An interesting blog just came to my attention via the E-Sangha Forums.
Buddhist Military Sangha is a blog describing itself as "an online resource for Buddhists associated with the United States Armed Forces."
Welcome to the Buddhist Military Sangha! This is a nonpolitical and nonsectarian forum for Buddhists serving in the US Armed Forces. Our Mission Statement:Now I'm sure some of the pacifist extremists out there won't approve, but I personally believe that armies are required by society, and somebody has to staff them. Even the wheel-turning monarch described in the Pali Canon has an army. Ideally armies never actually kill anyone, but history has shown that they at least need to be present in order to deter invasion.
- Provide a welcoming and positive forum for Buddhists currently serving or who have served in the military to communicate with and support one another.
- Recognize and promote honorable military service as in accord with the Eightfold Path's Right Livelihood.
- Correct misconceptions about Buddhists serving in the military.
- Help Buddhists unfamiliar with the military understand the jobs of their relatives and friends who are serving or who have served, and who love and respect the military profession.
- Help Buddhist Sanghas learn how to support and understand Buddhist military members, veterans, and their families.
- Represent the importance of religious pluralism and diversity in today's military population, and by extension in American society.
- Provide information about Buddhist Military Chaplaincy in US Armed Forces.
I'd much rather have an army staffed with people who feel that hatred is bad and that killing is wrong than one staffed with people who delight in hatefully killing and torturing others. If someone has to kill, at the very least it should be a rational decision with the view that killing is bad and not be done out of hatred with the view that killing is perfectly fine. So I'm personally happy to see Buddhists who are willing to make the sacrifice of serving in the armed forces.
An interesting essay on the subject of Buddhism and warriors is Buddhism & The Soldier by Major General Ananda Weerasekera. It should be reiterated, as is done in his essay in bold type:
However it should be stressed that a soldier like all others is subject to the law of Kamma and will not escape the Kammic fruits of "taking the Life"of a sentient being (panatipatha) even though he may have had the overall noble intention of protecting his country and his people.
Since this is true, Buddhists should realize that soldiers are putting their kamma on the line, not just their lives. Essentially they're putting not only their current life on the line but future lives as well. This is worthy of respect, in my opinion, especially when those soldiers realize this.
1 comments:
Of course there will be people who diasgree with you, but on this issue I tend to agree with your view. I agree that society needs an army, and that it is better to have soldiers that fully understand the implications of what they do rather then the people who delight in killing. I agree that killing is wrong, but if society were to give up the military completely then we wouldn't have a country or a society left because someone would come and conquer us.
In my opinion the idea that we as a nation can have open dialogue with Islamic extremists in the hopes of coming to some understanding and common ground is a fallacy and a dangerous one at that.
As a Buddhist it's tough for me to have this view but I recognize that I do and struggle with it at times. I really don't believe world peace is possible in the ideal sense. Perhaps that is why I wish to ordain. I want to be in a position in society where the only really acceptable thing to do is practice the Dhamma and set an example for others to do the same. Sometimes thinking about war, politics and the rest of all the endless problems gets wearisome, but these are the things that exist in the world. Insightful post.
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