Summary and Anthology

• what is Ahimsa and where is it found

  - principle of non-harm and non-violence to all living things

  - ties in with Karuna and compassion

  - reflection of respect and sanctity of life

  - present in other Indian traditions, e.g. Jainism and Hinduism.

  - Jains take extreme precautions to not harm any living thing, e.g. by wearing face masks

  - Hindus also practice Ahimsa and are vegetarian. Ghandi protested using non-violent means - this influenced the eventual banning of animal sacrifice in the Vedic tradition

  - in the modern world Ahimsa is a humanitarian concept of peace
• where is Ahimsa broadly found in Buddhism

  - it's the first precept in Buddhism, focusing on intentional actions

  - the eightfold path: Right Livelihood includes not participating in a trade which may cause harm, e.g. the arms trade, butcher trades and the selling of poison and intoxicants and Right Speech

  - in the Vinaya rules monks should avoid cutting down or burning trees, especially as some sentient beings rely on them

  - Buddha always encourages compassion and cooling down anger and violence, as anger is like a poison to the self

  - violence and war isn't endorsed anywhere in Buddhism
• where can Ahimsa be found in scripture

  - the ploughing festival; the Buddha felt deep compassion for the insects whose homes were being ruined

  - the story of Angulamala; he was a violent murderer but the Buddha showed him compassion and didn't fuel his fires, leading him to renounce and become Buddhist

  - the story of the Buddha's jealous cousin Devadatta in the Lotus Sutra, who slandered him and tried to kill him, however the Buddha responded with compassion

  - the 3 major principles of peace in the Lotus Sutra are: attainment of enlightenment for all people, eternal Buddha and practising the Bodhisattva way
• what is the Dalai Lama's view of violence

  - encourages compassion for all so any action should consider others (Bodhisattva path); Ahimsa should be promoted on all levels

  - this comes from education early on

  - people need to 'disarm' themselves from violent and angry thoughts before we can go onto external disarmament (world peace)

  - if we treat the enemy differently it may have positive results
• what is Thich Nhat Hanh's view of violence

  - Vietnamese Zen master, absolute pacifist

  - we consume violence and hatred through media, leading anger to manifest in our collective conscience

  - we need to be aware of what we consume so we deal with anger compassionately; we cannot prevent it but we can deal with it correctly and not take it out on others

  - would rather be killed than go against Ahimsa

  - we need to recognise interconnectedness; everyone is our brother and it's only ignorance that makes us see enemies

  - need to deeply and compassionately listen; linked to Kshanti (patience) and use loving speech
• what are the differing views on vegetarianism in Mahayana and Theravada

  - vegetarianism is more heavily promoted in Mahayana, as there is direct condemnation of meat eating in scripture compared to Theravada (more ambiguity)

  - however it ultimately comes down to the individual; the scripture doesn't represent real life and is not what people actually do
• what are the early views on vegetarianism

  - it was not a requirement for the early Sangha to be vegetarian and the Buddha did not teach that it was a requirement, as food was obtained through Alms or eating with householders

  - Buddha emphasised the avoidance of intentional killing, but eating meat of an animal that was already dead was not forbidden (unlike Jains who were strictly vegetarian)

  - a monk should not eat meat that has been specifically intentionally killed for them and if it was not forbidden
• what are some Theravada views on meat eating

  - certain meats are unallowable and shouldn't be offered to a monk, e.g. elephants, horses, dogs, snakes

  - refusing meat from a donor would affect their karmic merit so should be accepted and monks should not be allowed to pick and choose food; monks can now express preference however

  - lay people have more control over food, but should not be judgemental of those who eat meat if they're vegetarian

  - killing smaller and less intelligent animals is preferable

  - vegetarian shouldn't become disgusted with meat as this is negative attachment

  - Right Livelihood: shouldn't be butcher, hunter or fisherman

  - some link in scripture between vegetarianism and extreme asceticism which the Buddha rejected
• what are some Mahayana views on meat eating

  - in the Bodhisattva Pratimoka it says that all should avoid meat and meat should not be given to monks, however if it is given to monks they should eat it, as meat is 'blameless'

  - eating meat 'extinguishes the seed of compassion'

  - Mahayana scripture makes claims that the Buddha explicitly argues against meat eating

