[Buddha-l] Compassionate Violence? and Buddhist Just War Resource

[Jo]

_Buddhism Transformed: Religious Change in Sri Lanka_. By Richard Gombrich
and Gananath Obeyesekere. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press,
1988.

http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-PHIL/allen.htm   

I just read this 1992 review of a the book, published in 1988, where the
reviewer points out that the research for the book was "conducted for the
most part in the 1960s and especially in the 1970s. ... This means that,
with the exception of several sections near the end of the book, Buddhism
transformed is not analyzed in terms of the tremendous transformations
arising from the ethnic riots of 1983 and the Tamil-Sinhala civil war ever
since."

Worth a read--the reviewer is not whitewashing this book.
Joanna

-----Original Message-----
From: GM [mailto:caodemarte at yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2013 10:13 AM

I am having  great trouble typing with my fingers on this tablet and
overcoming the automatic spellchecker.  I may launch my own just war against
Apple.

The roots of Sinhalese ethno-Buddhist nationalism,  its manifestation
through violence by monks or supported by monks, and their Buddhist
justifications run deep. "Religion and Legitimation of Power in Sri Lanka,"
ed. Bardwell L. Smith, ANIMA Books, 1978 has some interesting essays on the
role of the state and the monk from the alleged arrival of King Asoka's son
Mahinda and four other monks onward. Since Buddhism was entwined with the
state and the state was involved with violence and war the question of their
just use from a Buddhist perspective necessarily arose. I would recommend a
quick read for those interested in Buddhist Just War theories.  
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