[Buddha-l] Buddhist pacifism

[curt]

James A. Stroble wrote:

>I don't appear in the stats for recent postings, but I have to de-lurk
>at this point to say that the list has been taken over by
>substantialists, metaphysical monists and realpolitikers.  Sometimes I
>think you have to maintain eternal vigilance to defend the dharma
>against all sorts of  perversion.  The worst of these is the attempt to
>westernize Buddhism so that the instrumental use of violence is
>acceptable.  Now it bad enought that members of the United States
>administration think they are accomplishing something, making something
>safe, by  means of violence.  But from a Buddhist perspective, this is
>just plain wrong.  I mean plain wrong.  
>	I would like to challenge (damn testosterone! Sorry, Joanna) Curt to
>show one instance where buddhism disavows pacifism.  Of  course we will
>leave out Zen under  Imperial Japan on the grounds that their position
>was Japanese of the time, not Buddhist.
>  
>
Two clear cut examples: (1) Tibet, a Buddhist Theocracy for the last 
1,000 years or so, has all along maintained (and used) a standing army. 
It has also maintained, and used, the death penalty as part of its legal 
system. (2) The Korean monk Sosan Taesa organized a guerrilla army in 
1592 to defend Korea against a foreign invasion. To this day Korean 
Buddhists honor Sosan Taesa and are especially proud of his role as a 
"national hero". The Korean Buddhist Jogye has a several biographies of 
"Great Masters of Korean Buddhism" at this url: 
http://eng.buddhism.or.kr/master/list.asp - look for "Hyoo Jung". 
Instead of "Sosan Taesa" they spell it "Sursan Daesah" - transliteration 
of Korean is extremely non-standardized. All modern day Korean Zen 
Masters trace their lineage, with pride, back to Sosan Taesa and hist 
four most senior students, who served as his lieutenants during the 
guerrilla war that eventually succeeded in repelling the invaders (with 
a little help from the Chinese).

This is a case of the pot calling the kettle a pot. Pacifism is a 
western idea. Buddhism in Asia has never promoted pacifism. Buddhist 
countries have always maintained armies and have used them in 
self-defense. Buddhists, including great teachers and masters have both 
supported this and participated in it, and there has never been a 
"Buddhist" criticism of that fact. Ever.

I'm pretty sure that I am in fact a metaphysical monist and possibly a 
pervert - but I'm not sure about that other stuff. I might be using the 
terminology wrong, but I think that Yogacara is "metaphysically monist" 
- ain't it? And Tantra gets pretty perverted sometimes, don't it?

- Curt