Buddhist Views on War

To Buddhists, war is akusala—unskillful, evil. Still, Buddhists sometimes fight in wars. Is war always wrong? Is there such a thing as a just war theory in Buddhism? Warrior Monks Although Buddhist scholars say there is no justification for war in their teachings, Buddhism has not always separated itself from war. There is historical documentation that in 621, monks from the Shaolin Temple of China fought in a battle that helped establish the Tang Dynasty. In centuries past, the heads of Tibetan Buddhist schools formed strategic alliances with Mongol warlords and reaped benefits from the warlords victories.​ The links between Zen Buddhism and samurai warrior culture were partly responsible for the shocking collusion of Zen and Japanese militarism in the 1930s and 1940s. For several years, a virulent jingoism seized Japanese Zen, and teachings were twisted and corrupted to excuse killing. Zen institutions not only supported Japanese military aggression but raised money to manufacture war planes and weapons. Observed from a distance of time and culture, these actions and ideas are inexcusable corruptions of dharma, and any just war theory that arose from them were the products of delusion. This episode serves as a lesson to us not to be swept up in the passions of the cultures we live in. Of course, in volatile times that is easier said than done. In recent years, Buddhist monks have been leaders of political and social activism in Asia. The Saffron Revolution in Burma and the March 2008 demonstrations in Tibet  are the most prominent examples. Most of these monks are committed to nonviolence, although there are always exceptions. More troubling are the monks of Sri Lanka who lead the Jathika Hela Urumaya, National Heritage Party, a strongly nationalist group that advocates a military solution to Sri Lankas ongoing civil war. Is War Always Wrong? Buddhism challenges us to look beyond a simple right/wrong dichotomy. In Buddhism, an act that sows the seeds of harmful karma is regrettable even if it unavoidable. Sometimes Buddhists fight to defend their nations, homes, and families. This cannot be seen as wrong, yet even in these circumstances, to harbor hate for ones enemies is still a poison. And any act of war that sows the seeds of future harmful karma is still akusala. Buddhist morality is based on principles, not rules. Our principles are those expressed in the Precepts and the Four Immeasurables—loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. Our principles also include kindness, gentleness, mercy, and tolerance. Even the most extreme circumstances do not erase those principles or make it righteous or good to violate them. Yet neither is it good or righteous to stand aside while innocent people are slaughtered. And the late Ven. Dr. K Sri Dhammananda, a Theravadin monk  and scholar, said, The Buddha did not teach His followers to surrender to any form of evil power be it a human or supernatural being. To Fight or Not to Fight In What Buddhist Believe, the Venerable Dhammananda wrote, Buddhists should not be the aggressors even in protecting their religion or anything else. They must try their best to avoid any kind of violent act. Sometimes they may be forced to go to war by others who do not respect the concept of the brotherhood of humans as taught by the Buddha. They may be called upon to defend their country from external aggression, and as long as they have not renounced the worldly life, they are duty-bound to join in the struggle for peace and freedom. Under these circumstances, they cannot be blamed for becoming soldiers or being involved in defence. However, if everyone were to follow the advice of the Buddha, there would be no reason for war to take place in this world. It is the duty of every cultured person to find all possible ways and means to settle disputes in a peaceful manner, without declaring war to kill his or her fellow human beings. As always in questions of morality, when choosing whether to fight or not to fight, a Buddhist must examine his own motivations honestly. It is too easy to rationalize one has pure motives when in fact one is fearful and angry. For most of us, self-honesty at this level takes extraordinary effort and maturity, and history tells us that even senior priests with years of practice can lie to themselves. Love Your Enemy We are called upon also to extend loving kindness and compassion to our enemies, even when facing them on a battlefield. Thats not possible, you may say, yet this is the Buddhist path.   People sometimes seem to think that one is obligated to hate ones enemies. They may say How can you speak well of someone who hates you? The Buddhist approach to this is that we can still choose not to hate people back. If you have to fight someone, then fight. But hate is optional, and you may choose otherwise.   So often in human history, war has sewn seeds that ripened into the next war. And often, the battles themselves were less responsible for evil karma than the way occupying armies treated civilians or the way the victor humiliated and oppressed the conquered. At the very least, when it is time to stop fighting, stop fighting. History shows us that the victor who treats the conquered with magnanimity, mercy, and leniency is more likely to achieve the lasting victory and eventual peace. Buddhists in the Military Today there are more than 3,000 Buddhists serving in the U.S. armed forces, including some Buddhist chaplains. Todays Buddhist soldiers and sailors are not the first in the U.S. military. During World War II, approximately half of the troops in Japanese-American units, such as the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Infantry, were Buddhists. In the Spring 2008 issue of Tricycle, Travis Duncan wrote of the Vast Refuge Dharma Hall Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy. There are 26 cadets currently at the academy who practice Buddhism. At the dedication of the chapel, the Reverend Dai En Wiley Burch of the Hollow Bones Rinzai Zen school said, Without compassion, war is a criminal activity. Sometimes it is necessary to take life, but we never take life for granted.

