Ten Principles of a Righteous King and the King of Thailand
Ten Principles of a Righteous King
and the King of Thailand
Professor Emeritus Borwornsak Uwanno
Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University
On 5 May 1950, the Coronation Day, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej affirmed in His Accession Speech in front of the Grand Audience of venerable monks and Brahmins, members of the royal family, cabinet ministers, members of parliament, judges, military officers and civil servants that: I shall reign by Dhamma, for the benefit and happiness of all the Thai people. This Accession Oath was uttered without any obligation under any constitution of law, as would have been the case in some western countries, the constitutions of which stipulate an accession oath to be taken by a king of queen prior to acceding to the throne. (For examples of such constitutions, please see Article 91 of the Belgian Constitution, Section 8 of the Danish Constitution, and Article 61 of the Spanish Constitution.) In common understanding, the word dhamma in His remark refers to Dasarajadhamma or the ten principles of a righteous king, which are Theravada Buddhism based principles. This understanding is actually correct. However, the aim of this article is to demonstrate the ever since His Majesty the King uttered His Accession Oath, He has lived this Oath throughout the 60 years period of His reign and, by so doing, has transformed the ten principles of dasarajadhamma from religious and moral principles into constitutional principles and practice, or Convention of the Constitution, of a modern-day democracy, compatible with the principle of constitutional monarchy. His practices have also turned the dasarajadhamma principles into principles for public and civil management for administrators at all levels in the public, private and civil society sectors and eventually social principles for all members of a society. In all, His Majesty the King has made the religious and moral principles of more than 2,500 years ago contemporaneous for the age of globalization and not less universal than good governance, the principle which the World Bank only highlighted and used in its present meaning for the first time in its report on Sub-Sahara Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth in 1989. I. Dasarajadhamma: Principle to restrain the Kings absolute power since ancient times In the sermon given to His Majesty the King on 5 May 1950, The Venerable Somdech Phra Vachiryanavongse, the Supreme Patriarch of Bowonniwetwihan Temple clarified that dasarajadhamma was a proverb of a sage born prior to the Buddhist era and was later incorporated into the treatise of Buddhism. As it comprised ten elements, it was called Dasarajadhamma, where Dasa means ten and Rajadhamma means principle for kings or rulers. He further noted that it was originated in the Jataka, or books of stories of former incarnations of Buddha. In effect, the dasarajadhamma was initially principles of conduct for absolute monarchs in the pre-Buddhist era, which was later integrated as part of Buddhist teachings. It was both religious and moral principles for kings to restrain the exercise of their absolute power. In addition to dasarajadhamma at the core, there are many other complementary dhamma principles, such as the four principles of sangaha-vatthu (principles of benefaction) and the twelve principles of cakkavatt-vatta (duties of a universal ruler). Religious or moral principles to keep the kings absolute power in check in the old days are necessary. According to the Thai administrative tradition, the King was regarded as the Lord of Life, who could take life away from any of His subjects, and the Lord of the Land, who owned all the land in the kingdom but distributed it to His subjects to make their living. (Pleas see chapter 52, miscellaneous provision, The Law of The Three Great Seal). As such, the exercise of His power would unavoidably affect the lives and properties of His people. Dasarajadhamma therefore served as religious and moral principles that prevented the King from exercising His power at will, thereby adversely affecting His subjects. When a King exercised his power in accordance with raja-dhamma, He was called dhamma raja, which means by definition a king whose righteousness brings happiness to his people. (Raja means the one who makes people happy.) The practice of Dhamma Raja dated back to the Sukhothai period and continues to be followed up until now. The ten principles of Dasarajadhamma comprise the following:
Dana which means giving in a beneficial way, that is, providing things such as the basic necessities, or amisa-dana; giving knowledge and useful advice, or dhamma-dana; and forgiving those who deserve forgiveness, or apaya-dhamma. Generally, human beings have a tendency to acquire rather than to give. Growing propensity to take will develop into greed. And greed makes people keep struggling for what they want which finally could lead to malpractice, such as theft, robbery, or corruption. However, greed can be lessened or even eliminated by the practice of giving, particularly unconditioned giving. If politicians and bureaucrats in every country stand by this dhamma, corruption will be reduced or eventually eliminated.
