducted with 5 key interviewees (using a 16-question interview guide) to gather deeper contextual insights into lived experiences and socio-cultural perceptions.
Secondary Data Analysis: Textual analysis of primary Pali canonical scriptures (Suttas) focusing on human equality, social structure, and moral action (Kamma).
The canonical texts of early Buddhism offer a profound critique of social hierarchy and biological determinism, establishing that human worth is defined solely by moral conduct (Kamma) rather than birth status:
Biological and Social Equality: In the Aggañña Sutta and Vāseṭṭha Sutta, the Buddha deconstructs the rigid caste system by arguing that unlike animal species, which exhibit distinct biological features, human beings share identical biological characteristics. Therefore, social divisions are purely artificial constructs.
Rejection of Birth-Based Superiority: The Vasala Sutta explicitly asserts that one does not become an outcast (Vasala) or a noble (Brahmana) by birth, but entirely through one's actions. The Madhura Sutta and Assalāyana Sutta further reinforce that all social classes are equal under moral law (Kamma) and civil administration. The Esukārī Sutta further reinforces that moral purity is open to all social classes equally, while the Cūḷakammavibhaṅga Sutta clarifies that individual life circumstances are outcomes of personal actions (Kamma) rather than innate social status.
Gender Potential and Socio-Economic Class Breakdown: In the Mallikā Sutta and historical accounts of Paṭācārā, the Buddha recognized women’s full intellectual and spiritual capacity for liberation (Nibbāna), while the tragic narrative of Paṭācārā illustrates how rigid socio-economic class barriers and wealth discrimination destroy families and human relationships, underscoring that true dignity transcends material wealth.
Caste Prejudice, Moral Integrity, and Societal Ruin: The story of Mātanga demonstrates that moral integrity (Sīla)—rather than social status—is the ultimate measure of human worth, while the tragic account of Viṭaṭūbha highlights the destructive consequences of caste elitism and maternal lineage discrimination, showing how institutionalized caste prejudice fuels cycles of hatred, violence, and social collapse.
A critical evaluation of these textual foundations reveals that scriptural Buddhism fundamentally rejects structural inequality, leaving any contemporary social bias to be explained by external sociological factors.
Empirical Findings
The empirical data reveals a complex relationship between ideological belief and lived social experience within the surveyed demographic.
Table 1:Attitudes Toward the Necessity of Discrimination (Should it exist?)
| Category | Not at all | Slighly | Sometimes | Frequently | Always |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical appearance | 84.4% | 5.6% | 10.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Wealth/class | 79.1% | 11.0% | 9.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Ethnicity/race | 78.9% | 10.0% | 10.0% | 1.1% | 0.0% |
| education | 53.8% | 20.9% | 15.4% | 7.7% | 2.2% |
| Gender | 41.6% | 18.0% | 38.2% | 2.2% | 0.0% |
The data shows a strong consensus among participants that most forms of social discrimination are unacceptable.
Most participants believe that discrimination based on physical appearance (84.4%), wealth or class (79.1%), and ethnicity (78.9%) should not exist at all.Participants showed more mixed views regarding education and gender. Specifically, 7.7% feel educational discrimination "frequently" occurs, and 38.2% believe gender distinctions are "sometimes" necessary.
Attitudes Toward the Necessity of Discrimination (Should it exist?),the following table aims demonstrate ‘Personal Behavior and External Experience’.
Table 2:Personal Behavior and External Experience; Practiced by Self
| Category | Not at all | Slighly | Sometimes | Frequently | Always |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical appearance | 78.9% | 11.1% | 10.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Wealth/class | 81.3% | 14.3% | 4.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Ethnicity/race | 80.9% | 12.4% | 6.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Education | 59.3% | 18.7% | 16.5% | 5.5% | 0.0% |
| Gender | 46.7% | 25.6% | 23.3% | 3.3% | 1.1% |
Regarding personal practices toward discrimination, the findings reveal that 81.3% of respondents do not engage in discrimination based on socio-economic status (wealth or poverty). Interestingly, however, 16.5% of participants admitted to occasionally practicing educational discrimination. Similarly, 23.3% indicated that they sometimes engage in gender-based discrimination.
