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Buddhist Warfare
B5C
Veteran
"Monks With Guns: Discovering Buddhist Violence By MICHAEL JERRYSON
The publication of Buddhist Warfare, a book I co-edited with Mark Juergensmeyer, is a bittersweet experience as it marks the culmination of a journey that began with an exploration of the peaceful aspects of Buddhism only to end up chronicling portions of its dark side. This journey, which consumed much of the last six years of my life, began in 2003 when my wife and I spent a little over a year in Thailand. It was then that I began to research Buddhist social activism which was going to be the topic of my dissertation.
Rather than look to archives, I decided to speak with Buddhist monks and nuns on the ground. I interviewed monks protecting the forests from big business and villagers from dangerous pesticides; I met and began to chronicle the activities of the first fully ordained Thai Buddhist nun, Dhammananda Bhikkuni; and I met with Thai Buddhist monastic intellectuals.
Military Monks
Then in January 2004, violent attacks broke out in the southern provinces of Thailand, some of which were directed at Buddhist monks. These attacks and the numerous ones to follow shocked the country. But, since contemporary issues and my research interests seemed to be converging, I thought: what better way to study Buddhist activism than to observe Buddhist monks engaged in peacemaking?
Unfortunately, I found very little of this.
During my visits between 2006 and 2008, southern Thai monks shared the challenges of living in their fear-infested communities. All but a few concentrated on survival; peacemaking was the last thing on their minds.
The constant fear and violence took a toll on them. Monks talked about the guns they had bought and now kept at their bedsides. Others spoke heatedly about the violent militant attacks on Buddhist civilians and monasteries. Although the cause of the violence is multilayered—owing much to corruption, drug trade, and corporatization—many monks also felt Islam was to blame. In their minds, the conflict was anchored to the larger discussion of religious violence: Muslims against Buddhists.
http://www.religiondispatches.org/books/2158/monks_with_guns:_discovering_buddhist_violence/
"
This should be debated with most Buddhists. I am Buddhists in philosophical sense. This is what happens when power and corruption grows. Fear reaches the mind of the helpless and have to use violence.
Also add that we are also humans. Buddhists are humans also. Peace is an hardest thing to do than giving into violence.
The publication of Buddhist Warfare, a book I co-edited with Mark Juergensmeyer, is a bittersweet experience as it marks the culmination of a journey that began with an exploration of the peaceful aspects of Buddhism only to end up chronicling portions of its dark side. This journey, which consumed much of the last six years of my life, began in 2003 when my wife and I spent a little over a year in Thailand. It was then that I began to research Buddhist social activism which was going to be the topic of my dissertation.
Rather than look to archives, I decided to speak with Buddhist monks and nuns on the ground. I interviewed monks protecting the forests from big business and villagers from dangerous pesticides; I met and began to chronicle the activities of the first fully ordained Thai Buddhist nun, Dhammananda Bhikkuni; and I met with Thai Buddhist monastic intellectuals.
Military Monks
Then in January 2004, violent attacks broke out in the southern provinces of Thailand, some of which were directed at Buddhist monks. These attacks and the numerous ones to follow shocked the country. But, since contemporary issues and my research interests seemed to be converging, I thought: what better way to study Buddhist activism than to observe Buddhist monks engaged in peacemaking?
Unfortunately, I found very little of this.
During my visits between 2006 and 2008, southern Thai monks shared the challenges of living in their fear-infested communities. All but a few concentrated on survival; peacemaking was the last thing on their minds.
The constant fear and violence took a toll on them. Monks talked about the guns they had bought and now kept at their bedsides. Others spoke heatedly about the violent militant attacks on Buddhist civilians and monasteries. Although the cause of the violence is multilayered—owing much to corruption, drug trade, and corporatization—many monks also felt Islam was to blame. In their minds, the conflict was anchored to the larger discussion of religious violence: Muslims against Buddhists.
http://www.religiondispatches.org/books/2158/monks_with_guns:_discovering_buddhist_violence/
"
This should be debated with most Buddhists. I am Buddhists in philosophical sense. This is what happens when power and corruption grows. Fear reaches the mind of the helpless and have to use violence.
