Buddhistdoor View: In Times of Chaos, Countries Should Unite in Dharma Solidarity

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Buddhistdoor View: In Times of Chaos, Countries Should Unite in Dharma Solidarity

By Buddhistdoor Global
May 3, 2025

Last week marked a historic milestone in the bilateral diplomacy between Thailand and Bhutan. The two countries are Buddhist-majority kingdoms with different Vinaya traditions. However, both share a deep respect and reverence for their own and each other’s royal Buddhist houses. The Bhutanese embassy in Bangkok notes on its website that even before the formal establishment of international relations in 1989, the two countries were already close thanks to, “the common spiritual heritage in the precious teachings of Lord Buddha and the strong relations at all levels between the two Kingdoms.” (Royal Bhutanese Embassy)

On 25 April, King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana of Thailand were received in the Himalayan kingdom by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Consort Jetsun Pema Wangchuck. The Thai royal couple spent the next four days as the honored guests of the Druk Gyalpo and Gyaltsuen, with one of the highlights being a joint Thai-Bhutanese sangha chanting ceremony at the Buddha Dordenma statue on Saturday.

The close relationship between the royal families, along with the growing economic ties between Thailand and Bhutan, suggest that Buddhism serves as a cultural and spiritual bridge that can amplify and expand bilateral relations. The Bhutanese embassy in Bangkok notes that Thailand is Bhutan’s third-largest source of imported goods, accounting for 13.44 per cent of Bhutan’s total imports—around US$31 million. Bhutan’s exports to Thailand, while much smaller at US$994,314, are still considerable given the size and economic purchasing of Bhutanese compared to Thais. “These trade statistics reflect the thriving friendship between the two nations,” stated the embassy. (Royal Bhutanese Embassy) Furthermore, the Bhutanese royal couple is adored in Thailand.

The idea of Buddhism as a diplomatic “grease,” which can smooth the way to bilateral deals and economic partnerships, is a perennial theme and consistent feature of Buddhist diplomacy across Asia. The most recent and prominent example of Buddhist diplomacy this year was a visit from India’s PM, Narendra Modi, who was also recently in Thailand meeting with Thai counterpart Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra. Modi received a gift of the Pali Tipitaka from Shinawatra before moving on to Sri Lanka where he met with senior monastics alongside the Sri Lankan President. One should not be under any illusions: Buddhists make up a tiny percentage of the Indian populace, and domestically, Modi presents himself not as a reborn Ashoka the Great, but as a nationalist warrior for Hinduism. But in a sense, this underscores even further how seriously he takes Buddhism as an interface with the outside world, especially Asia.

Among the so-called smaller Buddhist-majority nations, although it really is not fair to call Thailand’s economy or regional influence “small,” shared values of compassion, mutual respect, and a priority on bettering the lives of citizens can translate into common ground or symbolic agreements about the role of the Buddhist Dharma in the countries’ societies, and even among their politics. The Indian Buddhist philosopher Shantideva described the “exchange of self and other” as one of the highest practices that not only reveals the truth of no-self (anatta), but also allows the arising of radical empathy that leads to compassion (karuna) and wisdom (prajna) and therefore bodhicitta. If Asian nations’ governments and diplomats are able to “exchange self with other,” even as a simple exercise to understand the other side’s interests and concerns, the mutual empathy, even in the face of differences and disagreements, could lead to a kind of “Dharma solidarity” that is needed more than ever.

As Trump declares economic war on the world, and turns his win-lose approach to dealmaking and geopolitics on shocked Asian allies, countries from Vietnam to Nepal to South Korea will need to approach each other to form closer partnerships and insurance strategies. Many Asian nations, even those that do not enjoy Buddhist-majority populations, have entwined pasts and presents with the Buddhist tradition in diverse expressions and manifestations. With tariffs and protectionism, the Trump administration is looking to a past that used these tools to redress America’s present grievances against the world, and China specifically. Asian nations can also look to their past, but in a different way. The blessings of the Buddha, and the values his tradition embodied, can function as a rallying point for pan-Asian conflict resolution and cooperation in the face of increasingly to-be-expected external shocks.

One of the striking commonalities shared by contemporary Western nations is that their governments, of whatever political stripe, are distrusted with anything that smacks of reshaping or reforming society—perhaps save for the extremes of right and left, which both propose a radical remaking of society and the global economy. But in many Asian nations, governments are often expected to play an active role in guiding citizens into an environment where the communal good uplifts everybody from the working class into the middle class, and from poverty into dignified living. The Buddhist teachings, given their apolitical nature, can serve as an inspiration for governments and statesmen whose every word and action will inevitably be interpreted in a political light.

Buddhist values are entwined with contemporary Thai politics, and they manifest most powerfully in someone with baramee—embodying moderation and balance in temperament, lifestyle, and values—who can then transmit a sense of stability and sustainability to others. A politician with Dharma values possesses equilibrium and is able to balance the passions. They are mindful of life’s complexities and subtleties, allowing them to be sensitive while principled, in turn being rewarded with loyalty from juniors, patronage from seniors, and political capital in general. If both sides in a bilateral partnership can demonstrate these qualities, Dharma solidarity will be the natural result, which, if replicated, can form a protective mesh binding together the countries of Asia amidst global uncertainty and bedlam.