Buddhism celebrates liberty. In every sense of the word, liberty is the trademark of Buddhist doctrine, practices, and institutions in its long legacy of spread from India to the south to Sri Lanka, to the north to Tibet, to the east to China, and recently to the west to Europe and North America.

Buddhist doctrines discuss three forms of liberty: (i) liberty of thought, (ii) liberty of speech, and (iii) liberty of action. Among these three connected phases, “thought” or “conscience” is the driving force in the Buddhist conceptualization of liberty, since both speech and action are formed and shaped by initial thoughts and intentions of the human person. All three expressions—thought, speech, and action—need to be based on the basic principles of dhamma (law) in which one avoids any harmful impact on any sentient being.

Liberty in all sorts of human expression is encouraged and recognized because of the acceptance of individual variations, inclinations, preferences, and spiritual potential. Liberty is connected to and dependent upon particular social, religious, economic, historical, and doctrinal factors and ingredients. One’s liberation is often envisioned in the context of one’s subjectivity. In a profane sense, one can experience liberty in this world as freedom from various oppressions and exploitations, and in a sacred sense, when one attains to the status of the fully awakened one.

Though “religious” it is, Buddhist liberation, however, should not be viewed as completely disconnected with ethical, moral, and religious life in this world. Life in this messy world can be instrumental in leading one to the freedom from bondage.

The Buddhist vision of liberty is firmly grounded in its perception of “reality” as a penetrating comprehension of the things “as they are” in the world, that “all conditioned things are impermanent, subject to suffering and selfless.” The recognition of human liberty is an attempt to allow each individual to come to terms with the facts of life, which underpin our lives. A realistic penetration to the way things are in the world liberates each individual to be free from bondage that surrounds us by dragging us into various conflicts, acts of violence, and persecution in which one dispossesses another human person’s right to the free exercise of freedom.

Buddhism accepts individual variation. It adopts strategies that are suitable for each individual. Rather than imposing a totalitarian regime on each individual, Buddhism maintains that each individual should pursue an efficient course of action for one’s own liberation in one’s own phase.

The celebration of human freedom runs through Buddhist practices, institutions, and doctrines. Human beings are free to choose their own course of action for achieving liberation. Religious teachings should not prevent human beings from taking individual action for their liberation.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 1) asserts: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” The Buddhist view of human rights and religious liberty arises from the conviction that human beings are born with complete freedom and responsibility. The historical Buddha strongly affirmed that human beings have their destiny in their hands. Emphasizing self-reliance of each individual, human equality in dignity and rights is clearly recognized. Buddhist texts such as the Sampasadaniya Sutta (D.III.113) stress the importance of personal effort, human endeavour, strength, and responsibility. The Buddhahood itself is open to all human beings without any limitation.

The fundamental Buddhist ethical principle that underpins the concept of human rights is that “all life forms have a basic desire to safeguard themselves.” This ethical perspective gives validity and strength to the principle of universal love (metta) advocated by all Buddhists. Buddhist texts assert this crucial ethical standpoint in various ways: for example, the Dhammapada states that “all beings desire happiness” (10:3) and that “life is dear to all living beings” (10:2). This Buddhist ethical position further proposes to “compare one’s situation with that of another and avoid resorting to violence” and depriving another of its right to life. From this Buddhist perspective, the ideal life is one in which one lives “with friendliness and compassion towards all beings” (D.I.70).

As in many other world religions, there is no doubt that Buddhist teachings also can be drawn to support the view that religious liberty is firmly grounded on a conception of the dignity of the human person. In addition, however, Buddhist doctrines maintain that the free exercise of “will” is the key for both material and spiritual wellbeing of the human person who is “free to choose and open to seek” an individual programme of religious regiment that enables each individual to taste the pleasures of liberation.