Crime and punishment

• Justice is the quality of being just or fair
• Metta and Karuna in Buddhism refer to loving kindness and compassion, while Ahimsa signifies non-violence
• Mahayana Buddhists believe in the concept of Buddha nature, emphasizing basic equality among all individuals
• Choosing to ignore suffering and injustice in Buddhism leads to negative consequences for one's state of mind, whereas working for justice brings positive outcomes
• Kamma is seen as justice in action for many Buddhists, with some believing that injustices are deserved as consequences of one's own kamma
• In Buddhism, a crime is viewed as the breaking of a state law, categorized as either non-indictable (less serious) or indictable (serious)
• The ultimate punishment for crime in Buddhism is believed to be a negative rebirth and a delay in the attainment of enlightenment
• The Lion's Roar Sutra highlights a connection between material poverty and social deterioration, suggesting that addressing basic needs can help prevent poverty-induced crime
• The Dhammapada emphasizes personal responsibility, stating that evil is done by oneself and one is defeated by oneself
• The Prison Dharma Network is an organization formed by Buddhists that provides purifying contemplative prison ministry programs and outreach projects
• Dhammapada 197:

  • Living happily without hating anyone among those who hate
  • Living without hating anyone even among men who hate
• Buddhists are warned about the consequences of negative actions in the Dhammapada
• Some Buddhists have an ambivalent approach to human justice systems because they believe punishment will be given through karma and criminals will be in pain; however, justice systems are seen as a skilful way to help order society
• Dhammapada 201:

  • Victory gives birth to hostility
  • The defeated live in pain
  • The peaceful live without discord, transcending both victory and defeat
• Angulimala was an Indian terrorist who killed people and collected their fingers for a necklace; he was going to kill Buddha but became a Buddhist himself
• Bhadali Jutta - Buddha's Situation ethics for Buddhists:

  • Punishments should be enacted on a case-by-case basis
  • Punishment should be sensitive to the behavior and state of mind of the offender
  • Implement punishment that causes the least amount of pain
• Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings regarding an offense; Buddhists don't believe in God, so they don't seek his forgiveness
• Clinging on to resentment and anger is unskillful; forgiving others and becoming reconciled is a skilful way to end hatred in this world
• Dhammapada 5:

  • Hatred is never appeased by hatred
  • Hatred is only appeased by non-hatred
  • This is the law eternal for achieving inner peace (upeksha)
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 10:

  • Everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 11:

  • Everyone charged has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty
• Example of Palden Gyatso:

  • Arrested by the Chinese government in 1959
  • Never ceased to abide in the face of torture