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wisdom from the barrel of an AK-47?
genkaku
Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
I wrote this on my blog this morning and am too lazy to reproduce it all here. Basically, it concerns the spiritual anguish felt by Mikhail Kalashnikov, inventor of the much-used and excellent AK-47 assault rifle who died last month at 94.
"My spiritual pain is unbearable.How many other men and women have the courage to shoulder their own responsibilities so boldly?
"I keep having the same unsolved question: if my rifle claimed people's lives, then can it be that I... a Christian and an Orthodox believer, was to blame for their deaths?" he asked.
"The longer I live," he continued, "the more this question drills itself into my brain and the more I wonder why the Lord allowed man to have the devilish desires of envy, greed and aggression".
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Comments
I actually have an ak, its a gloriously dependable weapon. My ak has never killed a person or an animal, cause neither have i, but it has hit plenty of targets. Its such an evil piece of metal and wood that i feel like a sith lord... Muhaha ha.
I wonder if mr. Ginsu feels guilty for all the people stabbed to death by his knives :-).
Nearly Every technological advancement is a double edged sword.
My Zen teacher once said, "Without ego, nothing gets done." Put in less 'Buddhist' terms, "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs." But don't you think there is some danger to raising up what is "good" and thereby skipping over what is "bad?" Eg. Kalashnikov's moral concerns are trumped by the good the AK-47 may arguably have done ... so we give ourselves permission of forgetaboutit when it comes to negative aspects? Is this a recipe for any sort of reliable peace or is it more a kind of slipshod absolution?
No criticism from here ... just asking the questions.
I haven't found an english translation of the full russian text - would be interested to read the whole thing.
A few things strike me on a cursory observation of the limited material.
He started attending church at 91 and was baptised.
His daughter (I think I read) stated he didn't attend church or live by the commandments as he was of that generation (?).
He was a staunch soviet nationalist.
He was proud of his creation and proud of the fatherland.
Pre-mortem repentance is part of his faith.
The paragraphs above made me pause... 'unsolved' after all these years... why did the Lord allow it... devilish desires...
Doesn't personally hit me as courage or taking responsibility.
Very interesting definition of heaven... a place to meet kalashnikov and oppenheimer.
And I know the motor car has killed far more people than the AK 47; should Henry Ford have tortured himself over that too?
@Jayantha
I am always amazed as a Canadian (living conveniently under the geological protection of the USA) and as a Buddhist, just how fervently the gun culture is defended south of the 49th. I often make reference of the American Buddhists that I've read here on NB that espouse the righteous possession of guns, when discussing this issue with other Buddhist friends.
I do understand the seductive appeal of having something that gives one so much control over ones domain but just how does that have anything to do the renunciation that you are about to embark on?
I think that the fact that anything can be misused and anything can cause harm does not in itself excuse one's possession of a device only designed to cause harm.
But I also live in a place where I do not believe that the threat against my being justifies my possession of a point and kill device.
Perhaps if I lived where you do, I'd change my mind.
This is not a criticize but a genuine question from someone who has walked beside many others on their way to ordination who I think would be similarly puzzled.
There is no practical use for a broadsword or a katana, but in the modern world they are clumsy for self-defense. A gun is fairly simple to understand, and with rudimentary training, you can learn to at least shoot in the right direction.
I hike in the mountains where there are wild beasts 4 or 5 times my size. So a large handgun is just a statement of not wanting to be mauled.
A handgun on the nightstand is a statement of showing extreme intolerance for people visiting violence on my family.
I think I'm familiar with the other versions, but from this forum and DharmaWheel, I get the impression that there is a variety of Buddhism where somewhere in the 10 precepts is wedged the 2nd amendment.
Don't get me wrong-- I don't follow all the precepts-- I have kids, drink booze in moderation with food, tell white lies if it smooth out social interactions-- but I try to do that stuff conscious that I'm breaking a Buddhist rule and I have good reasons for it.
