[Buddha-l] Buddhism & War

[Richard Hayes]

On Saturday 10 November 2007 03:22, Ngawang Dorje wrote:

>   Apparently it is legitimate to use someone's mother as a hostage in
> Buddhism. No?
>
>   Dutthagamani is reported also to have said:
> "Not for the joy of sovereignty is this toil of mine, my striving (has
> been) ever to establish the doctrine of the Sambuddha."
> http://www.vipassana.com/resources/mahavamsa/mhv25.php
>
>   I am interested in how would Buddhists explain theses passages to
> non-Buddhist/skeptics?

Claiming to be a Buddhist does not guarantee that one has abandoned greed, 
hatred and delusion, nor does it insure that one has transcended the sort of 
ugly sectarianism and racism manifested by Dutthugamani. His behaviour pretty 
much confirms the teachings of the Buddha, who seems to regards kings (and 
military commanders in general) are pretty dangerous beings to have around. 
That Dutthugamani, a king with imperialistic aspirations, did not have the 
wisdom or compassion to follow the Buddha's essentially pacifist teachings 
comes as no big surprise. More surprising, perhaps, is that the majority of 
the bhikkhu-sangha supported him in his dastardly enterprises. But that is 
about what one can expect of any organized religion. Organization into groups 
does tend to breed violence, and to prepare one for pawnship.

-- 
Richard Peace Hayes