Table 3:Personal Behavior and External Experience; Experienced from Other
| Category | Not at all | Slighly | Sometimes | Frequently | Always |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical appearance | 48.3% | 24.1% | 24.1% | 2.3% | 1.1% |
| Wealth/class | 28.9% | 35.6% | 27.8% | 7.8% | 0.0% |
| Ethnicity/race | 52.3% | 29.1% | 16.3% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Education | 37.1% | 31.5% | 21.3% | 10.1% | 0.0% |
| Gender | 20.9% | 24.4% | 43% | 8.3% | 3.5% |
In terms of experiencing discrimination from others, 52.3% of respondents reported that they rarely or never face discrimination, particularly regarding race. However, the data suggests that participants occasionally experience discrimination in several areas: 21.3% related to education, 24.1% based on physical appearance, and 27.8% concerning socio-economic status. Most notably, the highest rate of experienced discrimination is gender-based, accounting for 43% of the responses.After ’ Personal Behavior and External Experience’ the following table aims to demonstrate ‘Perceived Root Causes of Discrimination’.
Table 4:Perceived Root Causes of Discrimination
| Category | Religion | Social | Tradition | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical appearance | 4.6% | 36.8% | 8.0% | 50.6% |
| Wealth/class | 5.7% | 54.5% | 9.1% | 30.7% |
| Ethnicity/race | 34.1% | 11.4% | 28.4% | 26.1% |
| education | 4.5% | 50.0% | 5.7% | 39.8% |
| Gender | 14.6% | 11.2% | 65.2% | 9.0% |
Participants identified different primary causes for various types of discrimination.
Tradition is the leading cause of gender discrimination (65.2%).Wealth-based discrimination (54.5%) and educational discrimination (50.0%) are primarily attributed to social structures.Ethnicity-based discrimination (34.1%) has the highest perceived connection to religious factors compared to other categories.
Discussion
Synthesizing the scriptural evidence with empirical findings highlights a significant Ideology-Reality Gap within the contemporary Buddhist community. While textual Buddhism clearly upholds human equality and rejects birth-based hierarchies, lived social practice remains affected by persistent forms of discrimination, particularly regarding gender and wealth.The data proves that discriminatory practices are not rooted in Buddhist canonical texts. Instead, deep-seated traditional beliefs, feudal cultural customs, and conservative social norms have historically infiltrated community practices, often misinterpreting religious concepts (such as Kamma) to justify existing socio-economic inequalities.
Gender bias emerges as the most culturally entrenched form of discrimination in the surveyed population. The perception that traditions (65.2%) drive gender bias highlights how patriarchal societal structures continue to limit full gender equality, even within religious and educational spheres.Higher levels of education correlate with an intellectual rejection of bias. However, intellectual awareness alone has not fully dismantled structural violence in daily life.
Conclusion
This research examines the perspective of the Buddhist community on social discrimination, analyzing the relationship between canonical scriptures and lived social realities in Myanmar. The empirical findings reveal a distinct Ideology-Reality Gap. While respondents theoretically reject discrimination based on physical appearance, class, ethnicity, and education, subtle forms of socio-economic and gender bias remain prevalent in daily life. Crucially, the study confirms that social discrimination within Buddhist-majority contexts is a sociological phenomenon rather than a theological one. Canonical texts;such as the Vasala, Vāseṭṭha, and Aggañña Suttas explicitly refute birth-based hierarchies, grounding human dignity solely in moral action (Kamma). Thus, ongoing discriminatory practices stem from deeply rooted cultural traditions, feudal norms, and structural inequalities rather than religious doctrines.
To bridge this gap, Buddhist ethical frameworks specifically Empathy, the Four Sublime States (Brahmavihāra), and the Five Precepts offer a robust foundation for building free from discrimination. When applied systematically, the Five Precepts function as universal ethical norms that foster non-violence and social harmony.
Recommendations:
Education and Administration: Integrate peace ethics and human rights awareness into curricula to help youth distinguish core religious values from cultural prejudices. Concurrently, administrative reforms must address structural violence through economic justice and equal employment opportunities.
Religious Institutions and Individuals: Monastics should actively preach egalitarian scriptures to dismantle class and gender biases. Individuals must practice active empathy and refrain from spreading Hate Speech on digital platforms.
Future Research: Future studies should expand geographically and include interfaith perspectives to develop more comprehensive, inclusive peacebuilding strategies.
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