[Buddha-l] Buddhist pacifism

[Joy Vriens]

Dan Lusthaus wrote:
> To repeat, my interest is less in passing judgement on long-ago events as
> much as evaluating -- historically -- the strategies Buddhists used to deal
> with persecution, invasion, etc., and observe their effectiveness and
> consequences. Before advocating a naive adoption of certain principles of
> action, it seems prudent to look back at how successful or unsuccessful
> those strategies were in the past, so that we can learn how to improve
> them -- just as many today would advocate , without much resistance,
> revisiting Buddhist treatment of women, monastic authority (guru abusing
> devotees scandals), and a host of other Buddhist issues that seem to be in
> serious need of revision.

I think I start to see your point, or at least one of them.

Can one judge or evaluate Buddhism on its "strategies" of dealing with 
persecution, invasion, etc., and observe their effectiveness and 
consequences? Did Buddhism actually have that intention or did it have 
"strategies", and was it trying to implement the strategies that had the 
greatest effectiveness and consequences? Some Buddhists might have had.

On the other hand it is legitimate as you seem to suggest to wonder 
whether as contemporary Buddhists or as people sympathetic to Buddhism, 
pacifism is the best solution in every conflict our world is confronted 
with.

Joy