Sila which means maintaining good conduct so as not to breach religious morals, laws and all ethical norms. This dasarajadhamma encompasses respect for religious principles, morals, rule of law and ethics as restraint for the King not to break any norms. His Majestys practices based of this principle are evident in His remark: I have never ordered anything that contravenes the provisions of the Constitution or law ‚I have never acted upon the ground of liking or disliking. If I ever did that, the country would have collapsed a long time ago, and that I beseech you to do and think of ways that will not contravene the Constitution‚ (Royal remarks to the Judges of the Supreme Administrative Court and the Supreme Court on 25 April 2006)
Pariccaga which means making selfless sacrifice for the greater good. In other words, it means sacrificing everything-money, physical strength, mind, personal comfort, time or even life for a greater good, as Vessandon Bodhisattva did in the Buddha last reincarnation before his enlightenment. Pariccage is therefore more profound than dana because it is aimed at the greater good of the majority, if not everybody. Sacrifice is one of the most important qualities of a leader.
Ajjava which means loyalty, truthfulness and honesty as the Venerable Somdech Phra Vachirayanavongse explained: to have qualities of being truthful, free from deceit, honest to royal allies and kin as well as to all subjects without thinking of deceiving or hurting them unjustifiably.
Maddava which means being gentle and open-minded to reasonable advice and not being arrogant. This dhamma is important because since the Kings authority is reverently feared by all, His gentleness will eliminate the fear. If the King behaves gently, he will win his peoples respect and his governance will be built on loving consent, not hateful fear.
Tapa which means diligence in consistently performing the royal duties, leading a simple life, and restraining His mind from indulgence of sensual pleasure.
Akkodha which means not showing anger, not dwelling in hatred or vindictiveness against others, or in other words, being compassionate. Anger is a cause of misjudgment. If a King is not in anger, He can make judgments in a fair and unbiased manner
Avihimsa which means not afflicting harm on others including animals and all living things, adhering to peace and tranquility for all, and not indulging Himself in His power.
Khanti which means being patient and persevering against all emotions, be they greed, anger, ignorance or may kind of suffering, and against abrasive words against Him, and maintaining calmness in His mind, composure, body and words.
Avirodhana which means being steadfast in righteousness, not allowing any misdeeds, being just, rectifying those who do wrong and rewarding those who do right with justice. This principle is very important because it is more profound than honesty. Avirodhana also encompasses spreading honesty to all others concerned.
IF carefully analyzed, dasarajadhamma is a governance principle from within, i.e. an instrument restraining the spirit or the mind of the King, guiding His physical and vocal conduct in a righteous way. Here, a question may arise: what keeps the Dasarajadhamma from being violated? The answer to this question can be found in the sermon by Somdech Phra Vachirayanavongse, which stated that for these ten principles of dhamma, it was said that when an emperor is wholesome, he is a good ruler who does not harm others with his power. Because he rules with these dhamma principles. All other countries will pay him homage and submit to his rule. This is called to rule with righteousness and not with power. All will be happy and prosper. When the King lives by dasarajadhamma and in wholeness, the royal kin, royal servants and subjects will pay homage to him with reverence, do their duties to serve him whole- heartedly, honestly and loyally, and bring the country to prosper as he aspires‚ II. Dasarajadhamma: Governance of the administration and management in the age of globalization Without careful consideration, we may incorrectly take dasarajadhamma as ancient principles of over 2,500 years ago, incompatible with the present day, which is an age of globalization where the universal values emphasize democracy in politics, good governance in administration, and human rights in governmental actions to others. In fact, people who maintain the above understanding may not be totally wrong because if we look at the religious teachings on dasarajadhamma, often-cited examples are usually old and even written in archaic vocabularies. However, if considering carefully present-day examples, these people had better rethink. The
Ten Principles of a Righteous King and the King of Thailand
Ten Principles of a Righteous King
and the King of Thailand
Professor Emeritus Borwornsak Uwanno
Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University
