“‘What is meant by ‘restraint of the sense-dominants’ cannot easily be grasped by those who regard it as quite a natural thing that the mind should dwell on sense-linked objects. Nothing could in fact be more unnatural. In its natural purity the mind abides in the calm contemplation of emptiness, which is the emptiness of alert expectation and not of impending sleep. A mind which sees, hears, etc., is a distracted, malfunctioning mind. (a) The sense-dominant deflects from the emptiness to which the mind turns in its pristine purity, and overlays it with some delusive and false appearance, which disturbs the even flow of wisdom. (3) The activities of the sense-dominants facilitate the discharge of instinctual drives and immensely strengthen the essentially unwholesome impulses, by stirring them up and providing them with a centre of organization. When this centre is removed, they are dispersed. It is therefore no wonder that ‘when he has left the door of the eye, etc., open’, all manner of unwholesome states ‘flood’, i.e. ‘pursue and submerge’ him.”

Metta is seen as the natural result of a flowering Buddhist practice. Wikipedia has a statement that is worth quoting in full that “The cultivation of loving-kindness (mettā bhāvanā) is a popular form of meditation in Buddhism. In the Theravadin Buddhist tradition, this practice begins with the meditator cultivating loving-kindness towards themselves,^[7] then one’s loved ones, friends, teachers, strangers, enemies, and finally towards all sentient beings. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, this practice is associated with tonglen (cf.), whereby one breathes out (“sends”) happiness and breathes in (“receives”) suffering.^[8] Tibetan Buddhists also practice contemplation of the Brahmavihāras, also called the four immeasurables, which is sometimes called ‘compassion meditation’^[9]”

However it should be noted that friendliness in itself is not the highest value in Buddhism (Conze, Buddhist Thought in India) nor does it appear in the Noble Eightfold Path, the Five Cardinal Virtues, the Six Perfections, or the Seven Limbs of Enlightenment. Nor can it be said that friendship with Muslims is essential to the success of Buddhism. Just as Nirvana is found through wisdom beyond metta, skillfully extinguishing the delusions and illusions in others can have the same enlightening effect.

The Pali word for delusions that characterize our dark age is avija.  Avija is translated as ’ignorance,’ nescience, unknowing; “and synonymous with delusion (moha, s. mūla), it is the primary root of all evil and suffering in the world, veiling man’s mental eyes and preventing him from seeing the true nature of things. It is the delusion tricking beings by making life appear to them as permanent, happy, substantial and beautiful and preventing them from seeing that everything in reality is impermanent, liable to suffering, void of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, and basically impure (s. vipallāsa). Ignorance is defined as ‘not knowing the four truths, namely, suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the way to its cessation’ (S. XII, 4).

All beings who live in this ignorance are capable of the most regrettable kamma. This is the opposite of the Dhamma, adhamma: unrighteous, injustice, wrong conduct, and immorality. To act in ways antithetical to the dhamma or those upholding it is against natural law and criminal in nature. This fundamental lack of education on the Four Noble Truths is the most pressing matter of the 21st century should be the most serious issue of our time.  The delusions lead them to impure kamma and suffering upon themselves and their loved ones is the most obvious contribution of the world’s fastest growing religion. It is of utmost importance that this situation be rectified so that the metta of Buddha and the wisdom of Dhamma can shed light on this darkness and bring peace to them or the whole world will have to continue to suffer the consequences.

Surely not all of them will be mindful enough of the benefits of the Buddha’s teaching but those who’s eyes can be opened should be given every opportunity to join the Order and return to their countries to bring the flower of Dhamma to their nation of origin.

There are those who incorporate Dhamma into the religion of Christianity, finding comfort in Christ as the savior and mindfulness to access the inner reaches of virtue. There is no reason why a Muslim cannot find the wisdom of Mohammad quicker with a mind stilled in meditation. Along with protecting the faith from unacceptable proselytizing and forced conversions, I think this is the best approach for showing Muslims the metta of Buddhism. Ignorance is not limited to any race or creed of which any wisdom is notably lost among the wider Buddhist community of “friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbors, and paper citizens” who choose to celebrate holidays of ignorance bathed in oceans of blood.

The heart of this teaching is so important and so crucial for humanity ad so different, no other teaching places such prime importance on letting go of anger and hatred, which can on the whole positively influence every race, religion, and creed, can and should be taught to all people over all mediums for all time. The method or rather, patience, of Buddhists to wait for students to come to them has been a hallmark of Buddhist lineages for ages, but that means missing the great mass of humanity not so lucky has cost almost every Buddhist country to fall prey to sinister forces.

