THE ORIGINS OF SOCIAL CONFLICT IN BUDDHADHARMA
The Buddha’s Realism
Contrary to what is often said, The Buddhadharma offers a remarkably realistic analysis of the origins of conflict, crime, and war, tracing them not to an inevitable fate or to a metaphysical evil, but to specific mental and social dynamics rooted in greed (lobha), hatred (dosa), and ignorance (moha). The texts of the Pāli Canon, particularly several suttas of the Dīgha Nikāya and the Sutta Nipāta, develop this perspective in a detailed and systematic manner.
1. The Conditioned Genesis of Internal and External Conflict – Mahānidāna Sutta (DN 15)
In the Mahānidāna Sutta (Dīgha Nikāya 15), the Buddha connects conflict to the chain of dependent origination. In particular, he shows how contact gives rise to feeling, from feeling arises craving, and from craving arises attachment. From there, tensions and disputes emerge. Although this dynamic is expressed in psychological terms, it has social consequences: when individuals cling to their desires and opinions, rivalries and conflicts arise.
“Phassa-paccayā vedanā; vedanā-paccayā taṇhā; taṇhā-paccayā upādānaṃ; upādāna-paccayā pariyesanā; pariyesanā-paccayā lābho; lābha-paccayā vinicchayo; vinicchaya-paccayā chandarāgo; chandarāga-paccayā ajjhosānaṃ; ajjhosāna-paccayā pariggaho; pariggaha-paccayā macchariyaṃ; macchariya-paccayā ārakkho; ārakkhādhikaraṇaṃ daṇḍādāna-satthādāna-kalaha-viggaha-vivāda-tuvaṃtuvaṃ-pesuñña-musāvādā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti.”
“Conditioned by contact, feeling arises; conditioned by feeling, craving arises; conditioned by craving, attachment arises; conditioned by attachment, searching arises; conditioned by searching, gain arises; conditioned by gain, evaluation arises; conditioned by evaluation, passionate desire arises; conditioned by passionate desire, fixation arises; conditioned by fixation, possession arises; conditioned by possession, stinginess arises; conditioned by stinginess, protection arises; and dependent on protection there arise the taking up of sticks and weapons, quarrels, conflicts, disputes, accusations of ‘you, you!’, slander, false speech, and many other unwholesome and harmful states.”
2. Conflict as a Product of Attachment – Kalahavivāda Sutta (Sn 4.11)
This brief sutta, much appreciated by the Venerable K. Ñāṇananda Thera, directly addresses the conditioned arising of disputes. The text clearly shows that conflict arises from the combination of craving (taṇhā) and attachment to what is regarded as “mine.” It then goes on to explain that quarrels arise from preferences, attachments, and the construction of “I” and “mine.” In other words, conflicts are not random, but arise from the way human beings interpret and defend what they desire:
“Piyappahūtā kalahā vivādā…”
“From what is dear arise quarrels and disputes…”
and again:
“Taṇhānidānā kalahā vivādā…”
“Rooted in craving arise quarrels and disputes.”
3. From Poverty to Crime and Violence – Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta (DN 26)
In the Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda Sutta (Dīgha Nikāya 26), attention shifts to the social and political level. Through the mythological account of the “Wheel-Turning King,” the Buddha describes a cycle of decline in which the moral deterioration of rulers leads to economic inequality, which in turn generates crime and violence:
“…Thus the anointed king asked the assembled ministers and counsellors, the treasurers, military officers, guards, and professional advisers about the noble duty of a Wheel-Turning Monarch… Having listened to them, he provided righteous protection and security. But he did not provide money to the poor of the kingdom… And so poverty became widespread… Thus, monks, from not giving money to the poor, poverty became widespread. When poverty became widespread, theft became widespread. When theft became widespread, weapons became widespread. When weapons became widespread, the killing of living beings became widespread. And among the sentient beings among whom killing had become widespread, the length of life and beauty diminished.”
From this perspective, we can see that conflict does not arise solely from the individual mind, but also from unjust social conditions. The sutta continues by presenting a causal chain: theft leads to punishment, punishment to falsehood, falsehood to violence, and eventually to killing and war. This amounts to a genuine social theory of crime: its roots are not merely ideological or psychological, but also economic and political.
4. An Economic Solution to Crime – Kūṭadanta Sutta (DN 5)
A similar analysis appears in the Kūṭadanta Sutta (Dīgha Nikāya 5), where an alternative to violence is proposed. Instead of suppressing crime through force, the text suggests improving the material conditions of the population. Eliminating the material causes of crime prevents violence more effectively than punishment. This approach reduces crime not through coercion, but by addressing its structural causes. The text states:
“The high priest said: “Lord, the king’s realm is troubled and oppressed. Villages, towns, and cities have been plundered, and the roads are infested with bandits. But if the king were to impose additional taxes while his kingdom is in such turmoil and distress, he would not be fulfilling his duty. Now the king might think: ‘I will eliminate this scourge of bandits by executions, imprisonment, confiscation, condemnation, or exile!’ But this is not the right way to eliminate this scourge of bandits. Those who survive the killings will return to harass the king’s realm.
Rather, here is a plan by which this scourge of bandits can be properly eradicated. Let the king provide seeds and fodder to those in the kingdom who engage in cultivation and animal husbandry. Let the king provide capital to those engaged in trade. Let the king provide food and wages to those who serve the state. Then the people, engaged in their respective occupations, will not trouble the king’s realm. The king’s revenues will be great. When the country has been made secure, free from turmoil and oppression, the people, happy and joyful at heart, will dance with their children in their arms and live as though their houses were open to all.”
5. The Social Origin of Property and Conflict – Aggañña Sutta (DN 27)
Finally, the Aggañña Sutta (Dīgha Nikāya 27) offers an allegorical account of the origins of society and social inequality. It describes how, with the emergence of private property and desire, theft, falsehood, and punishment arise. The text symbolically describes the emergence of society:
“Adinnādānaṃ ādiṃ akāsi…”
“One began to take what was not given.”
“Ayaṃ adinnaṃ ādiyati”
“This person takes what has not been given to him.”
…From this arise blame, punishment, and political institutions. Conflict thus emerges with property and appropriation, and not merely from the greedy mind. From this develops the need for social and political institutions, including the figure of the ruler, whose task is to maintain order. Yet the root of the problem remains the same: desire and appropriation.“
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