On 5 May 1950, the Coronation Day, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej affirmed in His Accession Speech in front of the Grand Audience of venerable monks and Brahmins, members of the royal family, cabinet ministers, members of parliament, judges, military officers and civil servants that: I shall reign by Dhamma, for the benefit and happiness of all the Thai people. This Accession Oath was uttered without any obligation under any constitution of law, as would have been the case in some western countries, the constitutions of which stipulate an accession oath to be taken by a king of queen prior to acceding to the throne. (For examples of such constitutions, please see Article 91 of the Belgian Constitution, Section 8 of the Danish Constitution, and Article 61 of the Spanish Constitution.) In common understanding, the word dhamma in His remark refers to Dasarajadhamma or the ten principles of a righteous king, which are Theravada Buddhism based principles. This understanding is actually correct. However, the aim of this article is to demonstrate the ever since His Majesty the King uttered His Accession Oath, He has lived this Oath throughout the 60 years period of His reign and, by so doing, has transformed the ten principles of dasarajadhamma from religious and moral principles into constitutional principles and practice, or Convention of the Constitution, of a modern-day democracy, compatible with the principle of constitutional monarchy. His practices have also turned the dasarajadhamma principles into principles for public and civil management for administrators at all levels in the public, private and civil society sectors and eventually social principles for all members of a society. In all, His Majesty the King has made the religious and moral principles of more than 2,500 years ago contemporaneous for the age of globalization and not less universal than good governance, the principle which the World Bank only highlighted and used in its present meaning for the first time in its report on Sub-Sahara Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Growth in 1989. I. Dasarajadhamma: Principle to restrain the Kings absolute power since ancient times In the sermon given to His Majesty the King on 5 May 1950, The Venerable Somdech Phra Vachiryanavongse, the Supreme Patriarch of Bowonniwetwihan Temple clarified that dasarajadhamma was a proverb of a sage born prior to the Buddhist era and was later incorporated into the treatise of Buddhism. As it comprised ten elements, it was called Dasarajadhamma, where Dasa means ten and Rajadhamma means principle for kings or rulers. He further noted that it was originated in the Jataka, or books of stories of former incarnations of Buddha. In effect, the dasarajadhamma was initially principles of conduct for absolute monarchs in the pre-Buddhist era, which was later integrated as part of Buddhist teachings. It was both religious and moral principles for kings to restrain the exercise of their absolute power. In addition to dasarajadhamma at the core, there are many other complementary dhamma principles, such as the four principles of sangaha-vatthu (principles of benefaction) and the twelve principles of cakkavatt-vatta (duties of a universal ruler). Religious or moral principles to keep the kings absolute power in check in the old days are necessary. According to the Thai administrative tradition, the King was regarded as the Lord of Life, who could take life away from any of His subjects, and the Lord of the Land, who owned all the land in the kingdom but distributed it to His subjects to make their living. (Pleas see chapter 52, miscellaneous provision, The Law of The Three Great Seal). As such, the exercise of His power would unavoidably affect the lives and properties of His people. Dasarajadhamma therefore served as religious and moral principles that prevented the King from exercising His power at will, thereby adversely affecting His subjects. When a King exercised his power in accordance with raja-dhamma, He was called dhamma raja, which means by definition a king whose righteousness brings happiness to his people. (Raja means the one who makes people happy.) The practice of Dhamma Raja dated back to the Sukhothai period and continues to be followed up until now. The ten principles of Dasarajadhamma comprise the following:
Dana which means giving in a beneficial way, that is, providing things such as the basic necessities, or amisa-dana; giving knowledge and useful advice, or dhamma-dana; and forgiving those who deserve forgiveness, or apaya-dhamma. Generally, human beings have a tendency to acquire rather than to give. Growing propensity to take will develop into greed. And greed makes people keep struggling for what they want which finally could lead to malpractice, such as theft, robbery, or corruption. However, greed can be lessened or even eliminated by the practice of giving, particularly unconditioned giving. If politicians and bureaucrats in every country stand by this dhamma, corruption will be reduced or eventually eliminated.
