The Buddhist Attitude To God

[Grandpa Harley]

Just cos I like you... taken from "The Lotus Sutra and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda" By He Jingsong, Translated by Thierry Meynard in The Journal of Oriental Studies V. 10 (2000) pp.47-55

 

At the same time, [Daisaku Ikeda in "One thousand Years of Buddhism" (Chinese Edition) ] has observed an essential connection between the two. The existing contradictions between great and small vehicles lay in the development and the changes in the 50 years of the Buddha's teaching. "Even though the fundamental principles he proclaimed were identical, he repeatedly reflected on how to better explain his feelings and its meanings to simple people. Without doubt, in different surroundings, he may have wisely used different methods to teach."

 

As I said, to refine a philosophy over 50 years, you're going to have to recant or contradict what you say. To claim no contradiction over a preaching life that long or interpolation in a 2500 text is the sort of facile nonsense I expect of Christians

[Jun]

I was aware that Buddhists trained in many martial arts historically, and of course see it as no violation of the traditional Buddhist encouragement to do no harm. Pacifism is more harmful than preparing for self-defense.

 

To refer to any methods of warfare as "self-defence" is extremely erroneous. The methods used by the Buddhist warrior priests of Japan could never be mistaken for defensive ones. They were brutal, often going out of their way to destroy anyone who opposed them. Temples were systematically razed and women and children were put to the sword. The following is taken from the Heike monogatari (Tales of the Heike clan):

 

With his naginata Tajima mowed down five of the enemy, but with the sixth his naginata (glaive) snapped asunder in the midst, and flinging it away he drew his tachi (sword),

and chased after them weilding it in the zig-zag style, the interlacing, cross, reversed dragonfly, waterwheel and eight-sides-at-once style,

thus cutting down another eight fully armoured men; but as he brought down the ninth with an exceedingly mighty blow on the helmet

the blade snapped at the hilt. Then, seizing his tanto (knife), which was the only weapon he had left, he plied it as one in a death fury.

 

Hardly defensive!

 

The context of the war? Vying for the capital. The end result? The Heike clan, mostly with the help of the Buddhist warrior armies, were the victors against their enemy (the Taira) and set up their clan as hereditary military dictators, based in Kamakura away from the influence of the Imperial court, and known by the famous title of Shogun. They reduced the Emperor to little more than a figure head and ushered in centuries of warfare and domination by the Samurai class.

 

Why, as a Buddhist priest, am I pointing out these horrific and despicable acts by Buddhists of old? Because, Buddhist or not, people are people. There are certainly those who are able to put into practice the simple teachings of the Buddha - but history shows us that many, many, many were not able and perhaps not willing to let the opinions or desires of others stand in their way. Is Buddhism to blame? No. Buddhism itself strictly advocates non-violence. Power and greed can be all too powerful to some however.

 

Buddha once said: "Everyone knows how they must behave, but how many can actually do it?"

 

Grandpa Harley, that snippet of history on Tibet was informative thank you.

[Grandpa Harley]

The history of Shaolin Temple in China is just as bloody. The portrayal of the Buddhist monks in some of the Kung Fu movies is not that far from the truth.

 

As to the bit about Tibet... I do have more, in a document I researched and wrote a few years ago. Unfortunately, I don't have access to it since I'm currently looking after my mother, so I'm not home. Basically, the reality doesn't match PR, for anyone, does it?

[Jun]

Here is a photo of a Japanese Buddhist warrior Priest (Sõhei).

[Lycorth]

Just cos I like you...

 

Aww, ain't you sweet Thanks for the link.

 

As I said, to refine a philosophy over 50 years, you're going to have to recant or contradict what you say. To claim no contradiction over a preaching life that long or interpolation in a 2500 text is the sort of facile nonsense I expect of Christians

 

Like I said, I made no claim. Just made a statement based upon my current body of knowledge. Come on, man.

 

To refer to any methods of warfare as "self-defence" is extremely erroneous.

 

I disagree, since any weapon or method of combat can be used solely for the purpose of self-defense. But that's another matter, and I'm sure we probably see pretty eye-to-eye on it.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. Medieval Europe is one thing, but I know fuck-all about Japanese history, or that of the rest of Asia. Most informative

 

Why, as a Buddhist priest, am I pointing out these horrific and despicable acts by Buddhists of old? Because, Buddhist or not, people are people. There are certainly those who are able to put into practice the simple teachings of the Buddha - but history shows us that many, many, many were not able and perhaps not willing to let the opinions or desires of others stand in their way. Is Buddhism to blame? No. Buddhism itself strictly advocates non-violence. Power and greed can be all too powerful to some however.

 

And one would be hard-pressed to find a fervent Xian prepared to make a similar statement. It reflects well on he who makes it

 

Buddha once said: "Everyone knows how they must behave, but how many can actually do it?"

 

Indeed - hopefully, we can learn from the past, and see that also there are no perfect ideologies and no magic cures for human failings, save self-control.

[Jun]

I disagree, since any weapon or method of combat can be used solely for the purpose of self-defense.

 

It's just the term SELF-DEFENCE to which I was referring, not the methods or techniques/weapons. An army (in the case of the Heike incident numbering 24,000 people) intent on destroying an enemy is not SELF-DEFENCE.

 

The term self-defence implies just that DEFENSIVE measures to be used by the SELF in a conflict. Again, I'm not referring to the techniques or methods used, just to the context in which it was used.

[Lycorth]

Hear ya barking loud n' clear, big dawg