In DN 5, translated below by Bhikkhu Bodhi, the Buddha tells a story from ancient times that involves a rich King, Mahavijita, wondering how best to use his accumulated wealth and the advice he got from his chaplain. Here’s what the chaplain said:

Your Majesty’s country is beset by thieves. It s ravaged; villages and towns are being destroyed; the countryside is infested with brigands. If Your Majesty were to tax this region, that would be the wrong thing to do. Suppose Your Majesty were to think: “I will get rid of this plague of robbers by executions and imprisonment, or by fines, threats, and banishment,” the plague would not be properly ended. Those who survived would later harm Your Majesty’s realm. However, with this plan you can completely eliminate the plague. To those in the kingdom who are engaged in cultivating crops and raising cattle, distribute grain and fodder; to those in trade, give capital; to those in government service, assign proper living wages. Then those people, being intent on their own occupations, will not harm the kingdom. Your Majesty’s revenues will be great; the land will be tranquil and not beset by thieves; and the people, with joy in their hearts, playing with their children, will dwell in open houses.

The king accepted the chaplain’s advice, did as he directed, and the result was as he had predicted. The land was no longer beset by thieves and the people dwelled in “open houses”, which means they no longer felt they had to lock their doors.

It is amazing that this advice was recorded thousands of years ago and could serve as a reliable guide to leaders today. Poverty and unemployment encourage thieving and distrust; when we are desperate, we behave differently from when we feel secure. The root cause of damage to villages and towns is entrenched poverty, and the best remedy lies in addressing that directly. Just as America pulled itself out of the great depression in the 1930’s (mostly) through public works projects, the king’s chaplain in the story above recommends supporting people trying to make a living, through three practical suggestions: help farmers, help traders, and pay public servants a living wage.

The alternative, punishing wrongdoers more and more harshly, has proved to be counterproductive over and over again in history. Such an approach cannot result in increased trust and prosperity, let alone contentment. Condemnation without looking at root causes only feeds into an “us and them” psychology, with one side being the “haves” and the other side the “have-nots”.

By understanding this dynamic we can avoid creating dukkha for ourselves and others. In many ways, the Buddha advised us to look for causes and conditions. When we feel an impulse to judge others, we can look more deeply and try to understand why people behave in unhealthy ways. The underlying causes may not excuse harmful behaviors, but they may help us to understand how things came to be how they are.