REFLECTIONS
The quarterly E-Magazine of the Bucks County Buddhist Sangha
Three disciplines for progress on the Buddhist path are study, reflection and meditation.

Summer Issue August 2007                                                                        Vol. I  Issue 3



Table of contents
                                                    A Single Eye
                                               Zen at War
                                                       Buddhism Betrayed?









“When a war happens, [the Bodhisattva] (1) raises the mind of compassion and teaches the
sentient beings to settle on the foundation of no-fighting. If the great war happens, [the
Bodhisattva] raises the mind of equanimity to embrace both ally and enemy, and with his/her
spirit controls people’s anger, and makes them peaceful and secured.”
                                                      Vimalakirti Sutra chapter 8
      (1) Bodhisattva is a mature spiritual enlightened and compassionate person.

Editor’s Comments
Approximately ten months ago when the decision was made to give this issue the theme of non-
violence I had no idea what a profound effect researching this subject would have on me. I
came to this topic with a strong commitment to non-violence. Yet that commit¬ment has been
galvanized and energized through the preparation for this issue. Since learning how to read as
a child, there have been only three or four books that have deeply affected me to the point of
altering my life. The book - Zen at War - which is reviewed in this issue is one of them . Perhaps
it was the shock of realizing that any religion or philosophy – even one as committed to doing no
harm as Buddhism  - can lose its way and pervert its allegiance to universal love by justifying
wars and violence. Somehow Buddhism seemed immune to such perversion. "Zen at War"
dismembers that illusion!  In so doing, it has forced two questions to front and center. What will
be our commitment to compassion and non-violence? And once clear on that, how then shall
we live out that commitment?

The books reviewed in this issue as well as the articles so graciously submitted all raise
important questions. Are we willing to commit to the First Precept and train diligently in the art of
not harming or destroying life but in preserving and blessing it? Can we be awake and attentive
enough to notice the subtle temptations of aggression? How shall we promote peace and
love?  We live in a world that assumes that violence in an inalienable right and defines courage
as the willingness to kill or destroy. That message is every¬where. Rooting harshness and
aggression out of our speech and our attitudes, takes reflec¬tion, meditation and diligent effort.
Yet the path to inner peace is found in laying down aggressiveness, harshness and violence in
thought, word and action and by taking up universal compassion. We need one another's
support to nurture peace within our¬selves and peace in the world.

Some articles in this issue deal directly with violence while others aid our inner spiritual
evolution to peace. This issue will hopefully provide fodder for a fire that will incinerate the
seeds of anger, greed and violence while stoking the desire for a gentle compassionate world.
Read, enjoy, reflect and respond back with your thoughts.
Dan Lee
###


•        " Whatever you fight you strengthen"    
•        " What you resist – persists”                                             Author , Eckhart Tolle   (These quotes
were submitted by Nancy Paulaskas)
                      
A POEM
   "This being human is a guest house.
   Every morning a new arrival.
   A joy, a depression, a meanness.
   Some momentary awareness comes
    as an unexpected visitor.
   Welcome and entertain all!
   Even if they're a crowd of sorrow,
    who violently sweep your house
    empty of its furniture,
    still, treat each guest honorably.
   He may be clearing you out
    for some new delight.
   The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
    meet them at the door laughing,
    and invite them in.
   Be grateful for whomever comes,
    because each has been sent
    as a guide from beyond."

 by   Jalal ad-Din Rumi, 1207-1273
Poem submitted by Edna Telep
###
THE FOURTEEN PRECEPTS OF ENGAGED BUDDHISM, by The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh
1. Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones.
Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.
2. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being
narrow minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in
order to be open to receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual
knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout your entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in
the world at all times.
3. Do not force others, including children, by any means whatsoever, to adopt your views,
whether by authority, threat, money, propaganda, or even education. However, through
compassionate dialogue, help others renounce fanaticism and narrow-mindedness.
4. Do not avoid suffering or close your eyes before suffering. Do not lose awareness of the
existence of suffering in the life of the world. Find ways to be with those who are suffer¬ing,
including personal contact, visits, images and sounds. By such means, awaken yourself and
others to the reality of suffering in the world.
5. Do not accumulate wealth while millions are hungry. Do not take as the aim of your life fame,
profit, wealth, or sensual pleasure. Live simply and share time, energy, and material resources
with those who are in need.
6. Do not maintain anger or hatred. Learn to penetrate and transform them when they are still
seeds in your consciousness. As soon as they arise, turn your attention to your breath in order
to see and understand the nature of your hatred.
7. Do not lose yourself in dispersion and in your surroundings. Practice mindful breathing to
come back to what is happening in the present moment. Be in touch with what is won¬drous,
refreshing, and healing both inside and around you. Plant seeds of joy, peace, and
understanding in yourself in order to facilitate the work of transformation in the depths of your
consciousness.
8. Do not utter words that can create discord and cause the community to break. Make every
effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
9. Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not
utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be
certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and
constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so
may threaten your own safety.
10. Do not use the Buddhist community for personal gain or profit, or transform your
commu¬nity into a political party. A religious community, however, should take a clear stand
against oppression and injustice and should strive to change the situation without engaging in
partisan conflicts.
11. Do not live with a vocation that is harmful to humans and nature. Do not invest in companies
that deprive others of their chance to live. Select a vocation that helps realize your ideal of
compassion.
12. Do not kill. Do not let others kill. Find whatever means possible to pro¬tect life and prevent
war. *
13. Possess nothing that should belong to others. Respect the property of others, but pre¬vent
others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.
14. Do not mistreat your body. Learn to handle it with respect. Do not look on your body as only
an instrument. Preserve vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the realization of the Way. (For
brothers and sisters who are not monks and nuns :) Sexual expression should not take place
without love and commitment. In sexual relations, be aware of future suffering that may be
caused. To preserve the happiness of others, respect the rights and commitments of others. Be
fully aware of the responsibility of bringing new lives into the world. Meditate on the world into
which you are bringing new beings.

The above is taken from the book 'Interbeing': Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism,
re¬vised edition: Oct. l993 by Thich Nhat Hanh, published by Parallax Press, Berkeley, California
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk, poet, peace activist, and the author of
Being Peace, The Miracle of Mindfulness, and many other books. He lives in a monastic
community in southwestern France called Plum Village, where he teaches, writes, gardens, and
works to help refugees world-wide. He conducts retreats throughout the world on the art of
mindful living, and has conducted special retreats for American Vietnam War veterans,
psychotherapists, artists, environ¬mental activists and children.
* The highlighting of this precept was done by the editor of Reflections.
###


Other Forces

Let go dominion over your hand,
that it may do its own reaping.
Take not up sword or scythe,
but wind, sweat and the brace of skin.

Discharge the sentinel of the eye,
for fall’s bright petition is not for you.
It is the book of emptiness, upon which are weeping
leaves of rebirth and ruin.

Grant your body to the water, where heroes drowned
under the weight of presumption, unwilling
to set to sea their memories and dreams
or cast them about like dandelion.

Undo the anxious knots of the tongue and draw the veil of names.
Speak at last without wishes.
Drink not from the endless heap,
and taste the wordless bittersweet of kisses.

Open the castle door,
for each brick does come undone.
Set the horses of the mind to pasture,
their triumphs numbered less than one.


