OVERVIEW
Generally speaking, Buddhists throughout history have regarded slavery as a breach of the compassionate treatment of all beings. It is not really clear whether the sciptures specifically forbid slavery. Generally it would be discussed as a subject covered by one of these headings:

1) The Five forbidden professions (soldier, hunter, seller of harmful drugs or poisons, dairy farmer, butcher). However I think there is no scriptural authority for this list and I have seen a number of variants of it, with slave-trader often included. I believe that these are modern lists made up by Therabadin eklders based on their understanding of scripture. I have also seen 'prostitute' in Theravadin lists, and this certainly was not prohibited by the Buddha.

2) Under the Third Precept which forbids sexual abuse. The commentaries specifically mention rape, abuse and sexual relations with 'a person who needs to live under the protection of another'. In other words a child or mentally undeveloped person or sick person. It is held that this precept also forbids slavery - certainly it does cover sexual slavery.

3) Under the First Precept which forbids killing but is understood to include all types of violence. It should be understood that a precept is not just a prohibition. Someone who deliberately kills has broken this precept to the extent that they may no longer describe themselves as a Buddhist. It is a Breach of Refuge. That is why Thai soldiers are publicly excused from being Buddhists during their tours of duty, and take the precepts again at the conclusion of their service.

A precept is merely the start of a practice which is supposed to grow and deepen. So it does not matter whether Buddha 'said it or not'. Making slaves of people definitely something which they would not usually agree to. It is violence.

This has also applied to animals incidentally, with many Buddhists feeling that to make a slave of an animal is also not permitted. This is why the Bodhisattvas, according to some Mahayana texts, do not ride on animals. Buddhist cultures have a history of animal activist minorities.

The Buddha neither held, nor bought, nor sold, nor trafficked, nor directed slaves at any time in his life post-dating his Enlightenment. It is conceivable that he directed slaves in the time of his life as a Prince at Kapilavastu preceding his flight and renunciation.

In the early scriptures it should be noted that the world which means slave either referred to household servants or to the people conquered by the Aryans (Scythians or Sakas, the Buddha's people) who were given lowly tasks. Press<ref>http://purifymind.com/BuddhismSlavery.htm</ref> In general it may be said that Buddhist cultures accepted at least three types of unpaid worker:

1) Household servants were regarded as part of the family, although not treated so well. They might sleep in outside buildings with the animals. Usually they began young. If they wanted to leave, generally speaking they were helped. They were looked after when old. Poor treatmnent of them would blacken one's name in the community.

2) Debt slaves - that is people who had contracted a dept they could not clear - and persons agreeing to become slaves as punishment for crimes, may have been the biggest category. In China, many poor families sold girls as household or sex workers to try to support the others. This was done by Buddhists as well as Confucianists and Taoists. Often Buddhists have accepted slavery of this sort, provided treatment is not harsh and the chance to free oneself was present, and especially as the alternative was very often death by starvation. This usage in China was the largest in the historical Buddhist world. The present largest is sex slavery of Thais and Cambodians who are kidnapped or tricked into forced prostitution. The Buddhist church is working against this: however it should be remembered that Buddhist clergy usually prefer to avoid overt political action.

3) Temple Slaves. In most Buddhist temples, food preparation and some other duties is done by workers who may choose to live at the temple (the Zen approach of making one's own food and growing one's own food was a reaction against this). Some people would end up at the temple permanently. They might be fleeing the law, or very poor, or hated by their brother's new wife: at the Buddhist temple they found somewhere safe to sleep, warmth, flood, and an atmosphere of kindness, If they didn't bother anyone they were allowed to stay, like the hundred dogs and 200 cats that live in each temple. And the people give strays and the unwanted to the temple, dog and cat and human alike. In Burma and Thailand, and perhaps other places, the tradition grew up that a child given in this way could not leave the temple - nor his children - and thus we get temple slaves.

Buddhist abolitionists

The Buddhist Chinese Emperor Wang Mang in the year 9 was probably the first recorded ruler to abolish the slave trade<ref>Thomson, Oliver "A History of Sin" (1993 hardback). Canongate Press<ref>http://www.vexen.co.uk/religion/slavery.html</ref>.

The Dharma of Slavery in Modern Times

Mongkut of Siam, the Buddhist King of Siam in the 19th Century is known to have held multitudes of slaves and to have taken female slaves among his wives. However, King
Thibaw of Burma paid 40,000 rupees in 1883 to redeem a great number of slaves.
Press<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/history/slavery.shtml</ref>

Under the Buddhist rule of the Dalai Lamas, Tibet was a feudal society in which most people were serfs and in which a form of slavery was practiced. The nature and extent of slavery in Tibet is controversial. Tibetans generally play down the severity of the oppression of slaves, while supporters of Chinese rule justify the Chinese invasion of Tibet as having as its purpose the liberation of Tibetan slaves and serfs. Under Chinese rule since 1959 slavery and serfdom have been abolished.

It should be noted, however, that what we now call Tibet referred to a number of countries, many, such as Ling and Wanghchen, which although acknowledging the overlordship of the Dalai Lama, were not governed by the Tibetan Parliament but by their own kings, who often made harsh laws for the world's most harsh and remote locations. However, although Tibet was somewhat medieval in its government system, to call that system feudalism and the people serfs is very much at variance within the freedom of the population. The Tibetans invariably consider that it was under the Chinese that they first became serfs. The invaders may very well have a different story.

Notes

Conversations with Ven. Chao Khun Suviraya, Pannasiha Mahathero, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Dzogsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Geoff Byng.

See also

Slavery and religion