Buddhists in Western countries tend to view Buddhism as a “nice” philosophy with exotic oriental embellishments. Buddhists in Eastern countries tend to view Buddhism as something monks do in Temples. The fundamental effort of Buddhist theory and practice, cultivating the mind, is perpetually held in check by waves of beginners and cast aside when the work becomes overwhelming or too difficult. When asked about a different spiritual system of the 20th century, one of the first Western monks Allan Bennett replied “No Buddhist would consider it worthwhile to pass from the crystalline clearness of his own religion to this involved obscurity.” That point, about the crystalline clearness of Dhamma is fundamental to Buddhist ethics and philosophy. I think it is safe to extrapolate that if the observable benefits of a religion or spiritual practice is obscure of any sort, it lacks the wholesome clarity contained in the Buddha’s original teaching. Buddhists should highlight the miraculous and awe inspiringly simple gift of the Noble Eightfold Path to solving human problems in a completely wholesome manner. Indeed, Buddhist leaders are wary of suggesting that this approach is any better to any other approach. Comparing the benefits of Buddhist religious efforts and that of others is decidedly “unBuddhist.” But those differences do in fact exist. Ignoring that they exist does not make them de facto, vanish.

The failure of Buddhists in recent centuries, by personal or institutional failure to make the effort to bring Buddhism to a worldwide audience (an effort, ironically, only started by Christians and Western academics to explain the doctrines of native religions found by colonists) has led to a profoundly disappointing opportunity to alleviate suffering in the present world. How different would the word be today with the sangha in 17th century Britian? How could of the Czar’s been influenced in the 14th century? Today there is an entire lack of Buddhist missions in the countries of it’s early spread and in the present is at threat of being displaced in the countries it is currently widespread is testament of this fundamental failure of Buddhist missionary work. As the wheel of time progresses and global challenges test the very existence of humanity’s capacity to cope with environmental change we strongly believe only Buddhism has the full spiritual maturity to be able to solve the spiritual crisis of humanity. Without a global sangha to lead humanity to a purified moral life and unblemished mind, can leverage humanity away from the dark ordeal of terrorism and catastrophe that lurks behind every frightening news story.

It is up to Buddhists as a whole to choose whether they overcome this kamma with full understanding of the consequences of failure in the current historical epoch. We are greatful (yet saddened by the circumstances) by which the Tibetal Sangha in the 20th century but how this enabled the flowering of Buddhism in the West is heartening. But before a tragedy of equal proportions to the Tibetan diaspora is under threat in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar, and we must do everything necessary to ensure the last remains of Buddhist culture get the support they need to continue the great work. We urge our brothers and sisters to meditate vividly on the consequences that you will bequeath to future generations if we are not successful in checking the damage of fundamental karmic mismanagement of Buddhist countries. Not believing that our religion contains the most precious Triple Jewel in existence in our hearts and minds is a mistake we cannot make again. Our mission is our religion and it is symbolized by the numbers 969.

Men who ‘go their own way’ have seen first hand how the social contract between men and women has been broken, arguably for decades, by a perfect storm of powerful interests groups and the self-deception of men and women across society.

These men engage in the activities peculiar to the individual such as physical activities, self-learning, and hobbies. In this article we would like to kindly offer men who find this society unrewarding a few suggestions from an ancient tradition of men that understand their concerns, have felt their pain, and have found ways to rise above worldly concerns. I believe that as men we are naturally inclined to engage in actions that provide greater merit and rewards than purely individual pursuits.

When men decide they have “had enough” of the poor prospects of companionship, they naturally gravitate to a more disciplined mindset that is almost a complete parallel to the Buddha’s Vinaya (Discipline) of monastic vows. This can be seen very clearly in the so-called levels or stages of development for MGTOW: Level 0 is awareness of the backward social position men are put to compared to women in society, Level 1 is a rejection of long term relationships with women such as marriage, Level 2 rejection of short term relationships and friendships, Level 3 is disengaging economically by failing to “feed the machine” with consuming nonessentials, Level 4 is social rejection by entering into isolation and hermitage. This is almost a step by step parallel to the stories of young men who joined the Buddhist community when the Buddha was still alive.

In Western countries, MGTOW can be seen as being a widespread social behavior at present whether it is done consciously or not. Average guys are uninspired by romantic pursuits and marriage rates have never been lower in the United States and Western countries and there is no indication the trend will reverse any time soon.

The overall political strategy of MGTOW seems to dry up (or maybe bleed) a society of the benefits of socially engaged men as punishment until that society collapses and a society based on respect for men’s interests is reestablished. That is a dangerous direction for men to pursue out of spite for the scornful actions of women. We believe there is a more harmonious way to achieve that goal from the results of the Buddhist faith.

