[Buddha-l] Buddhist pacifism

[Joy Vriens]

curt wrote:

> The idea that pacifism is essential to Buddhism is a very recent idea, 
> as far as I know.

Perhaps it's a French surrender monkey thing, but in French pacifism is 
synonymous with non-violence (ahimsa). And ahimsa is not a very recent 
idea as far as I know, but I am not an Indianist.

> 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).

The present one isn't either. I have seen two quotations of his, one 
mentionned by Joanna recently and another one about the invasion of Iraq 
that don't call up the idea of a pacifist for me.

> 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".

Sure, but I was thinking of the Buddhist theory and method, not of the 
way nations behave in which Buddhism was the state religion or 
equivalent to that. Buddhist theories and practices ambition kilesa 
nirodha. I don't see violence or war as an expression of that. When I 
examine whether Christianism is pacifist I rather look at Jesus who 
teaches to turn the other cheek than at Paul Julius II leading the 
military on horseback or at Mr. B.. That is extremely naive, but perhaps 
a bit of naivity would be welcome as an antidote to the dominating 
cynicism.

> 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.

How many philosophers had the dream of being able to influence kings and 
emperors? How many managed to realise their dream? How many were sincere 
teachers? Politics is making concessions. If teachers thought that by 
allying with kings they would promote the cause of their school or of 
Buddhism, they made a double mistake. Serving a king and serving a 
school or for that matter "Buddhism" is not serving the objective of 
Buddhism, which is the most intimate affair there is. One can only take 
care of one's very own "Buddhism".

> 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.

You are interested in the social history of Buddhism, I am thinking of 
its philosophy. The Buddhist objective is peace, a peace soothing like 
the cool moon. Not peace as the opposite of war, but peace. Can you 
conceive that objective as realisable with violence?

Joy