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It is not true that guns have no purpose other than killing. Nonetheless, that's certainly why they were invented, and arguably remains their primary use. To not own weapons would seem to be a logical sub-precept, and was probably considered as such by Gautama, since his people, the Sakyas, followed his teachings and owned no weapons.

Shunryu Suzuki has said that we follow the precepts but are not bound by them. I would interpret this to mean that the precepts do not unburden us from the responsibility of making our own decisions. Life is complex, no generalization can be valid in every set of circumstances. But yes, I will concede that Buddhists should not own guns - that seems just as valid as any other generalization. Perhaps we shouldn't own fly swatters either.

Jane Goodall’s last recorded interview, she passed away on 1 October, 2025. What an inspiring and wonderful human being!

While I know that a lot of Buddhists are vegetarian or vegan, I would recommend that anyone interested in the topic read books like "The Light Eaters" by Zoe Schlanger and tell me afterwards that plants aren't sentient - that is - being aware that they are alive and participating in life in ways we didn't previously comprehend. I see and experience it when spending time with plants and trees as well.

The newer science around plants has led me to believe that we can only be mindful and reverent about how, when, and why we take life to support our own. We can no longer defend being vegetarian/vegan as being less harmful because solely because they are lower on the sentient chain than we believe animals to be. That means that for any of us to survive, we are taking life. There is no way to avoid that.

I grew up hunting and fishing. As I mentioned before it supplements our family's food and kept us off welfare. As an animal lover from the time I was a small child, it wasn't the easiest part of life for me. But I would rather own my own karma, if needed, for taking the lives I take to sustain my own than to pass it off to someone else and pretend like it's not happening. I know so many people who are anti-hunting but who buy factory-farmed meat from the store. The disconnection is incredible to me. At least if I hunt or fish, I am owning that. And the animal lived a free life up to that point. I am not passing the buck onto the rancher or the butcher for my own survival.

Currently, we buy most of our meat locally from sustainable small, family-owned farms that we've visited. I just don't have it in me to hunt. But I think it's still, in a way, a "cowardly" way out of being accountable for my meat eating. Sometimes I would rather hunt and fish. I just don't have time. If I am going to eat meat, I'd rather be responsible for taking it and for the responsibility, reverence, and humility in doing so. I will never be a vegetarian. I do eat a lot of plants, and grow many fruits, veggies, and herbs. But I respect them no less. It's not really any easier for me to weed the garden than to kill a bug, knowing what I do now about plants.

I know this seems off topic 😂 but as a sometimes practicing Buddhist, I'd rather own the gun (or the garden shears) and own the responsibility to the lives I take to sustain myself than to pass it onto someone else. Animals or plants.

@Jeroen said:
If you want to be competent in self defence, why not go and learn martial arts?

I would argue that martial arts isn't going to be much help for a middle aged man trying to defend his family in a home break in against several young men. Or a woman for that matter. To be able to successfully defend yourself or others against several people you'd have to be incredibly good at martial arts.

@Kotishka said:
[Source: Vinland Saga. Dialogue between Thors, a former warrior, and his son]

Thors: Do you want a sword Thorfinn? A sword is a tool to kill. Why do you need it? Whose life do you intend to take?

Thorfinn: Enemies...

Thors: Your enemies? Who are they?

Thors: Well, bad guys like Hafden..

Thors: Listen to me, my son: you don't have enemies. The truth is that nobody has them. Nobody in this entire world deserves to get hurt."

I don't want to try to say that owning a gun is justified as a Buddhist. I just feel like people are generally uncomfortable with guns and imagine that when people have one they go into some sort of Rambo fantasy or blood lust.

Buddhism doesn't justify media consumption, meat eating, driving through insects and a bunch of other things many Buddhist do all the time.

A while ago during a large family gathering my cousin who has been a hunter his whole life was showing people a modern musket loading gun he had. While he was doing it I felt totally comfortable. Later a cousin in law, who hadn't grown up with guns and I'm guessing got one to try to fit in with his married into family, did some target shooting with a handgun. While he was doing it I felt nervous. People who've owned guns their whole lives, know guns, how to use them safely and properly don't think about them like someone who has no familiarity.

