[Buddha-l] Re: Buddhist pacifism

[curt]

This is a nice example of what bothers me. If Buddhism is not pacifist, 
then it must be pro-violence. That is a typical "pacifist" stance. 
Pacifists have no monopoly on opposition to violence. Buddhism has 
probably had a positive effect on Asian culture with respect to violence 
and many other social problems - but that is not due to pacifism, which 
has never been embraced by Asian Buddhists. Simply "conceding" that 
Buddhism is not pacifist in no way implies that Buddhism does not 
discourage violence, which it obviously does. The implication that one 
must be a pacifist in order to work against violence, or that a Religion 
must be pacifist in order to be a force for peace in human society only 
makes pacifists look arrogant and more concerned with their own moral 
purity than with actually alleviating suffering.
- Curt

Lee Dillion wrote:

> I suggest we just concede Curt's conclusion that, based on how "the 
> Dharma as applied in reality", Buddhism is not pacifist.  In fact, I 
> think we should all agree that Buddhism is one friggin good religion 
> for calming yourself before you go out and mindfully kill a few 
> peasants and assorted minions.
>
> Booya Buddhism.
>
> Yeah, that's the ticket.
>
>
>
> curt wrote:
>
>> I only call it "Christianizing" when it is done to the complete 
>> exclusion of taking seriously how the Dharma is applied in reality. 
>> Such appears, to me, to be the case with the "Buddhism is inherently 
>> pacifist" argument. "Taking seriously how the Dharma is applied in 
>> reality" would include, for instance, acknowledging that a nation run 
>> by Buddhist monks (Tibet) has never been pacifist, and that a nation 
>> in which Buddhism has been practiced for 1500 years (Korea) numbers 
>> among its national heroes a Zen Master who was the commander of a 
>> guerrilla insurgent army composed exclusively of Buddhist monks to 
>> fight against a foreign invasion.
>> - Curt
>
>
>
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