ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with three aspects of the relationship between Buddhism and politics; the origins of Buddhist views, a survey of current relations between Buddhism and the state in different countries, and contemporary directions in the study of Buddhism and politics. The chapter starts by presenting Buddhist views on ideals for state organisation and governance from early and later Buddhist traditions. These models are then examined in relation to how the encounter between Buddhism and politics took place during the colonial period. The diverse manifestations of the interaction between Buddhism and politics are then surveyed in the contemporary world in the main countries with significant Buddhist populations in Southeast and East Asia, including China, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India. This survey also examines current developments in Buddhist traditions in the West, amongst Diaspora and new Buddhist communities. The chapter concludes by exploring new directions in contemporary Buddhist studies, in particular, how traditional presentations of Buddhism as an ideal model for state governance have in some countries become aligned with state politics, whilst in other countries Buddhism has now become part of a public debate over how opposition can be mounted in situations of contested governance within the state.
