Do the Buddhists have Terrorists?

[dahunan]

I donn't know and am just checking.. been listening to a really great buddhist speaker and am wondering if they have terrorists like other religions

 

[Termagant]

The most populous nation in the world would most certainly say so.

 

[Steeplerot]

They do not have a "black and white" view of good and evil like the other major religions.

This imo is why they are less fanatical.

Also it seems muslims are very terriritorial and christianity is dead set on converting the world by sword if needed. Buddism is more about good old breeding the religion into what it is now and being accepting of one another instead of looking down on others.

I think that if mankind must still buy into a religion in the future a eastern one would be the least likely to get us all killed and end the war after war after war cycle that will surely be the end of us.


The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
Atisha

 

[MisterDucky]

I don't know that you could make such a statement with any sort of certainty. The primary reason is that "Buddhism" itself is composed of many different sects and factions that don't necessarily share similar beliefs and/or goals. Buddhism is also quite different from Christianity and Islam in that it is non-theistic. Buddhism is arguably closer to atheism and agnosticism than it is to Christianity or Islam.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Dont they have fighting monks?

 

[judasmachine]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
Dont they have fighting monks?

Heh, I think that is part of the self mastery.

 

[TRUMPHENT]

The closest thing I have ever seen attributed to violence associated with Buddhism was during the Viet Nam War. I think, three buddhist monks immolated themselves on different occasions, protesting the war.

 

[judasmachine]

Originally posted by: TRUMPHENT
The closest thing I have ever seen attributed to violence associated with Buddhism was during the Viet Nam War. I think, three buddhist monks immolated themselves on different occasions, protesting the war.

And there was probably some action seen when China started laying it on Tibet and Nepal. I AM just guessing here though.

 

[Kadarin]

Unlike the "religion of peace", Buddhism is actually, well, peaceful.

 

[Jaskalas]

Originally posted by: dahunan
I donn't know and am just checking.. been listening to a really great buddhist speaker and am wondering if they have terrorists like other religions

I'd call Islam by far the most violent religion of our age, separating it from any other and not lumping them together as ?like other religions?. More people die every year from Jihad than during the Spanish Inquisition.

As for Buddhism, their level of violence is with no doubt the lowest among any religion. I doubt every follower is true to their faith, like any belief, so perhaps you?ll manage to scrounge up some news relating to some attack somewhere.

The belief of inner peace and the sanctity of life is hardly befitting of violence.

 

[Rainsford]

If the question is whether or not there are Buddhists who ARE terrorists, or engage in terrorist-like activities, I'd say that such people certainly exist. Many Japanese are "Buddhist" and they've had some domestic terrorism, certainly. However, I don't believe there are "Buddhist terrorists" the same way there are "Muslim terrorists" or even "Christian terrorists". Buddhist is a fundamentally different religion, and many of the tenets of Buddhism would make it quite difficult to use to justify terrorism the way Western religions can sometimes be perverted. The biggest difference, IMHO, is that Buddhism encourages faith as an internal, person thing that MUST fit within your experience and judgment. There is a path to walk, but it is you who must walk it, in your own way and at your own time. Buddha himself is said to have suggested that you should ignore everything you hear, no matter who said it, even if HE said it, if it does not fit with your own knowledge and experience. That puts Buddhism in sharp contrast to Western religions and makes it quite difficult to use to force people to take actions they might not otherwise...a religion that encourages dissent and thinking for yourself does not produce a lot of sheep.

 

[Starbuck1975]

They have Richard Gere...does that qualify?

 

[her209]

If you consider a monk that pours gasoline on himself and lights the fire, then YES!

 

[judasmachine]

Originally posted by: her209
If you consider a monk that pours gasoline on himself and lights the fire, then YES!

That's not terrorism. It's not meant to instill terror as in "this is going to happen to you" it's more a "I protest your actions to the point of my own death." I suppose it instills revulsion, but not terror.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: MisterDucky
I don't know that you could make such a statement with any sort of certainty. The primary reason is that "Buddhism" itself is composed of many different sects and factions that don't necessarily share similar beliefs and/or goals. Buddhism is also quite different from Christianity and Islam in that it is non-theistic. Buddhism is arguably closer to atheism and agnosticism than it is to Christianity or Islam.

But there are many "sects" of Christianity, and every other religion as well.