  - all living beings should be treated as if they were a close relative

  - the smell of meat is unpleasant and gives meat eaters a bad reputation

  - meat eating prevents progress in meditation and leads to arrogance; the meat eater sleeps uneasily and has bad dreams, digestion and heath; meat eating leads to a bad rebirth

  - if people stop eating meat there will be no market for it and life can stop being destroyed
• what are the opinions on vegetarianism in different Buddhist countries

  - Chinese and Japanese Buddhism advocate vegetarianism and most Indian Buddhists are also vegetarian

  - in Tibetan Buddhism, it depends where they are as the climate is harsh in Tibet so early Tibetan Buddhists may have eaten meat; however Tibetan Buddhists in the west may be more likely to be vegetarian

  - in Thailand vegetarianism is rare

  - in Burma vegetarianism is recommended and eggs are avoided

  - in Sri Lanka most nuns are vegetarian and no eggs are eaten in monasteries

  - these views differ due to culture, however a lot of Buddhist countries are rife with animal abuse, e.g. elephant riding
• King Asoka on Ahimsa

  - Asoka was a feared King who killed thousands before converting to Buddhism

  - promoted Ahimsa in all religions, the protection of animals, vegetarianism (by limiting the number of animals killed for food in his own kitchens) and condemned hunting on his rock edicts
• Buddhist views on the root of conflict

  - the root of all conflict is the 3 fires, and conflict often comes from attachment to material things and desires

  - false views can also lead to conflict, hatred and division along with the ego and self-importance
• Buddhist views on how to deal with conflict

  - should sought to be resolved by negotiation or diffusing situations (although this is idealistic)

  - all peace starts from within yourself; non-violence is also about internal transformation through the Dharma

  - meditations on the 4 Brahma Viharas can help develop compassion as well as practicing forgiveness

  - a violent act will always have karmic consequences, war is outdated
• Buddhist views on being a solider and self-defense

  - being a soldier is considered wrong livelihood, monks are forbidden to stay with an army and should avoid talking of battles.

  - however in some Buddhist countries, e.g. Thailand, national service is required (although long-term monks are exempt) and the Buddha did recognise the need of an army

  - Buddhism however is not opposed to self defence; if the intention is to save yourself or others but harm is caused it's permissible. defensive violence is better than aggressive violence, may be a skill in means in Mahayana if it's motivated by compassion
• Buddhist scripture on war

  - the Brahmajala Sutra holds that Bodhisattvas shouldn't take any part in war including being spectators or storing weapons

  - there is also a story in the Maha-Vamsawaith of a Sri Lankan King doing into battle to protect Buddhism from the Tamils; the army was accompanied by Buddhist monks and Buddhist relics on spears for protection, and it was suggested that it's not as bad to kill an unvirtuous person as it is to kill a virtuous one

  - Pali-Cannon holds that a liberated person is incapable of deliberately killing anything, and recognises that it happens but doesn't accept it
• what are some historical cases of Buddhism and war

  - some views during the 70s amongst Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laos Buddhists that in killing communists they were not killing people but killing an ideology, and killing communists was killing Mara

  - conflicts between Burma and Myanmar have led to Buddhist monks and householders involving themselves in violent conflict

  - in Japan some of the Buddhist sects had armies to protect them and justified physical violence in defence of the Dharma ; Zen's emphasis on physical and mental discipline was useful for the warrior classes who had Rinzai monks teach them various techniques they could use in fighting, e.g. swords, archery and martial arts; Zen is often known as the way of the warrior

  - conflicts arose between Pure Land and Nichren Buddhism
• what is 'Engaged Buddhism'

  - propogates peaceful resolution and national peace

  - world peace can only begin with personal peace
• what is the anthology about

  Yodhajiva who is a soldier asking the Buddha if he dies, will he get a positive rebirth in heaven, as this is what Hinduism has taught him
• what are the key aspects of the anthology

  - being a soldier is seen as a good thing in Hinduism as if you die in battle you'll get a heavenly rebirth

  - in the epics, there are tales of wars between Gods

  - however the Buddha teaches that if you die in battle you're in a negative mindset and so will be reborn in the hells or as an animal

  - Yodhajiva takes refuge in the teaching of the Buddha, Ahimsa and the Dharma, not what he's been taught previously.