БУДДИЗМ ТА ІДЕЯ ПРАВ ЛЮДИНИ: ВЗАЄМОЗВ'ЯЗОК ЧИ ВЗАЄМОВИКЛЮЧЕННЯ

Abstract

The peculiarities of the Buddhist approach to the understanding of human rights in the context of current challenges and discussions on this issue are analyzed; the potential of Buddhism in defending human rights has been clarified; the features of the relationship between Buddhism and the concept of human rights in the context of today's realities are considered. The emphasis is placed on the question of existence within the Buddhist worldview and the traditional value system a basis for understanding the dignity of a free human personality which must be respected and protected. It is established that the desire to eliminate suffering, to get rid of them can be seen as a point of contact between the content of Buddhist teachings and the idea of human rights, as a kind of bridge between the two positions; at the same time the language of human rights within the Buddhism consciously distances himself from the rhetoric of self-assertion in favor of rhetoric and practices of selfless compassion. It can be stressed that a Buddhist understanding of rights never opposes a human good to the good of other living beings in contrast to the anthropocentrism of Western liberal theories of human rights where man rises above the rest of the world. Buddhism faces the challenge of using the language and practice of human rights so that it does not contradict the dharma and the very spirit of Buddhist teaching and, on the other hand, it helps people to be free from suffering. In the context of clarifying the specifics of the relationship between the Buddhist value system and the concept of human rights it is important to avoid overemphasizing the universality of human rights and to find a kind of middle ground between these two positions. In the modern world to combat injustice in the countries of Buddhism it is necessary to use the potential of the Buddhist tradition and the practical achievements of human rights defenders in Western democracies.