As Buddhists, we have faith in the Buddha’s teaching to alleviate the suffering of being born through specific practices and commitments. In the 969 Movement, we are mostly Theravadan’s (‘the Elders’) who follow the oldest tradition of the Buddha to attain this goal by cultivating the wisdom revealed in the Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold path can be summerized as cultivating the virtues of honor, self-respect, modesty, and gratitude, and the eradication of unvirtuous attitudes.

Liberating the mind from desiring unfavorable objects is the greatest possible virtue any man can develop. MGTOW are on the start of a wonderful journey of self-discovery without domestic distractions, the benefits of renunciation for those it appeals to is awe inspiring. The main problem with merely changing who one has social relations with is that it is just the start of the process of transformation. The real potential of a more meaningful change starts and ends within your mind. Buddhist men have methods and a tradition going back for 2,500 years of understanding the mind and its processes and how its self-defeating machinations can be overcome to produce the highest form of serenity possible. By learning to watch the mind, observe the mind, and developing a permanent letting go of disturbing thoughts the ultimate form of bliss can be achieved. The Buddha does not say to take his word for it, the Buddha says try it and see for yourself. Identifying yourself as a man who has gone his own way and “that’s it” cuts you off from a more noble pursuit. When or if the time is right, the MGTOW retire to the Level 3 or 4 stage of being themselves in peace. While doing so on ones own is certainly admirable, living in the forests and taking refuge in solitary bliss is an ancient Buddhist tradition.

However before we continue talking about what Buddhism is we should start most clearly with what it is not. Unlike the Catholic Church, there is no single entity that controls the doctrine of the Buddhist faith. Buddhism itself should be understood as a vast tradition with multiple strands of thoughts and practices of which not all are reconcilable in the details. Buddhism is also a very difficult path of learning. Since the mind is the wildest of animals and most mercenary opponent to tame, success in Buddhism is described poetically as requiring many life times of effort in order to achieve mastery. To confound matters, many if not most of what is called Buddhism is in fact not Buddhism but what some people at a certain time decided to reinvent and rebrand for their own purposes. Western men encountering Buddhism in Western countries will likely not see manifestations of Buddhism that will appeal to them. The reasons for this are complex and beyond the scope of this article but an introductory reading to Buddhism will be included below. Westener’s should be encouraged to visit Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar to get an authentic experience of what the Buddhist Sangha offers them as men. It is traditional in these countries for young men to become monks for a certain period of time before returning to lay life and as any institution goes there is every level of experience present. To their benefit, these men follow a strict code of moral development that is designed to make them better men. These countries (and their monks) are often disrespected by feminists as being ‘patrichial’ and ‘cis-centric,’ much as Catholic priests and nuns are referred to as father and mother in a spiritual sense. Long established monks (known by the title Venerable for twenty or so years in the Order) provide fatherly moral guidance to the communities they serve and depend on for their physical existence.

MGTOW that want to learn more will be advised to not just buy any book on Buddhism. Most books on Buddhism are highly misleading when colored by the personal opinions of the authors. This is particularly the case for modern American authors on the topic and they should be avoided until a traditional view of the Buddha Dhamma teaching is given. If any of this interests you further, the student of the mind is referred to the following titles:

The Doctrine of Awakening Julius Evola

The Heritage of the Bhikkhu Walpola Rahula

Buddhist Thought in India Edward Conze

The Foundations of Buddhism Rupert Gethin

Pali Canon – the Pali Canon is the oldest records of the Buddha that have survived. For five to six hundred years they were recited orally be men to preserve the teaching for future generations before it was written down. For the advanced student that wants to read the words of the Buddha himself we recommend to learn the language of Pali often referred to as the language of the Buddha. Be careful with any modern translations.

Often overlooked by Care Bears is the proper gratitude to the causes of their spiritual practice having a home to be practiced in. For example, Mahayana Buddhists don’t acknowledge that the origin of the previous decades that led to the flowering of Tibetan Buddhism around the world is mainly due to the humanitarian generosity of Christian countries that allowed persecuted Lama’s residency. Sure, some Western students would and have traveled to India and other places and take novice ordination but there would been a serious stumbling block without the actual Lama’s themselves to setup spiritual headquarters in Western societies. Westerners love to sell things and one of the things they sell is emotional coddling in easy to digest formats. Attend this workshop and become happy. Buy this book and let go of anger. Hear this talk, give up your grief with ‘the power of now.’ Although emotional healing may have an important part to play in Buddhist effervesce, such a result is more of a side effect of renunciation and is not related to the path itself. Buddhism is more likely to be found under a tree alone by yourself in a forest than in a meditation retreat. But the Care Bears won’t tell you that. Instead they will tell you everything you want to hear, for a price. Just like the Hallmarks cards Care Bears originally were sold for. They won’t tell you to give up everything who you are and everything that you own to make a robe out of garbage and meditate on the cremation of human remains until you come to a true understanding of your ultimate nature. But Buddha would.