Sila which means maintaining good conduct so as not to breach religious morals, laws and all ethical norms. This dasarajadhamma encompasses respect for religious principles, morals, rule of law and ethics as restraint for the King not to break any norms. His Majestys practices based of this principle are evident in His remark: I have never ordered anything that contravenes the provisions of the Constitution or law ‚I have never acted upon the ground of liking or disliking. If I ever did that, the country would have collapsed a long time ago, and that I beseech you to do and think of ways that will not contravene the Constitution‚ (Royal remarks to the Judges of the Supreme Administrative Court and the Supreme Court on 25 April 2006)
Pariccaga which means making selfless sacrifice for the greater good. In other words, it means sacrificing everything-money, physical strength, mind, personal comfort, time or even life for a greater good, as Vessandon Bodhisattva did in the Buddha last reincarnation before his enlightenment. Pariccage is therefore more profound than dana because it is aimed at the greater good of the majority, if not everybody. Sacrifice is one of the most important qualities of a leader.
Ajjava which means loyalty, truthfulness and honesty as the Venerable Somdech Phra Vachirayanavongse explained: to have qualities of being truthful, free from deceit, honest to royal allies and kin as well as to all subjects without thinking of deceiving or hurting them unjustifiably.
Maddava which means being gentle and open-minded to reasonable advice and not being arrogant. This dhamma is important because since the Kings authority is reverently feared by all, His gentleness will eliminate the fear. If the King behaves gently, he will win his peoples respect and his governance will be built on loving consent, not hateful fear.
Tapa which means diligence in consistently performing the royal duties, leading a simple life, and restraining His mind from indulgence of sensual pleasure.
Akkodha which means not showing anger, not dwelling in hatred or vindictiveness against others, or in other words, being compassionate. Anger is a cause of misjudgment. If a King is not in anger, He can make judgments in a fair and unbiased manner
Avihimsa which means not afflicting harm on others including animals and all living things, adhering to peace and tranquility for all, and not indulging Himself in His power.
Khanti which means being patient and persevering against all emotions, be they greed, anger, ignorance or may kind of suffering, and against abrasive words against Him, and maintaining calmness in His mind, composure, body and words.
Avirodhana which means being steadfast in righteousness, not allowing any misdeeds, being just, rectifying those who do wrong and rewarding those who do right with justice. This principle is very important because it is more profound than honesty. Avirodhana also encompasses spreading honesty to all others concerned.
IF carefully analyzed, dasarajadhamma is a governance principle from within, i.e. an instrument restraining the spirit or the mind of the King, guiding His physical and vocal conduct in a righteous way. Here, a question may arise: what keeps the Dasarajadhamma from being violated? The answer to this question can be found in the sermon by Somdech Phra Vachirayanavongse, which stated that for these ten principles of dhamma, it was said that when an emperor is wholesome, he is a good ruler who does not harm others with his power. Because he rules with these dhamma principles. All other countries will pay him homage and submit to his rule. This is called to rule with righteousness and not with power. All will be happy and prosper. When the King lives by dasarajadhamma and in wholeness, the royal kin, royal servants and subjects will pay homage to him with reverence, do their duties to serve him whole- heartedly, honestly and loyally, and bring the country to prosper as he aspires‚ II. Dasarajadhamma: Governance of the administration and management in the age of globalization Without careful consideration, we may incorrectly take dasarajadhamma as ancient principles of over 2,500 years ago, incompatible with the present day, which is an age of globalization where the universal values emphasize democracy in politics, good governance in administration, and human rights in governmental actions to others. In fact, people who maintain the above understanding may not be totally wrong because if we look at the religious teachings on dasarajadhamma, often-cited examples are usually old and even written in archaic vocabularies. However, if considering carefully present-day examples, these people had better rethink. The
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