- by James Reis



Buddhist Light, by Dan Lee  
An Infinite Circle of Love
A human being is a part of the whole called by us "the universe” a part emitted in time and
space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling, as something sepa¬rate from the rest
… This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and afflictions
and for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by
widening the circle of understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the
whole of all nature...
Albert Einstein
Our world pulsates with violence. Daily we witness  hate mail, hate speech, gang vio¬lence,
animal abuse, bullying in our schools, suicide bombers, preemptive wars over nonexis¬tent
weapons of mass destruction, brainwashing, torture, road rage, deforestation,  child abuse,
hate crimes*,  child sexual abuse, date violence, global warming,  domestic violence, nations
invading other countries for their resources, bitter insults spoken in anger, elder abuse, rape,
harassment, cyber-bullying, elder abuse, ethnic cleansing  threats, saber rattling between
nations, put downs and name calling, humiliation, mob violence, police brutality, racial
oppression, toxic waste dumping,  gay-bashing, slavery,  sexism , international child sex trade,
spousal abuse, wars, armed conflicts, death penalty, psy¬chological abuse, intimidation and
coercion. The list of violent acts against one another and our planet is as infinite as the human
imagination.

Television and movies feed on the sensationalism of violence. Movies present violence as
vir¬tuous, exciting and fun. Our newscasters and journalists report the deplorable and pain¬ful
side of violence. So the media ends up reflecting our own ambivalence on the sub¬ject as we
both affirm and deplore the violence around us. Politicians of all types pro¬claim a similar
dichotomy. Society defines patriotism, heroism, masculinity, honor and courage by the
willingness to commit violence and kill. Politicians extol the virtues of those who do. The image
of the soldier and, in this country, the gun slinging cowboy who will fight and kill in order to take
no grief and give no ground is eroticized.

Religion, though at times supports or causes hostility, does at times try to help stem the tidal
wave of violence that seeps into even the nooks and crannies of life. But extremely few religions
speak with a consistent voice against the problem of violence. With varying degrees they
sanctify violence. Only a few months ago a nationally known television evangel¬ist who once ran
for president of the United States publicly called for the assassina¬tion of the President of
Venezuela – a vulgar contradiction to teachings of his religion.  Even Buddhist despite teachings
of  “no killing”  and “doing no harm” - can become intoxicated with nationalism and patriotic duty
or anger and fear and pervert the teachings, bowing to the golden calf of violence and  bloody
their hands and hearts.

Into such a civilization we all have been born. By virtue of our human birth we are faced with a
sober but simple choice. Do we go with the flow and either passively or actively participate in the
world of violence? Or do we renounce violence, giving it no place within our actions, speech or
thoughts? Do we train in not taking life, or train in the "way of the sword"? Do we learn to use
love and do no harm or do we learn to misuse "muscle" and support harming others? These
are questions we have no choice but to answer everyday.  And they must be repeatedly asked
and re-answered in every dimension of who we are. We must answer these questions as
parents, neighbors, acquaintances, citizens, children, family members, voters, taxpayers etc.
If we are to progress along the path to spiritual maturity or enlightenment we have to be¬come
people of gentle compassion. This only happens by deliberate training in compas¬sion and
deliberate training in doing no harm. It is not enough to say, "Well, I am a de¬cent person, I
meditate or pray, I believe the right things so of course I will make choices that will support
nonviolence and peace.” Observation and experience tell us that it is not that simple!  There
have been and are many individuals who meditate and pray regularly and are confident they
believe all the right stuff, whose lives do NOT reflect a nonviolent attitude. We must exert a
conscious effort to develop what in Buddhism are called the Four Boundless Qualities. They are
loving kindness, compassion, equanimity and sympa¬thetic joy. Loving kindness is desiring the
happiness and well-being of others. Compas¬sion, refers to the desire to relieve suffering.
Equanimity means to view ALL others as one with yourself and all beings as one with one
another. In short all are of  equal value. We are all part of a universal whole, interconnected and
inseparable. Sympathetic joy is joyfully delighting in the success, joy or well-being of others as if
it were our very own. The Four Boundless Qualities are summed up best by the late Lama
Patrul Rinpoche when he said:
“To make things as easy as possible to understand, we can summarize the Four Bound¬less
Qualities in the single phrase ‘a kind heart’. Just train yourself to have a kind heart always and
in all situations.”
If another's happiness is genuinely our concern, if we desire their freedom from suffering with
all our heart, if we see the absolute interconnectedness of all creation and as a result delight in
the success and happiness of others, how could we possibly act violently to harm another?
Similarly how could we act violently to harm earth’s minerals, atmosphere and so on that
sustain the lives of all to which we are connected and love?

So what are our training methods of choice? How are we consciously expanding
our compassion and love? What are we doing to increase equanimity and
sympathetic joy? If your answer is- I do not know, then chances are you are not
deepening your well of love and nonviolence – at least not deepening it as much as you are
capable of doing.  

There is no space in this article to expound on specific traditional Buddhist methods for growing
compassion and the other boundless qualities. We can practice reciting the Metta ( Love ) Sutra,
or learn the meditative practice of Tonglen form Pema Chodren’s books. But we can also
develop simple practices of our own. Consciously wish for the happiness of those around you
each time you stop at a traffic light.  Standing before a sales clerk think of their well being.
Reflect on the suffering of others as your own. Act lovingly. Make an effort to see others as
yourself  - creatures wanting to be happy. Step over  or around that ant on the side walk.  
Different methods work best for each of us. The all  important thing is that we increase  
compassion and equanimity. The result is nonviolence. Our nonviolence emanating from inner
peace and the four boundless qualities does make a  difference in the world in which we live.
So may we all train ever so diligently in having “a kind heart.”
* note 1 out of every 6 hate crimes is about sexual identity – gay, lesbian, transsexual,
transvestite etc.

Quotes from Mohandas K. Gandhi
“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it
does is permanent.
Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest
weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.
Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and off at will.  Its seat is in the heart, and it must be
an inseparable part of our being.
Nonviolence and cowardice are contradictory terms. Nonviolence is the greatest virtue,
cowardice the greatest vice. Nonviolence springs from love, cowardice from hate. Nonvio¬lence
always suffers, cowardice would always inflict suffering. Perfect nonviolence is the high¬est
bravery. Nonviolent conduct is never demoralizing, cowardice always is.
It is the law of love that rules mankind. Had violence, i.e. hate, ruled us we should have become
extinct long ago. And yet, the tragedy of it is that the so-called civilized men and nations conduct
themselves as if the basis of society was violence.”
###

Letting Go
By James Reis

The summer 2007 issue of Tricycle magazine contains a compelling and perhaps comfort¬ing
article by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) entitled ‘Hang on to Your Ego’.  Thanks to John
Storm for bringing this to our attention.  In the article, Bhikku helps us to understand that a
healthy ego or ‘self’ is part of the Buddhist path.

So how about the talk we hear about ‘non-ego’, and the practice of ‘no-self’?  We so often hear
the words as an admonition, or command, as if we are not ‘there’ yet. Bhikku suggests that we
“read the ancient texts with new eyes, instead of assuming that the not-self teaching is
counseling egolessness.”  

He goes on to explain that as he saw in his own teacher, the practice of the eightfold path leads
to a healthy sense of who we are and how to act in the world. This happens through a thorough
examination of what we are made of, how karma works, and how attachment is caused.

Through practice, attachment to self-concept may fall away, but the self is not to be hated or
feared. He says “Drop the best happiness that can come from a sense of self because an even
greater happiness; nirvana, totally timeless, limitless, and the unconditioned appears when you
do.”

Bhikku says that healthy spiritual practice will “never ask you to sacrifice your own true well-
being for the sake of anyone or anything else.”  I think that includes concepts like ‘no-self,’ which
might indeed be only a concept if we move too fast, or contrast the initial ex¬periences of
meditative freedom with our muddled selves.

The practice is quite pure, we are not always so.  That is OK.  We are in a good place to start
practicing.  This ‘self’ must be fully investigated in order to move toward enlighten¬ment. Why
would we build a boat to get to Nirvana unless we had discovered some funda¬mental reason
to travel across?

