Myanmar soldiers behaving badly.

hermitwin

They are supposed to be buddhists.
Proof once again, that people are capable of such atrocities.

federica

what's that you were saying about Buddhism being superior?

hermitwin

Did I say Buddhism was superior?
Reference and link, please.

TheEccentric

federica said:

what's that you were saying about Buddhism being superior?

These people aren't even following it correctly. I wonder if they actually know what Buddhism is, they probably just call themselves Buddhist but do not know anything about what it means to be one.

Tosh

When I joined the British army at age 16 the recruiting sergeant asked me what religion I was and because I'd had almost no religious education I said, "Er, Protestant!" because I knew I wasn't a Catholic (we had a Catholic family that lived across the road from us; and they used to go to church 'n' stuff).

The recruiting sergeant said, "I'll stick you down as Church of England then!"

Subsequently my identity discs (dog tags) said "C of E" on them, now was I a Christian or wasn't I?

Concepts eh!

klmeer

And if you got kia which you obviously didnt ,was tehre a protestant burial,funeral lined up for you ?

klmeer

And would you in fact have cared if youd got a catholic on e .?

Tosh

@klmeer, I'm not really bothered what happens to my body when I'm gone. I carry a donor card, so I'd like any decent bits of me re-used. I'd be happy to donate the rest to medical science.

But funerals aren't really for the dead, they're for the people who we've left behind; it's for them to find some closure.

hermitwin

I dont need a funeral for closure, do you?
will those who needs funeral for closure please put up their hands.

hermitwin

Too often, we make assumptions about what other people need or dont need.

Tosh

hermitwin said:

I dont need a funeral for closure, do you?
will those who needs funeral for closure please put up their hands.

When I've had loved ones die, yes **puts up hand** the funeral helped with the grieving process. It would be unthinking of us to believe that when we die that people won't grieve.

Even when pets have died, I've buried them with some respect, in a nice place, wrapped up in something nice. It did nothing for them - they're dead - but it helped me.

I'm guessing you're young.

hermitwin

No, I am not young.
and I come from a culture where elaborate funeral rites
cost up wards of $5000.
my conclusion is people do all this out of fear.
fear that if they dont do all these, they are not being filial.
and fear that if they dont do it right, the ghost will come back and
haunt them.
to me, why waste money on a nice coffin, flowers etc?
use the money for charity instead.

hermitwin

but of course, if you like it, do it.

vinlyn

TheEccentric said:

federica said:

what's that you were saying about Buddhism being superior?

These people aren't even following it correctly. I wonder if they actually know what Buddhism is, they probably just call themselves Buddhist but do not know anything about what it means to be one.

I guess you're sort of like George Bush. You're the decider...in this case of who is and isn't Buddhism. Or, perhaps, you could be the Pope of Buddhism and decide to excommunicate them.

Judge not, lest ye be judged. I know that's a Christian saying, but it applies here. It is not up to anyone else to decide if a person is Buddhist. Because if it is, then I could decide that all Zens or Mahayanans are not really Buddhists.

Oh, make no mistake, these folks deserve criticism. But I'm sure each and every one of us has failed to uphold the basic principles of Buddhism many a time...and that includes you (and me).

TheEccentric

vinlyn said:

TheEccentric said:

federica said:

what's that you were saying about Buddhism being superior?

These people aren't even following it correctly. I wonder if they actually know what Buddhism is, they probably just call themselves Buddhist but do not know anything about what it means to be one.

I guess you're sort of like George Bush. You're the decider...in this case of who is and isn't Buddhism. Or, perhaps, you could be the Pope of Buddhism and decide to excommunicate them.

Judge not, lest ye be judged. I know that's a Christian saying, but it applies here. It is not up to anyone else to decide if a person is Buddhist. Because if it is, then I could decide that all Zens or Mahayanans are not really Buddhists.

Oh, make no mistake, these folks deserve criticism. But I'm sure each and every one of us has failed to uphold the basic principles of Buddhism many a time...and that includes you (and me).

I'm not saying they aren't Buddhists exactly, just that they probably know nothing about Buddhism which is pretty obvious.

vinlyn

They know nothing about your Buddhism. You don't know what they know about Burmese Buddhism. In fact, I doubt you know anything about Burmese Buddhism.