Ethical Decision Making Process Essay - 1085 Words

Ethical Decision-Making Paul comes to an agency with many difficulties and anxieties, one which is his antipathy toward interracial marriage. He expresses disappointment in his daughter and in himself as a father because of her engagement to a man of another race. Paul has gone as far as threatening to disinherit her if she marries this man. What the client does not know is that the social worker is in an interracial marriage as well. The therapist says she is willing to work with him but discloses that she herself is in an interracial marriage. During the initial interview with the client the therapist expresses that she her self is in an interracial relationship. The correspondence between an individual’s values and the values of an†¦show more content†¦The moral principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity and veracity one of these needs to be applied to this situation. Autonomy gives Paul the ability to think independently. He knows he does not like interracial marriages however he still feels that he is a failure as a father due to his daughter’s judgment. First Paul needs to understand that the decision that his daughters make has no apparent effect on him as a father and that his daughter is old enough to make choices on her own. Paul also needs to know that by threaten to disown his daughter will hurt him as a father and hurt her as a daughter which constitutes the nonmaleficence of this dilemma. As the therapist responsibility still remains with the client. Paul needs to know that the therapist will prove him help to the best of her interest. She will help him to may be overcome his disappointment or be at ease with the dilemma. The fourth step is to generate courses of action. As the session goes on the therapist would ask what particular besides the color of his daughters soon to be fiancà © What else does he not like about him? Also some questions such as: did you get to know your daughter’s fiancà ©? What do you like and dislike about him not pertaining to color? Why do you feel you failed as father? Do you feel that your relationship with your daughter is bad or good? The therapist would try to get the most out of Paul based on the relationship that he has hadShow MoreRelatedThe Ethical Decision Making Process1253 Words   |  6 PagesThe ethical decision making process is based on moral rules and unchanging principles that are derived from reason and can be applied universally. These universal rules and principles must be considered separate from the consequences or the facts of a particular situation. (McWay, 2014). Health care workers face ethical issues and have to use the ethical decision making process to determine what is best for their patients. The first ethical issue will be right to life and abortion. AbortionRead MoreThe Ethical Decision Making Process943 Words   |  4 PagesWe face ethical decisions almost every day in our lives. Having strong ethics will help us decide what is right and wrong, especially when we face serious dilemmas just like in the case, It’s All in the Family. Applying the ethical decision-making process to this scenario will help me decide what approach I should take if I was in this situation. The first step in the ethical decision-making process is determining the facts of the problem. Knowing all the facts of the situation and making an effortRead MoreThe Ethical Decision Making Process2474 Words   |  10 Pages Ethical Decision Making Process Ayva Rodriguez Felician College NURS 380 Elizabeth Stallings RN, MA, DMH January 22, 2015 Abstract Nurses often encountered various ethical dilemmas in the practice setting. Both virtue ethics and caring ethics support good ethical decision making for nurses (Park, 2012, p. 149) but these are inadequate to assist in solving an ethical dilemma (Park, 2012, p. 149). For that reason an ethical decision making tool is helpful for the nurses or clinicians to comeRead MoreEthical Decision-Making in the Military Decision-Making Process5155 Words   |  21 PagesEthical Decision-Making in the Military Decision-Making Process Contribution to the JSCOPE 2000 Conference â€Å"Moral Considerations in Military Decision Making†. Dr. D. (Desiree) Verweij Lieutenant Colonel G.A.A.M. (Gà ©rard) Cloà ¯n (drs.) Major E.C. (Erhan) Tanercan MED (drs.) E-mail: ilmo@army.disp.mindef.nl Tel: +31 76 527 46 53 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +31 76 527 46 53 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Introduction A great deal hasRead MoreEthical Framework : Decision Making Process Essay1537 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Framework to Decision-making Process Slide 2: Introduction All employees (including the company executives) should be guided by moral principles and ethical values when making decisions (Balc Simionescu, 2012). The ability of executives to make ethical decisions can be influenced by their cognitive bias (Zeni, Buckley, Mumford Griffith, 2015). Utilitarianism is one of the frameworks that can be used to address ethical dilemmas. Utilitarianism holds that decision makers should take alternativesRead MoreNursing Process : Ethical Decision Making1879 Words   |  8 PagesNursing Process Approach to Ethical Decision Making A career in nursing is a challenging one. There is a high demand for physical strength when working a long, twelve-hour shift, and an even higher demand for emotional strength when communicating with clients and family members alike. In both cases, the best asset a nurse has available is the ability to think critically. The nurse is constantly applying themselves in therapeutic ways in order to help deliver the best possible evidence-based outcomesRead MoreSystematic Process For Ethical Decision Making2090 Words   |  9 PagesI return to week 2 of this course and my systematic process for ethical decision making. I would first â€Å"maintain control† of myself and think. Then analyze the situation and all the fact before deciding on an action to take. Maintain control means to not overreact and to remain calm. Maintain control also means to clarify the facts and rely on my past experiences and education to make a decision on what to do or say next to Marcie. Note: this would have been thought through before going toRead MoreEthical Issues : Aclu On The Decision Making Process1943 Words   |  8 Pages Ethical Issues : ACLU When researching the decision-making processes in which organizations encounter, from large fortune 500 companies to small private businesses, organizational culture has a major emphasis on the decision-making process. According to Kurtz, during the decision-making process and everyday operations of a organization, many ethical decisions which would be unacceptable in our society are deemed to be acceptable problem solving tactics (Kurtz, 2003). Our ethical decision-makingRead MoreCase Study : Ethical Decision Making Process Essay2104 Words   |  9 PagesSection 4- Ethical decision making process: 1. Explain the ethical decision making process: To make an ethical decision, it is necessary to perceive and eliminate immoral options and select the best and ethical alternative. It is a process of choosing the best ethical option among the alternatives. For moral decision making process, some requirements should be followed: Commitment: Make commitment to do the right thing regardless any cost. Consciousness: Awareness about the action takes placeRead MoreThe Four Steps Ethical Analysis And Decision Making Process Essay1662 Words   |  7 Pagesan Ethical Dilemma 2 Solution: - 2 Question 2: Complete the four steps Ethical Analysis and Decision Making Process: - 2 Step- I Understand the situation 2 Facts 2 Ethical issues 3 Stakeholders 3 Step- II Isolate the Major Ethical Dilemma 3 Step-III Ethical analysis 4 Consequentialism 4 Comments 4 Rights and duties: - 4 Comments 4 Kant’s Categorical Imperative 4 Discussion 5 Step- IV Making a decision 5 References 5 Question 1. IS there an Ethical Dilemma Solution: - There is ethical dilemma

