TITLE:
New Strategies of Conflict Resolution in Social Work: A Consideration on Buddhist Social Work Approach Based on Sutta Pitaka
AUTHORS:
Omalpe Somananda, Josef Gohori
KEYWORDS:
Social Harmony, Social Work, Buddhism, Sutta Pitaka, Conflict Resolution
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Philosophy,
Vol.12 No.2,
May
20,
2022
ABSTRACT: Buddhism has long been recognized as a religion of
peace and non-violence. In today’s world, various conflicts take place between
nations, religions, and ethnic groups. Buddha saw that people can live together
freely as individuals, equal in principle, and therefore responsible for each
other. Buddha explains that every member of the human family, man and woman
alike, has an equal right to liberty. He recognized that each of us is just a
human being like everyone else. The Buddha has given this example in his own
monasteries. The monks who belonged to different castes were given the
opportunity to spend time together in the same monastery, which included holding
meetings altogether, irrespective of ethnicity, caste, or religion, walking
together in the Pindapātha, and holding Dhamma discussions together in the one
Dhamma hall. The objective of this study is to identify Buddha’s teaching on
social and ethnic harmony throughout the Buddhist scriptures (Pāli Canon) and
consider its application in conflict resolution. Special attention will be paid
to the doctrine preached by the Buddha which can be applied to build mutual
understanding, relationships, and peace. The study method in this study is
historical texts (Sutta Pitaka) content analysis and is carried out using the
library survey methodology.