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KPI Congress 15 th 43

one’s time and resources for the wellbeing of the public as an important dimension of
good governance. This may involve, broadly speaking, giving away of one’s knowledge
as well as material resources to support others and meet public interests and
demands. Here also emerges the idea of sharing resources in which the state has an
obligation and duty to provide basic needs to the people and facilitate and implement
effective ways of sharing resources for everyone’s fair use.

(ii) sĩla is morality, both mental and physical discipline that characterizes the
necessity of high moral character of the ruler for good governance. The Buddhist
tradition has a strong conviction that the virtuous conduct of the ruler is an essential
moral foundation that leads to the progress of the entire nation. All other forms of
development within the government depend to a greater extent on the moral integrity
of the rulers. In the Theravãda path of training, sĩla is the foundation and the first
part of the threefold training (S.I.13) as highlighted in an ethical, philosophical and
doctrinal perspective by the Theravãda Buddhist commentator Buddhaghosa in his
magnum opus, Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification). The observation of moral
2
principles is seen as the crucial foundation for one’s spiritual development. At the
initial level, the observance of the five precepts is taken as the foundation for moral
progress and virtuous conduct in Buddhist society. By conducting morally, the ruler
projects a moral example to others to restraining themselves by abstaining from doing
anything that causes harm and disturbance to others.

(iii) pariccãga highlights altruistic aspects in kingship by conveying the
importance of ideas such as philanthropy. This can be narrowly interpreted as the
cultivation of the practice of gift-giving for those who render proper service to the
state. It may have both a personal and public dimension to it. By being generous,
one avoids selfishness on personal level. By making proper policy decisions on the
distribution of wealth of the nation, the state can implement this virtue on public
level. Because of this, it has been seen as an extremely valuable altruistic virtue for
leadership. The ruler should be ready to sacrifice everything in one’s possession for
the welfare of the people by overcoming one’s propensity for personal comfort, name
and fame. This aspect may extend even to the level of sacrificing one’s life in war or
disaster in the process of working for the wider interest and benefit of the people.

(iv) ajjava is honesty and integrity. Being honest and sincere towards others are
important social values in the public realm. This enables one to perform one’s duties
with loyalty and sincerity towards others. The ruler must be free from fear and favour
in the discharge of one’s royal duties. As the leader of the nation, the ruler must be
sincere in his intentions and must not deceive the public. International panel discussion

(v) maddava (gentleness). This is a personal quality that enhances one’s
leadership and public role by being gentle in temperament. It also has the character
of avoiding arrogance and preventing defaming others.

2 “When a wise man, established well in Virtue, develops Consciousness and Understanding, then
a bhikkhu ardent and sagacious, he succeeds in disentangling this tangle” (Buddhaghosa nd: 1).