In the Buddhist text, the Jataka, the Buddha gave 10 rules for good government. These rules are applicable today and if a political leader or party embraced them, then a supporting recommendation would be helpful.
The rules are: 1. Be generous and avoid selfishness. 2. Maintain a high moral character. 3. Be prepared to sacrifice one's own pleasure for the well-being of the subjects. 4. Be honest and maintain absolute integrity. 5. Be kind and gentle. 6. Lead a simple life for the subjects to emulate. 7. Be free from hatred of any kind. 8. Exercise non-violence. 9. Practice patience. 10. Respect public opinion to promote peace and harmony.
In our world, finding someone who can meet these tenets would be difficult. Our political structure is based on competition and aggrandizement; antithetical to Buddhism. Compare our view of political power with the Buddhist model as written by the Venerable K. Sri Maha Thera. The Buddhist approach to political power is the moralization and the responsible use of public power. The Buddha preached non-violence and peace as a universal message. He did not approve of violence or the destruction of life, and declared that there is no such thing as a "just" war.
If a candidate meets the highest ethical standards of his faith, then a recommendation is appropriate. Otherwise, we are endorsing candidates who only appeal to our narrow self-interest and not the good of all sentient beings.
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