THE GIFT OF FEARLESSNESS: A BUDDHIST FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

ABSTRACT In this article, I present abhayadāna (‘the gift of fearlessness’) as a Buddhist framework for the protection of populations who are vulnerable to violence, terror or displacement during times of conflict. Abhayadāna is an ancient Indian ethic that inspired the political activism of Hindu leader Mohandas Gandhi. Although seldom invoked by Buddhists today (one notable exception is Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal to abhayadāna in her 1990 essay ‘Freedom from Fear’), abhayadāna is also deeply rooted in the Buddhist tradition and holds vital potential for transforming the way that Buddhist-majority societies conceive of their Buddhist identity and their responsibility to protect the vulnerable during times of conflict. In this article, I argue that abhayadāna offers a Buddhist principle of protection that in substantial ways complements and strengthens the principle of protection enshrined in international humanitarian law (IHL).