[Buddha-l] Dharmapala

[Dan Lusthaus]

Dear Federico,

Actually with the Christian parallels you mention, you raise an important 
issue, which is that a pacifistic revisionism -- which is also quite 
modern -- has also been applied to Christianity (with great controversy in 
the 19th c -- but continuing til today). In fact, once the scholars of 
western Buddhism get around to it, they may discover that this way of 
understanding Buddhism was a byproduct of that revisionistic reading of 
Christianity. Until modern times the idea of "onward Christian soldiers" was 
not in question.

As for the passages you missed (as a result of that revisionism) in the New 
Testament, start with Mark 14:47. Parallels: Luke 22:50, John 18:10 and the 
surrounding stories. Notice how the New Testament redactors embellish and 
improve on the story as it continues to develop in the various accounts, 
until Jesus kisses the boo-boo and makes it all better. Key point here: the 
disciples are armed and don't hesitate to use their weapons. Jesus has to 
tell them to put their weapons down. Elsewhere in the NT, Jesus threw over 
the moneylenders and, with some followers held the Temple overnight. At that 
time the Temple was guarded by 200 Roman soldiers, so one shouldn't imagine 
this was a nonviolent activity. There was an insurrection (civil war) going 
on, and Jesus was involved, though not as significant for the rebels as 
another leader, Barabas. Simply put, Christians who want to find 
justification for their militarism can find it in the NT; those who want to 
find justification for pacifism can also find it -- as they argue with each 
other, both will endeavor to explain away the passages the other side brings 
to bear. Such is the nature of religious debate.

So "original Christianity" is at least as problematic a category as 
"original Buddhism," perhaps moreso, since the historical Jesus research has 
shaken a lot of presumed Christological foundations. But that's a discussion 
for another day on another list.

cheers,
Dan