 

[zephyrprime]

Originally posted by: her209
If you consider a monk that pours gasoline on himself and lights the fire, then YES!

In China, the government DOES consider someone that does this to be a terrorist.

 

[daniel49]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
If the question is whether or not there are Buddhists who ARE terrorists, or engage in terrorist-like activities, I'd say that such people certainly exist. Many Japanese are "Buddhist" and they've had some domestic terrorism, certainly. However, I don't believe there are "Buddhist terrorists" the same way there are "Muslim terrorists" or even "Christian terrorists". Buddhist is a fundamentally different religion, and many of the tenets of Buddhism would make it quite difficult to use to justify terrorism the way Western religions can sometimes be perverted. The biggest difference, IMHO, is that Buddhism encourages faith as an internal, person thing that MUST fit within your experience and judgment. There is a path to walk, but it is you who must walk it, in your own way and at your own time. Buddha himself is said to have suggested that you should ignore everything you hear, no matter who said it, even if HE said it, if it does not fit with your own knowledge and experience. That puts Buddhism in sharp contrast to Western religions and makes it quite difficult to use to force people to take actions they might not otherwise...a religion that encourages dissent and thinking for yourself does not produce a lot of sheep. baa baa baa

fixed

 

[MisterDucky]

Originally posted by: bamacre

Originally posted by: MisterDucky
I don't know that you could make such a statement with any sort of certainty. The primary reason is that "Buddhism" itself is composed of many different sects and factions that don't necessarily share similar beliefs and/or goals. Buddhism is also quite different from Christianity and Islam in that it is non-theistic. Buddhism is arguably closer to atheism and agnosticism than it is to Christianity or Islam.

But there are many "sects" of Christianity, and every other religion as well.

That's a point I thought about mentioning, but decided against. I personally contest this notion of "Islam" being the "most violent" religion, because it fails to recognize that Islam (like Christianity) is composed of a huge number of different sects, many of which have radically differing beliefs.

For example, saying that the 9/11 hijackers represent Islamic beliefs in general is sort of like saying Branch Davidians represent Christianity, regardless of whether or not Christians in general consider the sub-sect to be a legitimate form of their religion. There are even greater divides than Branch Davidians; many Christians do not consider LDS believers to be Christian, but LDS practicers consider themselves to be Christian.

I just think the west should be more careful about using the words "Islam" and "Terrorism" as though they're peas in a pod; it's a polarizing notion.

 

[WelshBloke]

Originally posted by: her209
If you consider a monk that pours gasoline on himself and lights the fire, then YES!

I saw a clip of that some 15 years ago and am still in awe of the participants belief and willpower.

 

[daveshel]

Jihad is more a facet of Muslim culture than of Islam.

 

[athithi]

I believe there were quite a few buddhist monks in Sri Lanka who led and participated in the pogrom against the Tamils in 1983. I am not sure if it had wider religious implications, but I have read several accounts where monks in garbs were reported to have openly participated in the riots.

It is kind of ironic that the Tamil Tigers (mostly Hindus) went on to become one of the worst terrorist organizations in the world since then.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: WelshBloke

Originally posted by: her209
If you consider a monk that pours gasoline on himself and lights the fire, then YES!

I saw a clip of that some 15 years ago and am still in awe of the participants belief and willpower.

And in a respect, it's selfless. He's so opposed to the constant fighting, but he still refuses to inflict harm upon anyone else to get his point across.

I do like Buddhism. I view it as the most "believable" of the major religions, and the most peaceful. It doesn't have so many of the loyalty clauses of other religions, things like, "You shall have no other gods but me" and that sort of thing. It doesn't even really have a deity. The Buddha was a person who attained nirvana. He wasn't a deity, and didn't want to be worshipped. There's also none of this, "Don't question your religion or God's gonna bust a cap in yo' azz."
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your common sense." -- Buddha

 

[Vic]

Buddhism, while great in many ways, is not a perfect religion. Selflessness can be taken too far, as can the abolition of the self, and become a kind of selfish apathy. There are also many westerners who, after failing to understand western religion, do even worse at understanding eastern religion.

 

[marvdmartian]

I can't say if any Buddhists are terrorists, but I know that Hare Krishnas are........I've seen them staking out airports all over the country!!! :shocked:

 

[Steeplerot]

Ghandi is back! And this time he is MAD!