[Buddha-l] FW: H-ASIA: New Book: Buddhist Warfare

[Curt Steinmetz]

Talk about straw man arguments.

For "Though traditionally regarded as a peaceful religion" one should 
read "though consistently misrepresented by a few westerners as a 
pacifist religion".

For "Buddhism has a dark side" one should read "we are going to try to 
do everything we can to obfuscate the yawning abyss that separates 
intrinsically violent and intolerant religions such Christianity and 
Islam from the vast majority of religions throughout human history, such 
as Buddhism."

For "On multiple occasions over the past fifteen centuries, Buddhist 
leaders have sanctioned violence" one should read "although neither the 
Buddha nor any significant Buddhist teacher in history has ever 
advocated pacifism, nevertheless we are going to portray any deviation 
from pacifism as if it were somehow a failure and a deviation from the 
teachings of the Buddha."

And so forth.

Curt

JKirkpatrick wrote:
>  
> X-posted --new book of interest; includes chapters by some
> well-known Buddhologers.
> Looks like a must-read.
> JK
> ========================
>
>
> H-ASIA
> Dec. 4 2009
>
> Member's New Book: Buddhist Warfare
> ********************************************
>
> Mark Juergensmeyer and I would like to announce the publication
> of our co-edited volume next month:
>
> BUDDHIST WARFARE, edited by Michael Jerryson and Mark
> Juergensmeyer (New
> York: Oxford University Press, 2010). ISBN: 978-0-19-539483-2
>
> From OUP's website:
>
> Though traditionally regarded as a peaceful religion, Buddhism
> has a dark side. On multiple occasions over the past fifteen
> centuries, Buddhist leaders have sanctioned violence, and even
> war. The eight essays in this book focus on a variety of Buddhist
> traditions, from antiquity to the present, and show that Buddhist
> organizations have used religious images and rhetoric to support
> military conquest throughout history.
>
> Buddhist soldiers in sixth century China were given the
> illustrious status of Bodhisattva after killing their
> adversaries. In seventeenth century Tibet, the Fifth Dalai Lama
> endorsed a Mongol ruler's killing of his rivals. And in
> modern-day Thailand, Buddhist soldiers carry out their duties
> undercover, as fully ordained monks armed with guns.
>
> Buddhist Warfare demonstrates that the discourse on religion and
> violence, usually applied to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity,
> can no longer exclude Buddhist traditions. The book examines
> Buddhist military action in Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia,
> Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and shows that even the most unlikely
> and allegedly pacifist religious traditions are susceptible to
> the violent tendencies of man.
>
> REVIEWS
> "Anyone with idealized notions of Buddhism as a religion fully
> committed to peace and non-violence will benefit from this fine
> collection.
> Outlining how a range of Buddhists have participated in war and
> justified this apparent violation of their ethical principles,
> these essays shed new light on sacred violence, just-war
> discourse, religious nationalism, and religious institutions'
> collaboration with the state.
> This is a rich and timely book." ---Christopher Ives, author of
> Imperial-Way Zen
>
> TABLE OF CONTENTS
> Introduction
>            Michael Jerryson
>
> Buddhism and War
>            Paul Demiéville
>
> Making Merit through Warfare According to the
> Arya-Bodhisattva-gocara-upayavisaya-vikurvana-nirdesa Sutra
>            Stephen Jenkins
>
> Sacralized Warfare: The Fifth Dalai Lama and the Discourse of
> Religious Violence
>            Derek F. Maher
>
> Legalized Violence: Punitive Measures of Buddhist Khans in
> Mongolia
>            Vesna A. Wallace
>
> A Buddhological Critique of “Soldier-Zen” in Wartime Japan
>            Brian Daizen Victoria
>
> Buddhists in China during the Korean War (1951–1953)
>            Xue Yu
>
> Onward Buddhist Soldiers: Preaching to the Sri Lankan Army
>            Daniel Kent
>
> Militarizing Buddhism: Violence in Southern Thailand
>            Michael Jerryson
>
> Afterthoughts
>            Bernard Faure
>
>
> Anyone who wishes more information may contact me off list, or
> visit Amazon.com to view more of the volume:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Buddhist-Warfare-Michael-Jerryson/dp/019539
> 4844/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259727039&sr=8-1
>
> best,
>
> Michael
>
>
> --
> Michael Jerryson
> Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Eckerd College - Letters
> Collegium 4200 54th Ave. S.
> St. Petersburg, FL 33711
> jerrysm at eckerd.edu
> --
>  Michael Jerryson
>  Assistant Professor
>  Eckerd College, Florida
>  jerrysm at eckerd.edu
>
>
>
>
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