Buddhist Warfare

Though traditionally regarded as a peaceful religion, Buddhism has a dark side. On multiple occasions over the past fifteen centuries, Buddhist leaders have sanctioned violence, and even war. The eight essays in this book focus on a variety of Buddhist traditions, from antiquity to the present, and show that Buddhist organizations have used religious images and rhetoric to support military conquest throughout history. Buddhist soldiers in sixth century China were given the illustrious status of Bodhisattva after killing their adversaries. In seventeenth century Tibet, the Fifth Dalai Lama endorsed a Mongol ruler's killing of his rivals. And in modern-day Thailand, Buddhist soldiers carry out their duties undercover, as fully ordained monks armed with guns. Buddhist Warfare demonstrates that the discourse on religion and violence, usually applied to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, can no longer exclude Buddhist traditions. The book examines Buddhist military action in Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and shows that even the most unlikely and allegedly pacifist religious traditions are susceptible to the violent tendencies of man.

Autorentext

Michael Jerryson is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Youngstown State University. Mark Juergensmeyer is Professor of Sociology and Global Studies, and Director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Inhalt

Introduction - Michael Jerryson Chapter One: Buddhism and War - Paul Demi?ville Chapter Two: Making Merit through Warfare - Stephen Jenkins Chapter Three: Sacralized Warfare: The Fifth Dalai Lama and the Discourse of Religious Violence - Derek F. Mahler Chapter Four: Corporal Punishment during Mongolia's Theocratic Period - Vesna Wallace Chapter Five: A Buddhological Critique of 'Soldier Zen' in Wartime Japan 148 - Brian Victoria Chapter Six: Buddhist Monks in China during the Korean War - Xue Yu Chapter Seven: Sermons to Soldiers in the Sri Lankan Army - Daniel Kent Chapter Eight: Militarizing Buddhism: Violence in Southern Thailand - Michael Jerryson Concluding Remarks: Afterthoughts - Bernard Faure Appendix Bibliography