Buddhist Ethics As An Antidote To Modern Materialist Crises
Global Insights Journal January 1, 2025 Rajesh Sharma, Paramjeet Kour, Thinlay Norboo
Buddhist ethics offer a framework for addressing modern crises such as digital saturation, geopolitical conflict, anxiety, and societal fragmentation. The paper argues that Buddhism diagnoses suffering as arising from ignorance, craving, and attachment, directly confronting consumerist and materialistic paradigms. Doctrines of impermanence and non-self foster resilience and reduce ego-driven conflicts. Dependent origination grounds ethical responsibility for global issues like climate change. The Noble Eightfold Path integrates ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom, with precepts like non-violence and right livelihood providing moral guidance. Cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity fosters empathy and tolerance. The Middle Way offers balance against extremism, and mindfulness redirects happiness inward.