In Zen practice, the spiritual path has a ‘gateless barrier’, where our mind must confront what
seems to be impenetrable attachment.  Koan and sitting practice are aimed at exhausting
clinging, and wearing away at the satisfactions that come from a sense of self. Yet, we don’t
often find an explanation of what is beyond.  Rather, we are asked to examine whether or not our
present condition is satisfactory.

Liberation, enlightenment, no-self, emptiness, must all be defined by their opposite.  As our
practice progresses, we can ask ‘from what’ are we being liberated, and we can ask ‘who is
being liberated.’  If we are diligent, the conditions become ripe for letting go.

How to let go?  First, become calm. Then feel the distinction you have made between ‘out there’
and the perceiver. Then try and locate the perception. Having found percep¬tion to be compound
and without permanence or even location, try and locate the per¬ceiver.  Frustrated, the sense of
self will return.  But with practice, we may find it more rewarding to let go and allow direct
experience of reality.

Most certainly ego is not ever 'extinguished', and yet, spiritual principles look beyond it. It's like a
little shift to not being at the center of ourselves. So then one asks, if that is possible, how or
what is it that is there to experience what is 'beyond the gateless barrier?'..... ah that is the rub.
We don't really want to move beyond because of our attach¬ments. It is when we are so fed up
with our attachments and clearly see their lack of real happiness, that we want to move beyond.
It is then that we begin to see that we have been defined, this ego, by our attachments and not
by anything else.

At that time, there is no longer any holding on, and so there can be no ‘no-self’, there can be no
definition of any such thing, there is nothing to define it.  

So what moves beyond?  A better question is to ask is, what REALLY is here dreaming all this
attachment? When that is looked at with discipline and the maturity of experience, there is direct
knowing. It is not us as we have been defined by our negative emotions, it is not ‘ours,’ but it is
not the extinction of us either. It is growing, guiding, seeking, loving, accepting and it is awake
without defining any object of awareness.

####
. “… Indeed all men live not by what they may intend for their own well-being but by the love that
dwells in others. ... God does not wish men to live apart and that is why He does not reveal to
each man what he needs for himself alone. On the con¬trary, He wishes men to live in peace
and harmony with each other and for this reason He has revealed to each and everyone of them
what all men need, as well as themselves…. Men only think they live by caring only about
themselves; in reality they live by love alone. ”
From Leo Tolstoy’s short story “What Men Live By” The italic emphasis is Tolstoy’s.


QUESTIONS FOR A QUAKER
An interview with Betty Steckman

Betty has been a Quaker since about 1999 (although she attended Quaker meetings with her
parents for a number of years) and a member of the Buddhist Sangha on Bucks County since
the Sangha started. She has served on the Board of Directors and in many ways contributed life,
love and wisdom to the Sangha.

REFLECTIONS: The Buddha’s teachings are clearly non-violent and he made some very strong
statements discouraging participation in war. Yet there have been some very troubling
deviations from those teachings. Two examples are reviewed in this issue. From gen¬eration to
generation the Quakers have shown a remarkable consistency in their paci¬fist stance.
Perhaps there is something American Buddhists can learn from that example. So thank you for
consenting to this interview.

BETTY: Before we get started, just let me say that I’ll answer as best I can, and although I will try
to represent mainstream Quaker thinking, I’m not an expert on this subject—which, by the way,
has filled many books!

REFLECTIONS: Well with that in mind, the Religious Society of Friends, the Quakers, are part of
the Christian tradition. Yet unlike many Christian sects, the Quakers have taken a strong pacifist
stand. I understand that it is referred to as the Peace Testimony. Would you explain a little about
this, please?

BETTY: Quaker testimonies are not required beliefs or creeds, but are ways to live that reflect
our personal experience of God. Commonly recognized testimonies are Simplicity, Peace,
Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship.

The Peace Testimony found its clearest expression in the Declaration to Charles II in 1660:
We utterly deny all outward wars and strife, and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or
under any pretense whatsoever; this is our testimony to the whole world…. The Spirit of Christ,
which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward
weapons, neither for the Kingdom of Christ nor for the Kingdoms of this world…. Therefore, we
cannot learn war any more.

REFLECTIONS: Do you see a connection between the Quaker Peace Testimony and the
teachings of the Buddha?

BETTY: Thich Nhat Hanh has devoted much thought to the whole concept that Jesus and the
Buddha were teaching essentially the same Truth. For me, both Buddhism and Christian¬ity (as
I see it through Quaker eyes) illuminate my spiritual journey. There are differences, but I find the
essentials to be in harmony.

REFLECTIONS:  The history of both Christian and Buddhist traditions are marred with violence
and the justification of violence. If their teachings are similar, how do you account for this in
each?

BETTY: Human nature. Every major religion has a version of the Golden Rule: Treat others as
you would like to be treated. What if we all really followed that? Wow! But we’re human—not very
wise, not very patient, not very tolerant; but very frightened, angry, self-absorbed, hungry.

REFLECTIONS: Since George Fox began the movement we now know as Quaker over three
hundred years ago, the Quakers have consistently held to the principle of pacifism and
nonviolence. How has the organization withstood the pressures and persecutions, remain¬ing
consistent in this stand?  The Quaker example of consistency is to be admired and emulated.

BETTY: Because the Peace Testimony was such a core value for the first Quakers, each
generation has recognized its importance. Our testimonies remain alive down through time
because we revisit them and try to make them relevant in our own individual lives.

In the case of the Peace Testimony, writers and thinkers from George Fox in the 17th cen¬tury to
NPR’s Scott Simon in the 21st century have explored the implications of being a pacifist in
dangerous times. (And they don’t all come to the same conclusion!)

REFLECTIONS: What do you mean by “revisit them and try to make them relevant”? would you
explain that more?

BETTY: Just as the Buddha emphasized the need for people to try out his teachings for
themselves, so do the Quakers believe that what was written down in the Bible is not the final
Word. Divine revelation (or the working of Spirit) continues today. Our own experi¬ence of Spirit
must guide us. So in the case of how to live the Peace Testimony, each of us needs to discern
for ourselves what we are called to do in our own situation.

REFLECTIONS: But the bottom line does not change?

BETTY: The bottom line is that we are called to be true to our highest selves. What that means
is highly individual: some are moved to write letters, or demonstrate, practice civil disobedience,
withhold “war taxes,” or become conscientious objectors. Some of us work to heal the earth and
its beings in some way. And, once in a while, some take up arms in order to prevent or contain
what they see as a great evil.

REFLECTIONS: In the local community—or Friends meeting—how is the commitment to
pacifism, nonviolence and justice transmitted from generation to generation?

BETTY: As with any other sect, what we hold to be central to our lives attracts others who value
the same things, and repels those with different beliefs. So, we just don’t tend to attract
warmongers! But more than that, every Yearly Meeting (large regional organiza¬tions that
represent many local meetings) has a handbook called something like Faith and Practice,
which is a guide to understanding the fundamental affirmations and practices of the Religious
Society of Friends. Attenders considering membership are encour¬aged to familiarize
themselves with this guide before they apply for membership. A Clearness Committee from the
Meeting then meets with the potential member and, through mindful discussion and
questioning, tries to determine whether the applicant and the Meeting would be a good match.

REFLECTIONS: By Meeting do you mean the local congregation?

BETTY: Yes. The Religious Society of Friends is a grass-roots kind of organization—the local
congregation, called the Monthly Meeting, is the basis of membership.

REFLECTIONS: So for someone to become a member of a local Friends meeting they must
prescribe to a commitment to pacifism?

BETTY: No. There are no creeds to which a potential member must subscribe. What we look for
are an openness toward spiritual seeking, a willingness to live life in accordance with the
leadings of Spirit, and a harmony with Quaker practices and beliefs (and it doesn’t hurt to have a
tolerance for diversity as well).