I had a bad accident with a knife when I was younger. For a good time after knives, or just the thought of knives gave me anxiety and I'd imagine violent scenarios. Over time with use and Buddhist and psychological techniques I was able to overcome my inner defilements around knives. A Buddhist gun owner ought to be able to control their impulses better than the average human being.

@Lionduck said:
The question, "Should Buddhists own Guns?"
The question should rather be,"What attitude or mind set should Buddhists who own weapons have regarding their ownership and use of said weapons?"

I see it as, a gun has no purpose besides killing. Is it justified in Buddhist thought to possess one? If you want to be competent in self defence, why not go and learn martial arts?

...and the rest

Yes time to rest... Sorry could not resist. Shoot me!

The question, "Should Buddhists own Guns?"
The question should rather be,"What attitude or mind set should Buddhists who own weapons have regarding their ownership and use of said weapons?"

Even if guns are unlikely to disappear, that does not make their presence harmless. Guns in homes make people far more likely to be killed or to die by suicide, and the “good guy with a gun” rarely stops mass shootings, often making situations worse.

The Second Amendment was written for a very different time, today, citizens cannot realistically defend against modern police or the military, but real people are being killed daily in preventable ways. Stronger licensing, background checks, safe storage, and limits on high-capacity weapons would save lives. Treating guns as inevitable ignores the human suffering they cause.

Again we need to agree to disagree.

I know we've had more than one thread on the topic of guns over the years so I went and looked for some more. This is another good one.
https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/23819/empathy-for-gun-owners/p1

I read my own response and find that my feelings really haven't changed much in the past 9 years.

I'm not sure I have a specific position anymore but I have some isolated thoughts on the matter.

Even if you banned gun sales in the US tomorrow a good gun can be maintained for decades or even centuries and bullets can be manufactured at home. Getting the US to a level of guns like the UK or something would take a major effort and there are enough people who wouldn't sell them back or actively fight any effort to take them by force that I think guns are here to stay in the US.

A gun in the home carries a murder risk 2.7 times higher than a home without a gun. You're 20 times more likely to be shot by someone you know than an unknown assailant. And twice as many people die from guns by suicide than homicide. So guns are most dangerous to gun owners.

Much of the original intent behind the second amendment giving the citizen the right to own a firearm was to protect citizens against a tyrannical government takeover. But looking at the state of the military and police forces today even the best equipped and trained citizen militia groups wouldn't stand a chance against that might.

Maybe a good guy with a gun could stop a bad guy with a gun in those occasional situations where there is an active shooter. Unless that good guy is well trained in keeping calm, identifying targets, etc. they are also likely to misfire and cause more trouble than they are preventing. So I think if say anyone wants to carry a firearm around for protection they should have to undergo regular situation and shooting training and get licensed.

I'm not sure there can ever be enough gun control to stop mass shootings. The terror attacks in Europe shows criminals and terrorists can get their hands on guns if they really want. And hunting rifles instead of handguns could easily be used for school shootings, though the way they are carried out might change.

Gun ownership and gun violence is very different for rural areas than it is for large cities, so its tough to apply one gun control law that adequately addresses the needs of both areas.

@Shoshin1 said:

most gun deaths are accidental or suicide.

>
Most gun deaths are suicide. Accidental deaths make up only around 1%, and homicide accounts for about 34%.

Apparently I never said that.

I think its similar to the question of political involvement. Does it move us toward liberation and compassion, or deeper into suffering and entanglement?

We are involved in and with politics whether we like it or not. Even Buddhists, who seek peace and compassion, cannot escape the consequences of silence or inaction. Every choice, every word, shapes the world around us.

Some try to avoid their own discomfort by denying the injustice happening around them, or by claiming both sides are equally to blame, using that as a way to soothe their conscience.

But how involved are we? Do we involve ourselves in a way that further entangles us or do we involve ourselves in a way that leads to greater freedom?

Just making the point that when you point the finger at someone else, there are three pointing back at you. Don't be so quick to judge.

I also know gun owners who are in favor of major changes to gun laws but own them because this is the state of things here and they feel they have a responsibility to their family. The motivation and feeling they have is one of care and responsibility.

Something worth reflecting on is sometimes its hard to have empathy and see things from another's perspective We tend to approach things we ourselves have little personal experience with as being similar to how we would feel.