Editorial: Buddhist Ethics on Statue Destruction

(Phnom Penh): In Buddhism, moral evaluation is not based on condemning the individual, but on examining the mental state, desires, and consequences. When a Buddha statue is destroyed, the act is seen as a manifestation of unwholesome mental states (kaṭhādhamma) that obscures wisdom and compassion.

Buddha statues are considered “meditative devices” that serve to awaken mindfulness, maintain morality, and the possibility of liberation from suffering. For many Buddhists, these statues help cultivate mindfulness, respect, and moral discipline. Therefore, destroying such statues is not just breaking stone or metal, but also disrupting the conditions that support the wholesome mental states (kosaladhamma) of others.

From a Buddhist ethical perspective, the root of such actions lies in the three unwholesome factors: ignorance (avijñā), sāṇa (anger, hatred, and delusion).  Ignorance misunderstands the symbolic meaning of Buddha statues, interpreting them as images of threat or superstition. Sin, or mental attachments, drive the desire to eliminate what one dislikes. On the other hand, delusion, especially the excessive belief in one’s own morality, convinces the perpetrator that destruction is right, necessary, or good. Buddhism considers such beliefs to be the most dangerous because they blind the mind to the suffering one has caused.

Another important point is the lack of compassion. Buddhist ethics places great value on understanding the suffering of others, including emotional and cultural pain. The destruction of sacred statues is a disregard for the pain caused to the community, which sees these statues as symbols of history, identity, and spiritual aspirations. Such disregard reflects a mind focused on personal fear or power rather than on the common humanity.

Buddhism also emphasizes the law of cause and effect (karma).  Actions motivated by hatred or insults leave a mark on the mind of the perpetrator, which leads the mind to continue to pursue unwholesome behavior. The Dhamma does not specify that this is a psychological and moral consequence: a mind accustomed to destruction will become a mind that finds it difficult to find peace. In this sense, the most serious danger of destroying a sacred image is not only the loss of the image, but also the manifestation of the cruelty of the mind of the destroyer.

In conclusion, the destruction of an image, from a Buddhist moral perspective, is a manifestation of ignorance and hatred that destroys both the harmony of society as a whole and the well-being of the individual.

By: Mr. Eang Sophallet, Minister of the Ministry of Environment

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