For many years I chose not to become a Quaker because I wasn’t sure I could be a paci¬fist.
That was a misunderstanding on my part. When I realized that my spiritual path was leading me
toward a more “Quakerly” perspective on lots of things, it seemed like a good time to join the
Religious Society of Friends.

REFLECTIONS: Are there Quaker soldiers? And how does or would the Quaker meeting relate
to that person?

BETTY:  Throughout history there have been Quakers who took up arms in what they deeply
believed was a just cause. At the time of the American Revolution, some Quakers felt led to join
the Revolutionary Army. Unwelcome at traditional Meetings, they formed their own Society and
were known as the Free Quakers. (Their Meetinghouse in Philadel¬phia still stands, north of
Independence Mall.) During the Civil War some fought to end slavery. In World War II, not all
Quakers claimed conscientious objector status, although many did. And after 9/11, there was
(and continues to be) a long and serious debate about whether self-defense or defense of one’
s loved ones ever justifies retaliation.

I think that most Quakers try to avoid supporting the culture of violence and conflict to the extent
we feel led. Those who take up military service often serve as noncombatants—medics,
ambulance drivers. And yes, sometimes Quakers do serve as soldiers. It may be apocryphal,
but it is said that William Penn once asked George Fox whether he had to give up his sword if
he joined the Religious Society of Friends. “Wear it as long as thou canst,” was the wise reply.

We try to respect the choices of others, recognizing in our best moments that our freedom to
worship (and to be pacifists) does, in fact, depend on a strong military to protect this country and
its freedoms—such is the irony of our imperfect world.

REFLECTIONS: Are there other ways that nonviolence is reinforced?

BETTY: Of course, our Quaker First Day Schools (Sunday Schools) teach Quaker values to our
children; and those who attend Quaker private schools also get a healthy dose of Quaker values
as well. In addition, Meetings and larger groups sometimes offer retreats that focus on
alternatives to violence and other peace-related topics. The very public stand that many Quakers
take in the cause of peace also keeps the testimony fresh and alive for all of us.

Additionally, our form of doing the business of the Meeting emphasizes waiting in the Light until
we can achieve unity in decision-making. That’s a whole different discussion, but the point is
that we conduct business in a proactively peaceful manner, without “winners and losers” or
unsatisfying compromises that lead to smoldering discontent. It’s one more way to walk in the
ways of peace.

REFLECTIONS: So is it safe to say that in addition to sitting in silent worship there is a lot of
energy put into reinforcing values and ethics?

BETTY: Individual energy, yes. It’s incumbent on each of us to find and act on our own Truth, with
the help of what Quakers variously call God, the Inner Light, or the Inner Teacher.

When you say “a lot of energy put into reinforcing values and ethics,” it sounds like policing
those who don’t meet our criteria. On the contrary, as a caring community, we try to offer help
and when one of our members is struggling or needs clarity on a difficult personal issue.

REFLECTIONS: The Religious Society of Friends is not one of the largest denomina¬tions in
the United States. But for being a David it appears to me to wield a Goliath-like effect on society
and politics. How do you account for this?

BETTY: Are we that important, after all? Sometimes I think the Quakers, like the other Peace
Churches (Mennonite, Amish, and Brethren) are looked down on indulgently by mainstream
America as charmingly quaint and harmless.

We do attract attention, I suppose, through the activities of the American Friends Service
Committee, and by individual Quakers who stand up for what they believe—to the point of
demonstrating, going to jail, and occasionally being martyred. The hostage-taking and death of
Tom Fox a year or so ago in Iraq certainly captured the attention of the interna¬tional press.

REFLECTIONS: Given the potential for even Buddhists to wander off the non violent path, and
knowing the American mindset regarding violence, if all the Buddhist leaders in the USA along
with a representative from each Sangha were gathered together to hear your advice on how to
avoid drifting into condoning or supporting violence, what would you say?

BETTY (laughing): Be nice? Actually, for me—and I can only speak for myself, after all—the word
I use to try to keep myself from being snarky and mean is “Compassion.” Be compassionate to
all sentient beings. We’re all doing the best we can, in our dim and wrong-headed ways and in
our bumbling words and efforts. If we could be compassion¬ate to one another despite our
unskillful behaviors and speech, then maybe we could live the Golden Rule.

REFLECTIONS: And if the second question from the members of this gathering was “How can
we best promote nonviolence and peace?” What would you answer?

BETTY: Teach and model compassion for all things. Treat one another with loving kind¬ness,
knowing that we are one big network of being—ALL of us, including the animals and bugs and
everything. Only by living with mindful compassion for all things can we hope to achieve peace
and prosperity for all—indeed, only in that way can the earth sur¬vive.

REFLECTIONS: Any last thoughts for us?

BETTY:  Just to say that your questions have been most thought-provoking. Thank you for
challenging me to reexamine my Quaker reference books and my own beliefs in re¬sponse.

REFLECTIONS: Thank you.
###

Life is swept along,
next-to-nothing its span.
For one swept to old age
  no shelters exist.
Perceiving this danger in death,
one should drop the world's bait
  and look for peace.
   -- Samyutta Nikaya II, 19
                                              Submitted by Louise Wile


FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Excerpts from the book:  Inner Revolution – Life Liberty and the Pursuit of real Happiness, by
Robert Thurman, Riverhead Books, N.Y., N.Y., 1998 (for¬ward by H. H. the Dalai Lama)

(This book is available in the Buddhist Sangha of Bucks County’s lending library as well as the
Bucks County Public Library.)

“Buddha's vision was for an entirely new kind of civilization, one based on the
assumption of the possibility of enlightenment for all citizens. He placed the highest value on
individual freedom ... [because] as the individuals
evolve toward Buddhahood, so does society evolve toward Buddha-land. (p92)

Buddha abandoned all sides of the many conflicts of the day, [as well as] his royal privi¬lege,
and became a mendicant. He entered a spiritual family, leaving
behind his racial and national identity. He became propertyless, abandoning the
competition for wealth and ownership. He became viewless, abandoning all ideological identity
and all dogmatism. He became selfless, abandoning all personal clamor for recogni¬tion. He
even let go of life abandoning all violent claims to air, food, water and other valuable resources.
Thus abandoning all ordinary roles, he created a new role:  that of the person who lives in the
world but not of the world, who connects himself and there¬fore others to a transcendent reality.
(p93)

Siddhartha [Buddha] left his throne to seek a precise understanding of reality in
order to serve society better. After experiencing that comprehensive awareness
which he called awakening or enlightenment  ... He stood up and began a  sustained
cam¬paign of social action, offering all people in all nations a chance to improve their moral,
emotional, and intellectual lives ... By founding institutions of education, he created, on the
cultural and social levels, a politics of enlightenment. (p94)

... When people have transformed their minds, they will naturally transform the
society and eventually the polity. Shakyamuni [Buddha]  ... proved that the best
way to build a healthy society was from the bottom up – through the development of the
individual ...  Buddha's core insight of the lack of static identity of any person or thing exploded
the root notions of social conditioning. When we understand the lack of fixed selves as the
bases of the various conventional identities - priests, warrior, merchant, laborer, outcast, man,
woman, native, alien, and white, black - their nonabsoluteness is rendered plainly and the
tendency to rigidity or fanaticism is greatly reduced. The un¬bound self, having seen though
socially imposed role-plays, gains the intellectual free¬dom to begin to evolve his or her own
identity.  In the Buddha's time, the law of karmic evolution became a powerful support for
individualism.(p95) ... It thus became the basis of the fundamental laws of moral behaviors, ...
not to kill, steal, misbehave sexually, lie, slander, abuse, chatter, covet, hate, and hold false
views. Or, put positively, to save lives, give gifts, behave well sexually: tell the truth; speak
reconcilingly, pleasantly, and meaning¬fully; be detached; love unconditionally; and hold
authentic views. These ethical alternatives  ... were seen to be the pathways to evolutionary
advancement or degenera¬tion.

