[Buddha-l] Buddhist pacifism

[Joy Vriens]

Dan Lusthaus wrote:

> The Buddhists constituted the majority of the
> urban mercantile and artisan class, while the Hindus were mostly rural
> farmers. The area was ruled by Chach, a Hindu brahmin with a rural basis,
> who had usurped control of the government. He supported agriculture and was
> not interested in protecting trade.

Is there an explanation for why people became Buddhists and for what 
classes of people would chose to become Buddhists. E.g. are there many 
cases of farmers turning to Buddhism? Farmers tend to be more 
conservative and I guess that in those days, it must have been a 
profession that wasn't subject to many changes and therefore guaranteed 
a quite regular existence. That being the case, what reasons would they 
have to convert to Buddhism? On the other hand the mercantile and 
artisan class was more subject to the ups and downs of economic activity 
and therefore more anxiety driven. What I want to drive at is did those 
who became or who were lay Buddhists actually have the choice of being 
anything else than merchants and artisans? And if they didn't, one can't 
really speak of their mercantile (capitalist) leanings. It would then be 
more a question of necessity than of preference.

Also I consider "pacifism" or non-violence if you prefer an essential 
and even constitutional part of Buddhism (even though it is more 
pronounced in Jainism). Without it, I wouldn't recognise it as Buddhism.

Joy