[Buddha-l] Buddhist pacifism

[curt]

The idea that pacifism is essential to Buddhism is a very recent idea, 
as far as I know. I have never seen any evidence that pacifism has been 
a major tenet of any school of Buddhism - or of any major (or, for that 
matter, minor) Buddhist teacher (prior to the present Dalai Lama - none 
his previous incarnations, for instance, where anything like 
pacifistic). Buddhism has been a mainstream religion throughout Asia for 
2500 years. There has never been any move by any "Buddhist" country to 
dismantle its standing army and dissolve all police forces and other 
institutions of "violence". Nor has there been any "call" or "campaign" 
by Buddhists demanding any such thing. Buddhist teachers and/or priests 
have had enormous political influence throughout Asia - advising kings 
and emperors and commanding large followings of their own and also 
controlling vast amounts of wealth. I think that if Asian Buddhists had 
been promoting pacifism all along there would be some pretty clear 
evidence of it. I would be very interested to hear of any such evidence. 
I would also be very interested to know what basis there is for 
considering pacifism to be an essential part of Buddhism.

Dan gave one example of a group of Buddhists who chose to surrender 
rather than fight against Muslim invaders. But as the report clearly 
shows, there were good reasons for the Buddhists to do so: (1) if they 
did put up a fight they would likely be slaughtered if they lost - 
whereas if they just gave up they might come out a lot better, (2) they 
were looking for a change of administration anyway, (3) they did not 
have a fighting force of their own (which does not at all imply that 
they were "pacifists" - maybe they were cowards or weaklings or just 
decadent middle-class types who prefer it when other people to do their 
fighting for them). Is there perhaps some stronger evidence than this?

- Curt

Joy Vriens wrote:

> 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.