These innovations drove the Buddha's political strategy. He shocked contemporaries by
accepting as disciples individuals form all walks of life, women as well as men, monastic and
laypeople, cutting across caste boundaries. He taught people not to rely on traditional au¬thority
but to use their critical reason to figure out the nature of reality. He created the institution of
monasticism for his community  ... getting all members of the society to ac¬knowledge that
individuals should be free to pursue their own liberation without being constrained by duties to
family , village, tribe, or state, and without regard for class or sex ...(p96)

... Shakyamuni [Buddha] took pains to ensure that the mendicants should not
become another order of priests: He forbade them to officiate at birth, marriage, or death
ceremonies; to touch money, own property, and so forth; to perform any service to society.  They
were not to justify their existence in any way. And yet they were to live near towns and cities, they
were to enter the streets each morning to beg for food and share their insights. On the
foundation of a permanent free lunch, the monastic commu¬nity stood as an unmistakable
reminder that society exists to serve the individual, to create space for his or her liberation from
ignorance.  What the Buddha did ... was ... to redefine the highest good as transcendent
liberation, not mundane success [and]  to re¬place the competitive struggle ... with a
cooperative interaction ... He worked to trans¬form violence into nonviolence, greed into
generosity, self-indulgence into sensitivity, deceitfulness into honesty, and, most important,
ignorance into insight. (p97)

Shakyamuni [Buddha] also demythologized the monarchy, replacing domination with generosity
as the primary quality required of a king. He encouraged the merchant class … [this had the
effect of supplanting] … warriors as the major providers of society, thereby beginning the shift
from warfare to trade … He explicitly delineated the boundaries of royal power, stressing the
karmic accountability of a king for his actions. (p98)

The boundary between his community and the ordinary society was a change of identity so
drastic that it involved a psychic death and rebirth. The monk or nun had to aban¬don race,
caste, family, name, property, occupation, clothing, adornment, hair, even sexual¬ity. The
seriousness of this boundary was essential to insulate the monastic heart of the community
from the powerful demands of the larger social whole. In the new commu¬nity of monks and
nuns, the members could cultivate a new way of relating to one another without violence,
exploitation, or competitive roughness. Because each was seeking transcendent liberation,
there was a new consideration for the individual.  All of them, including the women and
members of the lower castes, could study the penetrating philosophical teachings of the
Buddha. They could critique the conventional notions of the culture and attain insight into the
nature of self and reality.  Thus the new community served as an ethical proving ground for a
future Buddha-land society, as a psychological asylum and meditative retreat, as a
philosophical school, research laboratory and cultural center. ... (p102)

[Monasticism] became a fountain of goodness through systematic restraint of evil; a haven of
peace through concentration of mind and cultivation of positive emotion. (p103)

Militarism and monasticism are connected in that they are mirror opposites of each other.
Shakyamuni [Buddha] himself had been trained in all the royal arts, including the art of pulling
together and deploying an army. His was an antiarmy seeking to conquer the world of ignorance
and fear. The Buddha designed his life, teachings, and institutions to permeate all human
societies, bringing with them the individual calm, self-control, intelli¬gence and goodwill that is
the heart of civilization. Many people attained freedom during the Buddha’s life time. His
teaching and community spread widely throughout India and without forceful imposition or
evangelism. (p105)

Since then, the human community has grown ever more powerful in spite or its recurring habit
of destructive violence that has brought it again and again to the brink of extinction. It is clearer
than ever that the value of self-conquest through nonviolence is not at all unrealistic idealism
but indispensable to life itself.”
###

Some Reflections in the Summer of 2007
                                                       By Louie Wile

“May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
   I read these words on the peace pole every time I drive to the Sangha at Yardley Friends
Meeting. And I always think the same thought, “Such wishful thinking.” Would that it were so
easy! By wishing for peace, we could cause it to happen.
   And then I think, well, yes, if everyone on Earth wished for peace, perhaps it would happen. Or
could.
   Would it be possible to change the mindset of every person on Earth, so that peace and
non¬violence became the way of life on our planet? Could we all train our minds to become
more sane and calm, less angry and hostile?
   That would require that all the machinery of war and violence be melted down. Entire
economies would collapse. Media would have nothing to report. No breaking news about the
latest body count.
   Probably not going to happen. Thinking that it might is just more wishful thinking, and a bit
naive, as was “fighting for peace” back in the day -- an oxymoron if there ever was one.
   Hearing the news about the latest fighting in [fill in blank], one cannot help but reflect on war
and peace. The 40th anniversary of the Newark riots reminds us of what happens in the crucible
of hatred, racism, poverty, and extreme heat in the “inner city.”
   But don’t we all live in the inner city, to some extent? How far away are any of us from
extremes of anger and violent behavior?
   A quick read of the latest headlines suggests that few of us are immune to such thoughts and
actions. Violence erupts on every channel.
   What do we celebrate and re-enact? Battles, wars, victories. Why don’t we have any
celebrations about peace? Why do we set aside so many special days to remember the most
violent acts in society?
   According to Wikipedia, peace is defined as a “state of harmony, the absence of hostility.”
Violence refers to “acts of aggression or abuse.”
   On a whim, I Googled some key terms.
   PEACE: 190,000,000 hits.
   VIOLENCE: 133,000,000
   NONVIOLENCE: 2,490,000
   WAR: 536,000,000
   
   This morning, I picked up a newspaper from February of 1966. The news stories on the front
page read just like the news stories of 2007, except the names and players are different.
   Does the violence ever end? I wonder.
   There is a bumper sticker that reads, “War is not the answer.”
   But what are the questions?
   Is nonviolence synonymous with peace? Is war inevitable? Are we hardwired for vio¬lence
and warlike behavior?      
   I don’t think the answers will be revealed any time soon. It might be helpful to read what the
Dalai Lama had to say. Speaking at Rutgers, His Holiness commented that be¬fore disarming
the world, we first must disarm ourselves.
   Internal disarmament. That’s a concept. It has to be more than wishful thinking. Wouldn’t it be
a different world if we could all “dwell in perfect tranquility”? If we had “nothing to kill or die for”?
   Peace....love....nonviolence....concepts? Something to work toward? Probably takes more
than wishful thinking to achieve. Maybe these are concepts people can wrap their minds
around, through social action and meditation.
   At this point, I have no answers myself, only questions. And in asking questions, I try to read
and reflect on what Buddhism teaches.
   “The Pali word metta means loving-kindness, friendliness, goodwill, benevolence, amity,
concord, inoffensiveness and non-violence.
   “Through metta, one refuses to be offensive and renounces bitterness, resentment and
animosity of every kind, developing instead a mind of friendliness, accommodativeness and
benevolence that seeks the well-being and happiness of others.”
   Let no one do harm to anyone. Let no one put the life of anyone in danger. Let no one, out of
anger or ill will, wish anyone any harm.
   “...today metta is a pragmatic necessity. In a world menaced by all kinds of destructive¬ness,
metta in deed, word and thought is a constructive means to bring about concord, peace, and
mutual understanding.”
   In the words of another poet of our time, “Imagine all the people living life in peace....”