In which form of Buddhism is a solution that entails death the default good? Is there an esoteric reading of the 1st precept that I don't understand? Was the first precept just expedient means for dim witted folk from long ago and now we are much cleverer and can effortless navigate the purported problems with killing?
Why would it have anything to do with my renunciation? Stereotypes are a bitch... I have the same issues with tattoos, its still weird for me to see monks with tattoos, but thats my problem, not theirs.
@jayantha -- You say "nearly." Can you name one that is not? And how about what lies outside the technological realm?
My Zen teacher once said, "Without ego, nothing gets done." Put in less 'Buddhist' terms, "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs." But don't you think there is some danger to raising up what is "good" and thereby skipping over what is "bad?" Eg. Kalashnikov's moral concerns are trumped by the good the AK-47 may arguably have done ... so we give ourselves permission of forgetaboutit when it comes to negative aspects? Is this a recipe for any sort of reliable peace or is it more a kind of slipshod absolution?
No criticism from here ... just asking the questions.
I originally said all, but then i thought about it and figured im sure there is at least one that might not be. I have no examples but better to air on the side of caution.
I will say that i feel that people should recognize both uses, the good and the bad, instead of just the bad. Reality is never black and white.
The proposition therefore seems to be that one then invades their territory further and to top it off, one is armed to the teeth in the event that nature takes its course.
This to me is symptomatic of our ignorant propensity to put humans at the front of focus and then build the universe around it.
How can anyone really argue against protection of 'family'? Multiply by 7 billion and here we are...
Just alot of judgement on here, but its because of background and age of most of the people.
Listen, have i slept in the woods alone, at night, in known bear and mountain lion areas with no way to protect myself?
Yes i have, more then once. i trust in the teachings and believe in the dhamma protecting because of my own practice and experience. I will never begrudge someone else who would rather trust a rifle on their shoulder though. I was there once myself.
I will say that i feel that people should recognize both uses, the good and the bad, instead of just the bad. Reality is never black and white.
The good use of crack cocaine, for instance, is that it makes people happy.
I didn't comment on that issue - Fault or not, there it is multiplied by 7 billion.
Begrudge, no - question, yes.
I have... and I have witnessed kids die in front of my eyes from their effect - it's not nice really, and the ripples and implications are so immense.
Trying to stitch a hole in a heart or lung is not an easy thing to do. Especially when you as a medical professional have to cut them almost in half to reach these vital organs.
Reality bites and it obviously bit into Kalashnikov.
How many other people would feel the same if they knew the reality that their thoughts and could have on another being. Some do and that is how Jainism arose.
Generalise as much as you like but regret and death is something personal. Kalashnikov has experienced both, but his legacy continues.
I'm afraid you'll have to be more clear about "family and 7 billion more." Do you mean to say that all humans are family and I should show no preferential treatment to my wife? Well pound sand if that's the case. I'm not worth my salt if I don't protect my family from danger. I'm not exactly sure what alternative you are promoting to using force against violent minded intruders.
But it is the use of weapons on other human beings that I abhor. And they are used too frequently and freely. I have voluntarily taken part in an initiative in London educating children about gangs and gun and knife crime with the metropolitan police. The most scary thing I have found is that children as young as 9 or 10 can distinguish and name the silhouette of a machine gun or other weapon, simply because they play 'call of duty'
http://www.codghosts.net/weapons-list/
Well he didn't exactly choose to go into that business. He developed the rifle in order to stem off the Nazi invasion of his country, and as you know the Nazi's invaded many countries, killed millions, and that's before we even get to the concentration camps. The Russian Government then took the design and massed produced it. He came up with the design, he did not start up a company or something. It wasn't a business.
Kalashnikov had awards and military ranks lavished upon him by the USSR because of the success of the design. But never was it really his choice for it to be so widely produced and used. It'd be like someone inventing fire and then finding out that their government burned down villages for a living.
Why would it have anything to do with my renunciation?