Febrile Siezures Essay Example For Students

Febrile Siezures Essay Febrile Seizures: What Every Parent Should KnowBy Herbert Macomber1. What is a febrile seizure? Febrile convulsions (FC) or seizures (FS) are clonic or tonic-clonic seizures that most often occur in infancy or childhood, mainly occurring between four months and six years of age, with fever but without evidence of intracranial infection, antecedent epilepsy, or other definable cause. That is why they are often referred to as fever seizures or febrile seizures. Most of the time when children have a seizure, or a convulsion, its caused by fevers with a rectal temperature greater than 102 degrees F. Most febrile seizures occur during the first day of a childs fever. They occur in 1-5% of all children, and therefore febrile convulsions have the highest incidence of any childhood neurological disease. They are very frightening, but they are not as dangerous as they may appear. Nearly 80 percent of parents think that their child undergoing a seizure is dying or already dead. The controversy that the best management is parental support and education has not been substantiated. Rather, recent findings show that the parents of an affected child continue to be anxious, even after speaking with physicians, viewing videotapes, and reading educational materials, and there is often still family disruption. Parents and many physicians are sometimes driven to try to prevent seizures because of unfounded fears. Seizures do not beget seizures, and in humans there is no solid evidence of kindling, which is seen in an experimental model in animals. The majority of children with febrile seizures have. There have been families identified where each had multiple members affected by febrile convulsions over two or more generations. In order to identify the gene(s) for FC/FS a study was initiated by a genome screen with a panel of micro satellite markers spaced at 20 cM. Blood samples are collecting from families in which 2 siblings have had febrile seizures. Blood samples from both siblings and the biological parents are also required. Dr. R McLachlan is conducting this work in collaboration with The University of Western Ontario. 2. How serious are febrile seizures? Usually, a child who has had a febrile seizure does not need to be hospitalized and may not need x-rays or a brain wave test. Your child may only need to be seen by your family doctor so the cause of the fever can be found. Although they can be frightening to parents, the vast majority of febrile seizures are harmless. During a seizure, there is a small chance that the child may be injured by falling or may choke from food or saliva in the mouth. Using proper first aid for seizures can help avoid these hazards(See section entitled What should you do if your child is having a seizure? ) There is no evidence that febrile seizures cause brain damage. Large studies have found that children with febrile seizures have normal school achievement and perform as well on intellectual tests as their siblings who dont have seizures. Febrile seizures usually last just a few minutes and go away on their own. Its very unusual for a febrile seizure to last more t han 10 minutes. Even in the rare instances of very prolonged seizures (more than 1 hour), most children recover completely. Between 95 and 98 percent of children who have experienced febrile seizures do not go on to develop epilepsy. However, although the absolute risk remains very small, certain children who have febrile seizures face an increased risk of developing epilepsy. These children include those who have febrile seizures that are lengthy, that affect only part of the body, or that recur within 24 hours, and children with cerebral palsy, delayed development, or other neurological abnormalities. Among children who do not have any of these risk factors, only one in 100 develops epilepsy after a febrile seizure. .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c , .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .postImageUrl , .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c , .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c:hover , .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c:visited , .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c:active { border:0!important; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c:active , .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u901a618150f4538419567afed891c32c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: History atomic bomb Essay3. What should you do if your child is having a seizure? Parents should stay calm and carefully observe the child. To prevent accidental injury, the child should be placed on a protected surface such as the floor or ground. The child should not be held or restrained during a convulsion. To prevent choking, the child should be placed on his or her side or