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4 The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume III - 2011 A Buddhist Perspective on Freedom of Religion 4 ethic, albeit necessary for peaceful co-existence, particularly in a multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-cultural society. According to the Ven. Bhikkhu P. A. Payutto, there are two extreme scenarios that should be avoided: 5 ë One extreme is a society in which its members totally disregard one another û s rights, allow violations against life and property to occur, discriminate against others, and deprive people of their liberties and freedoms. Such a society is still uncivilized. ë The other extreme is a society in which its members are constantly intent on protecting their own rights to such an extent that even parents and children or teachers and students treat one another with an attitude of demanding and defending their respective rights. Such a society is doomed to become decivilized. In the former scenario, no human rights are to be found, which is deplorable. In the latter scenario, by contrast, human rights would effectively turn out to contribute to social disintegration instead of social harmony. We should therefore not be complacent about enjoying our rights when we have them, but should instead move further towards lasting peace and harmony. To achieve this end, what is also needed in any society is a positive ethic that promotes genuine caring and selfless considerations for others. In this regard, Buddhism certainly has a lot of practical teachings to offer to the world. Human rights as reflected in some basic Buddhist teachings The qualities central to the concept of human rights are human dignity, equality, and freedom, all of which are compatible with and embraced by the Buddha û s teachings. In short, all humans are deemed equal as human beings, and as human beings they have the freedom and capability of training themselvesfimorally, spiritually, and intellectuallyfito attain to the ultimate freedom or liberation from all sorts of suffering. In this light, although the UDHR is relatively recent and the term human rights is Western in origin, the concept conveyed is hardly new to Buddhists, who are already familiar with their 2500-year-old teachings such as the Five Precepts and the six directions. It should not be difficult, for example, to see how the notion of human rights is also reflected in these two teachings. The Five Precepts, considered the most basic moral principles for humans, are as follows: 5 Ven. P. A. Payutto. 1998. Human Rights: Social Harmony or Social Disintegration [in Thai and English] . Bangkok. 1-15_mac9 4/26/12, 8:09 PM 4