(a) What teachings of Buddha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (b) ‘The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations.

(a) Buddha's most relevant teachings today

Several of the Buddha's teachings speak directly to contemporary crises:

• The Middle Path — an answer to consumerism and burnout, urging balance over excess.
• Ahimsa and Karuna (non-violence and compassion) — vital amid conflict, intolerance and cruelty to animals and nature.
• Right Livelihood from the Eightfold Path — a template for ethical business and sustainable work.
• Impermanence (Anicca) and mindfulness — remedies for anxiety and the modern mental-health crisis.

They remain relevant because they address suffering at its psychological root rather than its symptoms.

(b) The will to power tamed by rationality and moral duty

Nietzsche's will to power — the drive to dominate — is visible in great-power rivalry, arms races and economic coercion. Yet the statement is valid: this drive can be disciplined. Rationality shows that unrestrained power invites mutual destruction, as nuclear deterrence and the horrors of two World Wars demonstrated. Moral duty, expressed through the UN Charter, international law, arms-control treaties and Kantian respect for sovereignty, channels power towards a rules-based order. India's civilisational stance of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and strategic restraint illustrates power guided by principle.

Conclusion

Buddha's inner discipline and a principled restraint of power converge on the same truth: strength is ethical only when it is governed by wisdom and duty.