From the collection work of Mipham Rinpoche
In Sanskrit: Rajniti shastra bhumi palasya alankara nama
In Tibetan: gyalpoi lugkyi tenchö sazhi kyong wai gyen
Homage to exalted Manjushri, the supreme master and protector!
Homage with respect to the Three JewelsWho are the adornments of the world:
The supreme Buddha, who is an authentic teacher,
The Dharma, which is the path to liberation;
And the Sangha, who uphold it.
Rays of wisdom that are equal to the sky,
That dispel the darkness of sentient beings’ thoughts,
Manjugosha, the sun of speech,
Please, nurture the lotus garden-like intelligence of all beings.
All the great sublime beings like buddhas and bodhisattvas
Purposely reside as the protectors of beings.
O supreme rulers of the gods and humans
And the leaders of this world,
Bless us with auspiciousness!
The noble entrance to benefit and comfort,
Depends on the deeds of noble beings.
So, for the leaders and also for the common people,
In order to accomplish the wishes of benefitting self and others,
Here, I shall clearly distill
The essence from the shastras of
The buddhas, bodhisattvas and scholars
In simple words, and explain them with love.
The leaders who are so wise,
Steadfast and unwavering from their own tradition,
Kindly governing their subjects equally
And accumulating great merit,
Are praiseworthy,
Like the sun, Mount Meru, the earth and the treasures of the sea respectively.
Wherever they reside,
They become the foundation of the livelihood of their people.
In order to teach new values,
If the leaders are good-natured,
Properly upholding what to accept and what to reject through authentic rules,
Then their subjects will be harmonious.
If they are hostile, then the subjects will suffer.
The leaders are more powerful
Than all the ordinary people.
Therefore, depending on the leaders’ actions,
There will be greater effects of benefit and harm.
Leaders and their classes are the role models,
And touchstones of all the people.
Therefore, even their smallest good or bad behaviours
Will be talked and analysed by the world.
The leaders who are endowed with wisdom,
Have great interest in noble traditions,
Like the sun with its infinite rays
Are charismatic in this world.
People with the character of an outcast
Have no interest in the way of great beings;
If such character isn’t suitable even for ordinary people,
Then it is needless to mention for the leadership class.
If we become friendly
With those of lower character,
Then no one will respect us;
Instead, they would bully us and speak unpleasant words.
Most of the leaders with power and wealth
Are careless.
They wander like mad elephants,
And their people also become like them.
Moreover, whatever good or bad behavior
The king and other royalty possess,
Looking at their characters,
Their people will act like them.
If leaders crave for wealth,
It will ruin the law of the country;
If they love to engage in sexual intercourse,
Then the prostitutes will get higher posts.
If we listen to slander, then dissention will separate us;
If we don’t examine [others’ words], then we will be deceived.
If we are self-important, then other people will run away from us.
If we are two-faced, then others will speak false words.
As for leaders like those,
If people see the chance to deceive them,
Then the deceitful ones will plan to do so.
People have various thoughts,
But the commands of leaders are universal.
So, if leaders don’t think carefully,
Then the country will eventually fall.
For those who hold the higher ranks,
Even their flaws are praised as good qualities
By their deceitful retinues.
Therefore, it is difficult to know good and bad qualities.
Moreover, during the degenerate period,
There are more vulgarians among the subjects.
They see flaws as good qualities,
And are so selfish and deceive their leaders.
It is rare to find leaders
Who consider the happiness of their people.
Therefore, leaders should be analysed carefully,
And should discard lies.
Leaders should not be deprived of wealth,
And must not listen to false praise from their people.
Even then, they shouldn’t be attached to wealth,
Counterfeit praise or deceiving words.
All leaders should think every time,
“The happiness and suffering
Of the people who fall under my power
Are all dependent on me.
“If I have to correct all of them,
Firstly, without knowing what is right
And what is wrong,
I cannot be the judge of what they should and shouldn’t do.
“Therefore, I will have to listen
To the words of the supreme buddhas
And bodhisattvas, as recorded in the shastras on royalty.
“When I gain confidence in their words,
Through a steady analysis of what I hear,
I will be praised as
A leader who is like a protector and eye to the people.
“Hence, even if I don’t become superior to those who are ordinary,
How can I be the equal of those who are inferior?”
The leader who is careful,
And reflects on his behaviour,
Is a bona fide leader.
If the leaders are learned,
Then their subjects will not have any opportunity
To engage in selfish misconduct.
Without searching for any knowledge,
Harming ones’ subjects
With the pride of the higher caste,
One will eventually be doomed, even if one is of royal caste.
The power of the leader
Is determined by the rise and fall of his people.
Hence, the ones who govern their subjects properly
For their wellbeing, are the real leaders.
First chapter of “The Adornments of Leaders” from the shastra on governance ends here.
By Rigzod Editors