Also add that we are also humans. Buddhists are humans also. Peace is an hardest thing to do than giving into violence.
0
Comments
These monks are performing a social role, like the traditional Catholic priest who become so in the past due to family or social expectations
If these monks kill, they are immediately disrobed
Monks cannot kill for any reason, even self-defense
The wise man left the town and happened to be passing through about a year later. He decided to visit his friend, the cobra. He went to the field and knocked on the cobra's door. Slowly and painfully, the cobra dragged himself out of his hole. He was bruised and cut all over his body. "What happened to you?" the wise man asked. And the cobra replied, "I tried to follow your instructions and be kind to all. So I did not bite the villagers who came to the field. I greeted them politely and with respect. The result was that they beat the crap out of me." The wise man looked at the cobra with surprise and sorrow. Then he said, "I told you not to bite. I didn't tell you not to hiss."
Perhaps the cobra was experiencing the ripening of his karma? : )
Just a thought!
As far as self-defense goes, you can defend yourself without harming although it is much more difficult than plain violence.
Do you know any passage in the Canon that corroborates this opinion of us?
For a layperson, self-defense is not wrong.
But for a Theravada monk, it is forbidden.
If a monk kills another human being for any reason, regardless of intention, they must risrobe.
It is written in the Vinaya rules, here, scroll down to 3:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc1/bmc1.ch04.html
To understand Buddhism, it is important to understand many of the teachings given to monks do not apply to laypeople (and visa versa)
Kind regards
DD
Hence no need for us to be shocked that Monks makes mistakes as well.
Your misunderstanding of Buddhism in your post is characteristic of many of your posts
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/ariyesako/layguide.html
The Bhikkhus' Rules
A Guide for Laypeople
compiled and explained by
Bhikkhu Ariyesako
:coffee:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.021x.than.html
The conflict is historical. The 2 southern provinces were pawns
during the height of the british empire. There were never part of thailand. The people are not thais but ethnic malays. The 2 provinces
were
conveniently handed over to thailand by britain as part of a peace
deal.
Monks are also human beings, most of them are not enlightened.
So, they are just as capable of doing foolish things. I just dont see
Ajahn Chah carrying a gun around.
The temples as a social institution are as prone to getting caught up in conflict as any other group of people. In Korea, after the last Japanese occupation we actually had monks go to war against each other, the ones considering themselves patriots trying to drive out the ones they thought were traitors by following Japanese orders.
The vows say a monk can't kill. So tell the young monk who lives in fear that thugs will break down the door one night and beat him to death, like they did his friends last month, that he has to let it happen to him. Or should he let the thugs force him to take off the robe? It's easy to tell other people to die for their beliefs instead of fight. To look for conflict, though, is something else. People easily become mobs seeing enemies where none exist, and I suppose that can happen to even temples. People are who they are.
In Mahayana,however, killing is ok, even for monks, if it serves a higher purpose. The Dalai Lama has said that if he had encountered Hitler up-close-and-personal, he would have killed him. In Andrew Harvey's book, "Journey to Ladakh", the Tibetan interpreter for the local lama says that it's ok for lamas to kill, because they have an enlightened view of the world that is so different from the mundane perspective that ordinary (unenlightened) people can't begin to comprehend the motives behind certain actions of the lama. They have faith that the enlightened one is acting from compassion.
But to get back more immediately to the OP's topic: I think an article for a Dharma magazine on Thai monk charitable activism, environmentalism, etc. would be very interesting. There is so much discussion in Dharma mags about "engaged Buddhism" (vs. what? passive Buddhism? Monasteries full of monks just meditating?) as if it were a Western invention, I think the Thai example would be eye-opening for some.
Warfare involving monks isn't as uncommon as one might think. Look at Sri Lanka. And Tibetan history is full of armed conflict between the different sects, monateries attacking each other, and so forth. This is where the Tibetan tradition of "warrior monks" came from.
And if we can recognize not just the potential but also the actual killer within, how can we (up close and personal, never mind what anyone else says) clarify this matter?
I don't think it's anything to get into a funk about. This is what it is and Buddhism encourages us to address what is, not just what might be if pigs could fly.