To Be Continued......... by Louise Wile

[passages in quotations from the liturgy of the BSBC]


Buddha Goes to the Library
What Would Buddha Do?
There is a book entitled, What Would the Buddha Do? 101 Answers to Life’s Dilemmas by Franz
Metcalf. In the section “What’s wrong with me?!” A question is ‘What would the Buddha do if
someone hates him?’:
The answer is ‘Not by hate is hate defeated; hate is quenched by love. This is the eternal law.
Dhammapada 5
In these few words, Buddha teaches what might be the greatest spiritual law. The Roman poet
Virgil wrote “love conquers all.” I believe there are things love is not well suited to conquer, but
love is perfectly suited to conquer hate. Why? Because it is so hard for hate to combat. Violence,
revenge, sometimes even civil disobedience, adds to the tremendous energy embodied in
hatred. Love, on the other hand, takes the energy of hate and redirects it, as a martial artist
might--only here the arts are not of war but of love. As the song tells us, “only love can conquer
hate.”
Love confronts hate in the one way hate cannot comprehend, with something beyond it¬self--
with compassion. Hate cannot go beyond itself. It draws its strength from the self’s defense of
self. Love lives to go beyond itself, drawing its strength from the very act of love. Love can thus
comprehend hate, integrating it into something larger. Slowly hate is defeated, as a grain of salt
which dissolves into the sweetness of a pond.
This book can be great fun. If you and a companion are on a long car ride you can try the
answers and see if you know what the Buddha would do. There are 101 chances you do.
Review by Bill Reagan
A Single Eye, by Susan Dunlap

Here’s something a bit different: a murder mystery set in a Zen Buddhist community. Darcy Lott,
stuntwoman and Buddhist, decides to do a two-week sesshin at a remote monas¬tery among
the redwoods of northern California in order to face her irrational fear of forests. It doesn’t take
her long to find out that this is the last sesshin this particular Roshi will be leading, and that it is
dedicated to a student who disappeared on the day the monastery was dedicated. The mystery
of his disappearance has shadowed the commu¬nity ever since, with unspoken suspicions
and secrets. Darcy is drawn into the dark undercur¬rents in her role as jisha, the Roshi’s
assistant. She is forced to try to solve the mystery after the Roshi is served a cup of poisoned
cocoa, and she fears other lives may also be in danger.

The plot is okay, but the glimpses we get of sesshin were more interesting to me. The story of
the Sixth Patriarch is woven throughout the plot, to good effect, and the Zen mas¬ters in
dokusan (interviews) are suitably obscure as night and clear as a polished mirror. We hear the
clappers and gongs measuring out the work and meditation periods, we see a little bit of the
rituals and watch Darcy sit facing the blank wall, trying to calm her thoughts. It is, however, an
amazingly talkative sesshin, with various people slipping away during work periods to have a
quiet chat in the bathhouse or confront one another in the kitchen, the office, the cabins or on the
paths. You will be glad to know that after every¬thing is solved, they can all finally settle down for
a really silent week of zazen. Well, almost all.

                                                      Review by Betty Steckman

Zen at War, by Brian Daizen Victoria

Reading this book I felt like I had entered the surreal world and twisted mind of mad men  -
where up is down, left is right and twisted double speak perverts reality while try¬ing to pass as
common sense. Like Alice falling into Wonderland the strange world grew “curiouser and
curiouser” Yet this was not the world of mad men or fairy tales  but of Zen masters who claimed
to be enlightened.

Brian Victoria is a Zen Priest who writes with painful honesty about how the Japanese Zen
Buddhist leaders bastardized the teachings of the Buddha using them to justify the Japanese
atrocities during World War II.  Going well beyond simple support for the war effort, they
enthusiastically made Dharma a religion of aggression, violence and brutality.
Obedience to the State even unto death was taught as the highest precept of the Buddha. Brian
documents how Rinzai and Soto Zen‘s involvement with the war effort was part of the overall
relationship between institutionalized Japanese Buddhism and the Govern¬ment.  Zen leaders
went out of their way to make strong soldiers and foster loyalty to the emperor.

Perhaps the most effective way to share this book is to just give you some quotes by lead¬ing
Zen masters of the time period whose teachings were supported without question by the Zen
establishment:

Ekiju: “ … the proclamation of the imperial edict to annihilate America and Eng¬land …signifies
nothing less than the enlightenment of East Asia…”

Daiun : “ the Japanese people are a chosen people whose mission is to control the world. The
sword which kills is also she sword which gives life.” And  “ [If ordered to ] march : tramp, tramp,
or shoot : bang bang. This is the manifestation of the highest Wisdom [ of enlightenment]. The
unity of Zen and war of which I speak extends to the farthest reaches of the holy war now under
way” He referred to “combat Zen” as “the king of meditation”

The Zen master D. T, Suzuki who after the war taught extensively in the United States wrote
“discharging one’s duty {to the State} on the battlefield is a religious act.”  In a bizarre attempt to
square the killing fields waged by Japanese soldiers with Buddha’s teach¬ing of not killing or
doing harm, he wrote,
“It is really not [the warrior] but the sword that does the killing … the enemy appears and makes
himself a victim” D. T. Suzuki praised the union of Zen, the sword, the military and the taking of
life when done in the spirit of Zen. Even his writings republished in Amer¬ica in the 1950’s still
held this teaching in high regard.

As Nantembo cheered soldiers on, he said that “[there is] no bodhisattva practice superior to
the companionate taking of life”

Sugimoto: spoke of “ soldier Zen” and wrote “Through my practice of Zen I am able to get rid of
my ego. In facilitating the accomplishment of this, Zen becomes, as it is, the spirit of the
imperial military.”

Enlightened Zen masters (at least they claimed to be and were recognized as being
enlight¬ened – if they were enlightened, then enlightenment is meaningless) sincerely
be¬lieved and advocated that the Buddha’s teachings of compassion and egolessness
de¬manded that his followers be willing to attack kill and destroy innocent people.

The author further outlines Japanese Buddhist belief in their superiority as well as their anti-
Semitism – a strange bigotry for a country with hardly any Jews. He shows how when Buddhism
migrated to China it blended in the ideas of Confucianism which highly values loyalty to the
social structure and the State. When Buddhism reached the shores of Japan and wedded the
Samurai tradition, it produced the non-Buddhist offspring of  “Zen--the way of the sword.”   Mr.
Victoria writes, “If Nation-Protecting Buddhism is a betrayal of the Buddha's Dharma, it should
come as no surprise that Samurai Zen is a particu¬larly pernicious variation of the same
aberration.” This aberration as he calls it - which was so strongly advocated by men like D. T.
Suzuki – “must” in Mr. Victoria’s words, “be clearly and unequivocally recognized as desecration
of the Buddha Dharma.”

This book profoundly affected me. Raising some extremely important questions that demand
hard, well-studied answers. The Zen leaders who justified the brutal bloody killings, rape and
other horrors of the war as fruits of the Buddha’s teachings were recog¬nized as enlightened.
How does this affect or redefine our understanding of Zen satori or enlightenment in general?  
As Buddhism found its way into Japan through China it is clear the it arrived with some subtle
baggage that when interfaced with the Japanese cul¬ture created some disastrous and non-
dharmic results ( the way of the sword and  loyalty to the state and its social structure). What
subtle baggage has arrived on American shores attached to the teachings of the Buddha? Are
we even aware of it – very possibly not. How is this Trojan horse interfacing with the American
mind which is so hitched to material¬ism, world supremacy and violence? What dangers lie
asleep capable of poisoning the love and compassion of Buddhism in our future? Many of the
so called enlightened teachers of Japan during World War II who corrupted Buddhism and
made it a tool of death later were influential in building American Buddhism. Men like  D. T,
Suzuki, never repented of their warmongering, sword-wielding teachings in the name of Zen
Buddhism. (The various sects of Zen never acknowledged their wrong doing and wrong view
until after this book was published. Then only one sect came out with a state¬ment.) How has
this impacted the future of Buddhism in America? Have they corrupted its roots on these shores
so that the tree will eventually produce sour or sickly fruit?  How do we recognize subtle
tolerances for violence within our Sanghas or Buddhist publica¬tions and present day
teachers?  Are our Sanghas willing publicly and emphatically stand for non-violence and the
unity of all creatures over nationalism? After reading this book my sincere observation is that
Buddhism in America is far too ambiguous in its stance on militarism and national violence.