TheEccentric

vinlyn said:

They know nothing about your Buddhism. You don't know what they know about Burmese Buddhism. In fact, I doubt you know anything about Burmese Buddhism.

I'm sure Burmese Buddhism still teaches about non-violence and loving kindness as I'm sure all forms of Buddhism do.

vinlyn

I think what you need to do is read a comprehensive history of Southeast Asia...and I'm talking about going back to let's say 1200 and begin moving forward up to the influence of western colonialism. You'll find that the numerous Buddhist kings of "Burma", "Thailand", and so forth, weren't very Buddhist-like in their wars, mass kidnappings, pillaging, and so forth. And yet, to a large extent, they were the men who propagated Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

My point here is that you are constantly trying to imprint your version of Buddhism on all Buddhists.

I have no problem with you, or anyone, saying that some Buddhists are terribly misguided. As I think you are. But, there's that old proverb about walking in another person's shoes.

Of course, all this is just my personal view about Buddhism and life. Each person's mileage may vary.

David

Religion is all too often used as a means of control.

Add an unhealthy dose of fear and they will be eating out of your hands.

vinlyn

Yes, it can be. But I'd suggest you have to be specific to the case in point rather than make that kind of broad generality.

What case are you speaking of, specifically?

Yishai

No True Scotsman Buddhist

Chaz

Yishai said:

No True Scotsman Buddhist

I think this points out an all-too-common trait among humans. That is to try to enforce orthodoxy. It's really hubris.

footiam

Being a soldier, I suppose is an unwholesome job.

ZenBadger

Buddhism has always been involved in war as well as peace, Ashoka Maurya didn't disband his armies after his conversion, the Japanese used Buddhism as a tool of warfare, preparing adherents for a fairly pointless death, monks used guns to defend Tibet against the Chinese in 1950. All Buddhism can do is to help people make the right choices given the full realisation of the situation. If the situation is that the media and politicians are creating a siege mentality then it becomes harder to make those decisions wisely.

TheEccentric

footiam said:

Being a soldier, I suppose is an unwholesome job.

Yes Buddhists don't shoot people.

vinlyn

At least tens of thousands of Buddhists have been in various militaries.

TheEccentric

vinlyn said:

At least tens of thousands of Buddhists have been in various militaries.

I don't understand why people join the military, Buddhist or not, unless absolutely necessary like to stop some one like Hitler war is never the way to go.

vinlyn

In my view, war is often the easy way out for politicians, but at least sometimes it may be the only way out. You gave one good example.

MaryAnne

TheEccentric said:

vinlyn said:

At least tens of thousands of Buddhists have been in various militaries.

I don't understand why people join the military, Buddhist or not, unless absolutely necessary like to stop some one like Hitler war is never the way to go.

The reasons many people join the military is because they more often than not, join at a time of peace, never expecting a war to pop up.
They join because they admire the lifestyle- the discipline and hard work, the training, the commitment to something 'good' and 'useful', should there ever be a need to protect our homeland and citizens.
Many people join when there are few good jobs to be had, as a way to get out of the 'ghettos' and lifestyle of poverty.
Many people join because they feel a 3-yr commitment to service is worth a free college education, when otherwise that educational goal would never be within their means.
And yes, some people do join because -- up until the Viet Nam war-- War had been highly romanticized throughout history as "good guys" against "bad guys" and they missed all the red flags about what bullshit that notion is.
Instead they bought the idea of being one of the "good guys".
That happened again after 9-11 in America. Suddenly, once again, there was an "axis of Evil" to be put down. Americans were generally shocked, hurt, & furious, and young men and women flocked into the service.

ZenBadger

MaryAnne said:

Many people join when there are few good jobs to be had, as a way to get out of the 'ghettos' and lifestyle of poverty.

Yup that applies in virtually every country around the world. I joined up in '87 because I lived in an ex-mining town in the UK midlands. I had a place at university but the jobs or opportunities were thin on the ground for a working-class lad like me. The University Officer Training Corps and then hopefully the Royal Engineers provided a way out of the dole queue following graduation. Unfortunately I lost a lot of my eyesight in the 1989 meningitis epidemic otherwise I would have joined the regular army in 1990.