Because you are in a circling pattern, waiting to land into Theravada robes, while speaking of the moral neutrality of your automatic assault rifle. Perhaps crystal meth is just as morally neutral because it could be used by someone somewhere for something good.
No niggles yet..
OK
The 8FP.... livelyhoods...trading or selling of weapons????
perhaps your reasoning is that" possession is OK as long as they are not traded or sold ?
Oh to be a fly on the wall when you ask a senior where you can store your AK.
Unsung hero of maths.
I admit to thinking that the precept as stated, if true, is ludicrous. If true, I guess I would have to have my hands removed, since I might conceivably strangle someone with them. And get my arm muscles removed, since they bring force to the hands. And feet removed since I might need to walk to the place where I strangled my victim. And brain removed since plotting the crime might be necessary.
Precepts, as far as I can see, are offered as reminders of responsibility, not as anything someone might actually get a gold star for accomplishing. Everyone has the capacity to lie, cheat, steal, kill, etc. Whether and how they choose to exercise the capacity and to what degree ... that strikes me as being the point.
On Jan 11 you joined New Buddhist.
On January 13 you told us to pound sand. And you like a gun on your night table because you have extreme intolerance.
Buddhism has much to offer you. I hope you'll stay.
Its easy to have metta and respect for someone when you agree, its much harder when an issue like this comes up where people from different backgrounds have very little chance of understanding each other without much work.
We all have biases and we all have beliefs that we cling to to be true.. All to eventually be given up through the practice when we are ready.
And Robert Gates, in an interview for his controversial book "Duty", said he left the DoD because he could no longer make decisions that would send men and women to their deaths, due to feelings of guilt and anguish. He has requested burial in Arlington National Cemetary as well.
When I joined the Army and moved south and then to the northwest, everyone had one. It's not unusual to see people with Dirty Harry guns on their hips where I live now. I don't give it a second thought.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_Arms_Company
The answers to it for me calls for a levels of courage that I might not possess.
What is harmlessness and just how far are any of us willing to take it?
What fears harmlessness enough to say Ok, I like that part of Buddhism but I am going to have to draw the line here with this part of it because it threatens Me?
Are the arguments we foster to justify our positions, based on Dharmic exploration or our own fears of loss?
This is why I understand Frozens stance... And i wonder how many of us self professed peace loving buddhists would not defend their family from harm in a life or death situation. There is a huge difference between being all pious on a forum compared to a real life situation.
I think at the points where the community is not at consensus and has strong feelings, it might be worthwhile to remember that everyone would react strongly to a wide category of things-- human sacrifice (say of the Aztec beating heart removal sort), torture, but especially the most brutal sort. On issues like that, we presumably all agree and if we were faced with it, or a proponent, we would and should react vigorously. Hopefully with equanimity (about how things will turn out despite our efforts) & compassion & so on, but we'd be compelled to react. The areas that seem to cause the most heat (vegetarianism, gun ownership & use) seem to be the ones that ask the most of people to change in a difficult way.
Maybe the problem in this country (USA) is cultural. We have a violent history, replete with war and suppression of others. It's maybe what we value; might makes right-a meaningless, violent society where ME is the center of the universe-could this be the problem? As far as I know the Swiss or Canadian's don't have near the firearms deaths, yet there are a plethora of guns in their societies.
I love hearing from you!
I hope you keep in touch with us when you go forth.
Before i leave i will post my blog and email info for people to keep in touch. Only 4 more months, unless the process of acceptance takes longer. I may have to video tape my ordination for @how to see if he can spot an ak-47 in the background ;-) ahaha.
I don't particularly like guns, and I don't own any at the present. I did in the past, however. After someone tried to break through my old apartment's front door with obviously violent intentions, I realized that I was inadequately prepared to defend my loved ones. So I bought a gun. I was totally willing to use to it to take the health or life of a predatory aggressor in order to preserve the health and lives of my family members.
Samsaric? Indeed. Choosing life over death, or to preserve a loved one rather than lose them, is the rawest expression of samsaric life. It's also the most understandable.