Practising Buddhism in a development context: Sri Lanka’s Sarvódaya movement

Overview

Development practice should be centred on human relations governed by a spirit of cooperation, kindness and compassion, rather than on purely economic concerns. The Sarvódaya Shramadána movement, a grassroots Buddhist-based development movement in Sri Lanka, emphasises that development practices should be more closely aligned with religious resources and principles in order to achieve a balanced and sustainable development process. The work of Sarvódaya Shramadána shows how religion is an integral element in socio-cultural situations and can play a vital role in overcoming impasses associated with growth-orientated development practices.

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