[Buddha-l] Re: Buddhist pacifism

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Thu, 2005-10-13 at 07:55 -0400, Tom Troughton wrote:

> If I understand you both well, you would let loved ones suffer rather
> than damage your own purity. Is this typical of Buddhist moral
> thinking?

It has nothing to do with purity. Buddhist moral thinking is based on
upekkhaa (non-partiality). If something is threatening my life, or the
life of a loved one, then someone is going to die. If I kill the
aggressor, then someone is going to die. In either case, somebody dies.
Why prefer one death to another? Just let things happen as they may.
That is Buddhist moral thinking. (Read your Shantideva.)

-- 
Richard Hayes