Abstract:
All social problems are created due to the deterioration of moral values in a person.
Nāgārjuna’s Suhṛllekha contains a series of excellent instructions on developing a
person’s moral values. The Suhṛllekha, (Friendly Epistle) is a letter written in the
form of a poem to speculate that the King may be Gautamīputra Śatakarṇī at around
circa 2-3 CE. In his Suhṛllekha consisting of 123 stanzas, the master Nāgārjuna
instructs the King to follow the basic Buddhist teachings and encourages him to
govern with humanity and justice. The comparative study method is applied in this
research, using primary and secondary sources. The main purpose of this research is
to show how counseling on legality and virtuous provisions of the Suhṛllekha
contributes to enhance social progress. A residual aim is to identify the Theravāda
Buddhist teachings contained in the teachings of the Mahayāna Buddhist
philosopher. Suhṛllekha criticizes some of the views expressed in the Upanishads
such as determinism, rationalism, and naturalism. It is also an important historical
literature source, as it reveals various doctrinal views that existed in contemporary
society. Although this book is meant to be a letter to a friend, it is written in the form
of four-line verses. However, some of the points mentioned in it are rules and
regulations. The results point out the service rendered by ancient Buddhist poetic
creations in providing the readers with timely advice on modern social issues; and
identify the philosophies that existed in contemporary society. This research focuses
on the modern world of books in ancient literature. It is important to point out that
the practicality of the literary work of Nāgārjuna is equally valid for modernity.