This book by Brian Victoria and his follow-up book entitled Zen War Stories are must reads for
any lover of peace and nonviolence. It is even more essential for any one even remotely involved
with Buddhism who wants to see Buddhism in America grow up to be a clear representation of
the Dharma.
                                                                      --Review by Dan Lee


Buddhism  Betrayed? Religion, Politics and Violence in Sri Lanka, by Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah,
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1992

The 2007 Amnesty International report on Sri Lanka describes the violence between the Tamils
and Buddhists in that country as increasing. In 2006 there were at least 3,000 civilians killed
and over 215,000 displaced. There were hundreds of extrajudicial killings that the Buddhist-led
government turned a blind eye toward.  Many reports surfaced of the torturing of people in the
custody of the government’s police force. Children are regu¬larly abducted to fight in the war.
These abductions take place by the Tamil army,  but also by the Buddhist-run government of Sri
Lanka and its militant collaborators – the  Karuna Group.  With the blessing of the government,
the Karuna Group shamelessly will abduct children in broad daylight. (It is bitterly ironic that the
word, karuna, means compas¬sion and tenderness.)  In short, brutality, killings and oppression
continue in this conflict which has been going on for decades. The sadness and horror of this
situation is multiplied a hundredfold when we consider that the oppression of the Tamil people
which led to civil war and decades of bloodshed began and remains a prescription of vio¬lence
and discrimination advocated by Buddhist monks. The oppression and killing of the Tamil
continues with the support of the Buddhist monks of Sri Lanka. In fact “support” is far too weak a
word to describe the Buddhist monks’ attitude.  Monks in the name of Buddha have insisted
upon, justified and demanded the oppression and killing of the Tamil people. The last fifty years
of Buddhist history in Sri Lanka is ugly and blood chilling  -- a grotesque perversion of the
Buddha’s teachings. Current events are just as appalling.

The book Buddhism Betrayed? – Religion, Politics, and Violence in Sri Lanka is a scholarly
accounting of the oppression of Sri Lanka’s non-Buddhist population and the violence that it
engendered.  It is written in a somewhat dry academic style, but worth the time and effort it takes
to read it.

The author walks us through the sad transition of Sinhalese Buddhism from being a
religion of ethics emphasizing detachment, compassion and nonviolence to what the
author refers to as “religious-mindedness” which focuses on nationalism.  Sri
Lanka houses various Buddhist relics which have become more important than human
life. According to the author, even doctrinal texts and the mytho-history of the country
which includes a visit by the historical Buddha have evolved away from things that
helped individuals actualize there faith to fetishes used to give the Sinhalese Buddhist
majority special entitlement including the right to all the land, exclusive control of the
government and the responsibility to disallow societal pluralism. Over the last half cen¬tury,
monks and laity have increasingly come to view non-Buddhists on the Island as ob¬jects and
enemies. They are seen as a threat to Buddhism which must be fought against even at the cost
of human life. In Sri Lanka, Buddhism’s historic emphasis on nonvio¬lence and doing no harm
has been transformed into an “us - them" religion which oppresses and kills. Buddhism has
deliberately married itself to Sri Lankan nationalism. This book does a good job of analyzing
how this came about.

Why is this information important? It is important for American Buddhists to understand how this
could happen. We live in a country with its own mythological interpretation of history which
teaches that we were founded and chosen by God and imbued with some special status. There
is an uncompromising nationalism that runs though our national veins. So this country parallels
some of the root causes that betrayed Buddhism in Sri Lanka. As Buddhism matures in the
United States some questions need to be wrestled with.  How should the Buddhist community
here view nationalism? What do we hold sa¬cred: the religion or its Teachings? Which will be
the stronger influence in shaping Ameri¬can Buddhism -- our culture with its nationalism and
history of permissible vio¬lence or the teachings of Buddha? Why and how will this come
about? My concern is that the Buddhist community needs to be more pro-active in matters of
non-violence NOW to avoid the pitfalls of Sri Lanka twenty, fifty or one hundred years from now.

This book will help give us the foundation needed for our struggle with these and related
questions.  It is vital to the long term health of American Buddhism that we look deeply at these
issues. How we resolve these issues will affect how the teachings of the Buddha are integrated
into our local Sanghas and nation. This book helps us ask ourselves the ques¬tion -- What will
rise to the top- Buddha’s gospel of nonviolence, doing no harm and the interconnectedness of
all beings or nationalism and violence?
Review by Dan Lee




Walk This Way Please
The following is a summary of an article entitled "Peace Wins" that appeared in the spring 2007
issue of Fellowship magazine, a publication of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. (www.forusa.
org)

Over the last century almost every Asian country with a Buddhist majority has suffered war,
invasion or tyranny.  The Dalai Lama is an example of a wise and compassionate leader who
responded non-violently to the invasion of his country, Tibet. Thich Nhat
Hanh is another Buddhist leader who responded non-violently to the brutal war in his country,
Vietnam. Another beacon of light in this violent world was a lesser known Buddhist monk,
named Maha Ghosananda.

In Cambodia where two million people were killed during the Khmer Rouge period, Buddhism
was targeted for elimination. Innumerable monks were killed and temples de¬stroyed during
that time. In the midst of that terrible horror there arose gentle Maha Ghosananda who has
come to be referred to as the "Gandhi of Cambodia". His gentle stead¬fast commitment to the
Buddha's teachings of non-violence and his unwavering ser¬vice to others enabled him to
create miracles of reconciliation and peace in a land of
inconceivable carnage, nightmarish brutality and soul destroying pain.

In 1975 when Maha Ghosananda was on meditation retreat in the forest, the Khmer Rouge rose
to power. He remained in the forest and taught his students to "not let the suffer¬ing of
Cambodia imprint upon their minds.” Despite the fact that his entire family-- including sixteen
brothers and sisters--were slaughtered by the Khmer Rouge, he fol¬lowed his own advice. He
embodied inner peace and compassion.

In 1979 Vietnam invaded Cambodia. There was a flood of refugees. Maha Ghosananda built
shack-temples in the refugee camps, taught meditation and the need for inner peace. In the
face of heavy and heated opposition he insisted on non-partisanship and
nonviolence. He founded about fifty temples and co-founded the Inter-Religious Mission for
Peace. He headed a delegation of monks at the peace talks sponsored by the United Nations.
"An army of peace" which uses "courage" and "bullets of loving -kindness for ammunition" is
how he referred to the delegation.

In 1992, he initiated Dhammayietria. Dhammayietria was a month long peace walk made up
monks and laypeople. Its route would always be through politically unstable areas of
Cambodia. After twenty years of genocide and factionalism in Cambodia he began the process
of reconciliation. He and others who worked with him studied Gandhi's teachings on
nonviolence. He collaborated with Quakers, conducting trainings in consensus build¬ing and
nonviolent action. Yet he and his band of healers were consistently and con¬stantly opposed by
all four Cambodian factions as well as the Thai government.

The first walk drew hundreds of supporters. Refugees, poor villagers, and soldiers joined the
walk. Soldiers threw away their weapons and publicly declared they did not want to kill anymore.
That first walk and all subsequent walks had to overcome extreme heat, inade¬quate food and
water, landmines, warring factions and gunfire as they plodded on for peace.

Over the years the Dhammayietra walks focused on a variety of issues - deforestation,
democratic elections and constitution, domestic violence and other concerns. But always the
basics stayed the same. Maha Ghosananda's marchers took vows of non-violence, re¬ceived
instruction in Buddhist meditation and walked through parts of Cambodia that had not known
peace for decades.

