Excerpt: Buddhist Perspective of War
Excerpt: Buddhist Perspective of War
Since wars begin from rage within us, the end of wars begins from love within us. - stonepeace
Buddhist teachings strongly oppose the use of violence, analysing it in psychological terms as the product of greed, hatred and delusion. The false belief in a self (atman) and a desire to protect that self against "others" who are thought to threaten it is seen as one underlying cause of aggression. Buddhism holds that drawing a sharp boundary between self and others leads to the construction of a self-image that sees all that is not of "me and mine" (such as those of another country, race or creed) as alien and threatening. When this strong sense of self is reduced by practising Buddhist teachings, such egocentric preoccupations are thought to subside and to be replaced by a greater appreciation of the kinship among beings. This dissipates the fear and hostility which engender conflict and so removes one of the main causes of violent disputes. When threatened, Buddhists are encouraged to practise patience as well as practices designed to cultivate tolerance and forbearance.* Anger is seen as a negative emotion that serves only to inflame situations and inevitably rebounds, causing negative karmic consequences.
* Practised well, the "enemy" can be touched and transformed by compassion and forgiveness.
- Buddhist Ethics: A Very Short Introduction (Damien Keown)
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Namaste,
Ben, Licensed Unity Teacher as of 1/1/07
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31st October 2006, 03:35 AM
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