FIVE PRECEPTS AND CREATING GOOD CITIZENS ALONG THE BUDDHIST WAY

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the relationship between the Five Precepts(Pañcasīla) and the process of cultivating good citizenship according to Buddhist perspectives. Employing documentary research methodology, the study analyzes data from Buddhist scriptures, academic documents, and related research. The findings reveal that the Five Precepts function as a holistic social socialization process encompassing three levels: the individual level involving self-discipline of body, speech, and mind; the interpersonal level concerning respect for others’ rights in terms of life, property, family, and communication; and the socio-structural level regarding peaceful coexistence under shared social rules. This framework aligns with social contract theory, which posits that humans mutually consent to establish rules for the common good. Buddhist-oriented good citizenship, therefore, emerges from the consistent practice of the Five Precepts until it becomes habitual character, leading to citizens who possess both internal virtues and external behaviors appropriate to society and the state, without sole reliance on legal enforcement. This article demonstrates that the Five Precepts can be concretely applied as a conceptual framework for citizenship development in contemporary societies.