Maha Ghosananda made no distinction between Buddhist practice and social action. He spoke
almost solely about the need for inner peace while working for outer peace. He in¬sisted on the
inseparability of thought, speech and action. He taught the avoidance of anger because anger is
unethical. When asked how to stop anger, his answer was simple. "If you come to my door I can
say, ‘Yes please come in.’ But I can also say ‘I am busy right now.’ You can do this to anger."  
For him an angry peacemaker is not a peace¬maker.  While many Buddhists traditionally see
meditation and social action as incompati¬ble, Maha Ghosananda viewed meditation as the
prerequisite for internal and external or societal and by extension world peace. People noticed
how he always seemed to be in the present moment.  He would say, "Wherever there is conflict
we will walk... it's like breathing. If we stop, we will die."

At his recent death he left behind an incalculable gift of reconciliation and peace. Despite living
through horrific personal tragedies and many many hardships, he lived a life of
pure compassion. He united inner peace with unselfish devotion to humanity's welfare,
awareness of the present moment with a keen understanding of the needs of others, and his
personal ethics with efforts to build an ethical society. His life is a marvelous
example of goodness and love. Maha Ghosananda is a hero to be emulated.



Teachings on Anger and Violence from the Buddhist Sutras

You make things worse when you flare up at someone who's angry.
Whoever doesn't flare up at someone who's angry wins a battle
hard to win.

You live for the good of both — your own, the other’s —
when, knowing the other's provoked,         you mindfully grow calm.

When you work the cure of both — your own, the other’s —
those who think you a fool know nothing of Dhamma. [Truth, Reality]

SN 7.2


It's with sensuality for the reason, sensuality for the source, sensuality for the cause, the reason
being simply sensuality, that kings quarrel with kings, nobles with nobles, priests with priests,
householders with householders, mother with child, child with mother, father with child, child
with father, brother with brother, sister with sister, brother with sister, sister with brother, friend
with friend. And then in their quarrels, brawls, & dis¬putes, they attack one another with fists or
with clods or with sticks or with knives, so that they incur death or deadly pain. Now this
drawback too in the case of sensuality, this mass of stress visible here & now, has sensuality
for its reason, sensuality for its source, sensuality for its cause, the reason being simply
sensuality.
Furthermore, it's with sensuality for the reason, sensuality for the source... that (men), taking
swords & shields and buckling on bows & quivers, charge into battle massed in double array
while arrows & spears are flying and swords are flashing; and there they are wounded by
arrows & spears, and their heads are cut off by swords, so that they incur death or deadly pain.
Now this drawback too in the case of sensuality, this mass of stress visible here & now, has
sensuality for its reason...
— MN 13
Suppose a man were to throw a large boulder into a deep lake of water, and a great crowd of
people, gathering & congregating, would pray, praise, & circumambulate with  because of the
prayers, praise, & circumambulation of that great crowd of people — rise up, come floating up,
or come float to the shore?"
"No, lord."
"So it is with any man who takes life, steals, indulges in illicit sex; is a liar, one who speaks
divisive speech, harsh speech, & idle chatter; is greedy, bears thoughts of ill-will, & holds to
wrong views. Even though a great crowd of people, gathering & congregating, would pray,
praise, & circumambulate with their hands palm-to-palm over the heart — [saying,] 'May this
man, at the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in a good destina¬tion, the heavenly
world!' — still, at the break-up of the body, after death, he would reappear in destitution, a bad
destination, the lower realms, hell.
SN 42.6
Conquering, you gain one who will conquer you;
insulting, insult; harassing, harassment.
And so, through the cycle of action, he who has plundered gets plundered in turn.

SN 3.15



The above quotes from Buddha were taken from the following:
Non-violence A Study Guide prepared by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
This is 55 pages of statements by the Buddha explaining his
teaching of nonviolence. You may access this study guide at:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/nonviolence.html
A copy has also been placed in the BSBC lending library.

###


Valuable Resources

International Fellowship of Reconciliation
Spoorstraat 38, 1815 BK Alkmaar, The Netherlands
ifor@gn.apc.org
The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) is an international spiritually based
movement composed of people committed to active nonviolence
International Network of Engaged Buddhists
P.O. Box 1, Ongkharak, Nakhorn Noyok 26120, Thailand
ineb@ipied.tu.ac.th
INEB is under the patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Venerable Somdet Phra
Maha Ghosananda, and The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. Founded in 1987, INEB is the first
international Buddhist network that links together engaged Buddhists worldwide. INEB deals
with alternative education and spiritual training, gender issues, human rights, ecology,
alternative concepts of development, and activism. Despite being primarily a Buddhist network,
INEB nevertheless has interfaith elements.

War Resisters League
339 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 228-0450
fax (212) 228-6193
wrl@warresisters.org
Believing war to be a crime against humanity, the War Resisters League, founded in 1923,
advocates Gandhian nonviolence as the method for creating a democratic society free of
war, racism, sexism, and human exploitation.

American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, 19102
afscnati@igc.apc.org
The American Friends Service Committee carries out service, development, social justice, and
peace programs throughout the world. Founded by Quakers in 1917 to provide conscien¬tious
objectors with an opportunity to aid civilian war victims, AFSC's work at¬tracts the support and
partnership of people of many races, religions, and cultures.

The Thomas Merton Center for Peace & Justice
The Thomas Merton Center was founded in 1972 to bring people from diverse philoso¬phies
and faiths together to work, through nonviolent efforts, for a more just and peaceful world.
Through protests and ongoing projects, members of TMC aim to instill in
our society a consciousness of values and to raise the moral questions involved in the issues
of war, poverty, racism and oppression. The Center was founded to honor the life and ideals of
Thomas Merton, a writer and Trappist Monk who entered Our Lady of
Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky in 1941 and remained a member of the community until his
death in 1968.
###
Sound Bites, by Monk Pastamye Onarye*

I had to leave the monastery the other day and shop for a new computer monitor for the
monastery. Though I am not sure why it is called a monitor because it does not check on or
watch anyone. Language is so odd. For instance you park in a driveway and drive
on a parkway. To get them mixed up would be easy and very dangerous. Anyway while I was at
the store I walked through the television section, just as someone on TV was complain¬ing that
politicians were only interested in sound bites instead of talking about the issues. I was so
shocked. Though I do not know much about America, I do know that politicians are to care about
the people. So why would they want to bite them with sound? I turned to the person standing
next to me and said, "sound bites hurt" He looked puzzled so I explained, and “I am a pacifist.
Why would some one want to bite someone else with sound? To cause pain is unloving. When
we say things that are unkind such as calling
names, sounds of those words bite and can cause much pain. They can even leave scars.” He
tried to interrupt and explain that sound bites were easily repeatable phrases or sen¬tences.
"That's worse", I said, “If it is easily repeated it can cause even more pain and harm. We must
be so careful not to bite one another with the sound of our words. Sound bite can be harsh
speech that leaves bruising and marks. The sound of angry words bites very deeply. That pain
can be remembered for years - sometimes are whole lives. In the land were I came from my
uncle called me stupid and no good. These sound bites - bite over and over again for years.
They still bite me when I think of them. If we lie it bites the person we are talking about and
sometimes takes a chunk out of their reputation. It must leave a nasty taste in the biter’s mouth.
We should use loving gentle speech at all times and forget this biting with sound.

* Monk Pastramye Onarye is the pen name for a fictional ghost writer of an absolutely non-
existent sentient being living locally somewhere in the universe. He is from the fishy school of
Buddhism known as “A Bunch of Carp” whose main tenant is “Emptiness applies to the head.”

###


Letters to the Editor

Kudos to all who worked on and supported this e-zine. It's wonderful!!!! Reflects many
talents and contains useful stuff.

A lot to think about!!!!! , thanks to all for their contributions & to Dan for putting this together.....
Namaste, Louise

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