Buddhist Ethics of Non-Harm and Their Contribution to World Peace Efforts

Abstract

In the modern era, institutional aggression, societal injustices, ecological disasters, and overt conflict all pose challenges to the worldwide pursuit of peace. The ethical framework of Buddhism is examined in this study, with an emphasis on the concept of non-harm (ahimsā) and its contributions to global peace initiatives. I contend that non-harm encompasses social, political, and structural aspects in addition to personal morality, drawing on canonical teachings, academic interpretations, and modern applications. In order to prevent injury and lessen suffering, Buddhist ethics places a strong emphasis on developing compassion, mindfulness, and moral discernment. Individuals and groups can cultivate the skills required for positive conflict resolution and long-term social harmony through meditation, moral behaviour, compassionate involvement, and reconciliation rituals. The study demonstrates how Buddhist ideas may be incorporated into social practice, education, and government to create useful tools for developing empathy, lowering animosity, and encouraging cooperative relationships in a variety of cultural and political circumstances. This study illustrates the applicability of Buddhist non-harm for tackling difficult global issues by placing it within both historical and modern settings. In the end, the Buddhist ethic of non-harm provides a transformative model in which individual moral development is in line with larger initiatives to bring about world peace. The results imply that incorporating ethical contemplation and Buddhist-inspired practices into modern peacebuilding efforts can improve social and interpersonal relationships as well as international perspectives on justice, reconciliation, and sustainable coexistence.