I was looking up buddhism and number five of the Noble Eightfold Path is Right Livelihood - One's job does not harm in any way oneself or others; directly or indirectly.
so does that mean they cannot be in the army?
2006-08-13 19:14:50 · 9 answers · asked by jon 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You are correct, buddhists believe there are eight steps to Enlightenment, called the Eight-Fold Path and Number 5 is Right Livlihood. Here is a quick listing of the Path for those who are not familiar with Buddhism.
Wisdom Training
1. Right View
2. Right Intention
Ethics Training
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livlihood
Meditation Training
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration
As you can tell from the list above becoming a member of the military would violate more than just Number 5, it would also come into conflict with Number 4 which governs a person's actions - which includes abstaining from killing. Buddha said "Do not do anything harmful; do only what is good; purify and train your mind". Buddhists believe that all life is to be respected and that humans are not to directly or indirectly harm it. As a member of the military even if your finger is not the one that pulls the trigger and takes a life you are still guilty by association for contributing to the violent act. So, strictly speaking, a buddhist has no place in the military.
However having said that it must also be mentioned that Christians also believe that God deems it a sin to kill yet they continue to commit murder all the time. So I think it basically comes down to each person's level of commitment to their beliefs. Some adhere more strictly than others to the same teachings. The same can be said of buddhists.
People are master rationalizers when they offer justification for an action that's in opposition to what they say they believe.
2006-08-13 20:01:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
honestly i know next to nothing about buddhism or it's teachings, but as a soldier in the army i can tell you for a fact that there are other servicepeople who are of all religions (or lack thereof)..including catholics & christians, hindus, muslums, buddhists, jews, atheists and so on.
2006-08-13 19:21:33 · answer #2 · answered by disarm_kilocrash 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buddhists are not supposed to indulge in any physical violence. That is why they play chess instead.
2006-08-14 00:15:04 · answer #3 · answered by The Mystic 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are some in the Corp.
Why? I don't know. Probly the same reason I am there. We like to blow stuff up.
2006-08-13 19:17:43 · answer #4 · answered by upallnite 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not real ones, buddhists don't believe in violence.
2006-08-13 19:19:32 · answer #5 · answered by vampire_kitti 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
buddhist are against war.. so i doubt you'd find any in an army ...
if so.. they'd be soldiers who don't fight.
2006-08-13 19:20:17 · answer #6 · answered by Spidergurl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont think there is they vow not to kill or harm so why would they?
2006-08-13 19:17:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no they are pacifists.
They don't believe there is ever a cause for violence.
2006-08-13 19:17:30 · answer #8 · answered by Jon H 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yup.
quakers too.
2006-08-13 19:17:03 · answer #9 · answered by mommo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