Buddha expects his teaching to be difficult and in fact called it the Discipline (Rattana Sutta). What are colloquially called “warm fuzzies” is exactly what Buddha was not aiming for his followers to achieve. How can we set a course away from Care Bear power and towards the path? One can start by refraining from identifying oneself with the kamma of others, refraining from judgement on the kamma of others, holding the beliefs, thoughts, and actions of others to be the ultimate truth or ultimate good or ultimate evil. Relaxing the mind to point awareness inwards is a standard refrain on how to begin Buddhist practice but the mind, minds eye, and the sensation of feelings are not to be trusted. Western Buddhists in particular would be well advised to heed the advice on Dhamma from Venerable Bhikkhu’s who have become senior members of the Order through their diligence, merit, and compassion to others (above and beyond the discipline of lay teachers as laid out in the Dasa Sikkhapada). Another practice we encourage in 969 is learning the Pali words of the Buddha himself to grow spiritually. Learning to read and speak Pali is a blessing like a lotus we are very fortunate to have many resources available to us in the present day. Through constant repetition, discipline, and practice is the goals of Buddhism achieved. This tradition has been going on for over 2,500 years for the good reason that the results it claims to deliver on actually work when applied without error (Patisambhidamagga).

We owe it to ourselves and to our descendants to revere, share, and yes, take refuge, in the glorious light of the teachings of the Conqueror of Samsara.  We should refrain supporting partial Dharmas, and the emotional blackmail that stems from products like Care Bear Dharma that exist to manipulate emotions for financial gain and hinder the public further away from Nibbana. Especially when they describe themselves as Buddhists.

Historically however, Buddhist countries have tended to ignore massive problems in the zeitgeist under the guise of the virtue of non-attachment, often at the cost of massive suffering. It has repeatedly occurred that massive problems and calamities arise and are ignored or unresisted until the Buddhist population does not exist anymore. Examples of this can be seen in a curosry review of the history of Buddhist countries from Mongolia and Soviet Union in the 1930′s, Malaysia and Muslims, Tibet and China, China in the 20th century, India and Muslims in the 13th-16th century, British colonialism, etc, it is the same story every time: massive social problems arise at some point in time and Buddhists are unwilling or unable to take actions to fix the crisis or they surrender the results to the more vigorous actor until such a time that any positive outcome to the crisis is impossible.

The heart of the 969 Movement’s message and the sermons of Venerable Wirathu is simple: don’t ignore problems. By dispassionately analyzing the problems, the causes of problems, and the agents of problems with the scientific dissection of the Buddhist mind. We ask what is going wrong? What is the cause of the lack of Dhamma in every day life? Who is behaving through impure desires? What are their motivations? What do they want? Who is speaking the truth and who is lying? How can we counteract these actions (kamma) with firm kindness? And so on.

We believe that the process of purifying the mind is just as suitable for purifying society. If this was not the caee the principles and methods of Buddhism cannot be held to be universally true.

Since we believe our principles are of universal value, it is not only our obligation to offer Buddhist resolution to problems but it our obligation to insist that we have the solution to these issues with the right view of natural laws applicable to all sentient beings.

And that is how 969 will allow Buddhism to help humanity for another 2,500 years.

Last night in central Myanmar a bomb went off 50 feet from a talk being given by Ven Wirathu. At least three people were injured, including a monk. Please send your prayers to the victims.

Contrary to misleading information in the media, Venerable Wirathu is not uneducated. The reason for this is the frequently cited Times Magazine article that he left public schools at age 14. However, as with most things in Time Magazine, the whole story was not revealed. Frequently overlooked in the West, monasteries have been a traditional place for education in Southeast Asian cultures for thousands of years. Young monks are fully expected to complete their studies. Wirathu worked hard as a young man to earn the equivalent of a Phd in Buddhist studies which is only awarded to students between the ages of 22-26 years old and is a very difficult exam to acquire. Since 1998, Ven. Wirathu has been volunteering his time to serve the education needs of his community.

He serves as the teacher of between 60-80 youths without the money needed to pay for schooling to this day.

At the 969 Movement, we seek to follow his example and lead the way with promoting education to both genders worldwide. With the rise of online resources such as the Khan Academy and Wikipedia, we feel it is an amazing opportunity in world history to lower education costs across the board. In the coming months and years we will offer further education programs and volunteer opportunities for Buddhists who want to get contribute to this important undertaking.

There is a little known incident in Mongolia from 1934 to 1944. Mongolia was taken over by the USSR who subsequently repressed all traces of Buddhism in the country. Of the 30,000 monks in the country and devote laity, and estimes of 17,000 monks were all killed. “Mongolia’s religious institutions were virtually all destroyed, their property appropriated, and the lamas either killed or secularized. Altogether, 2,265 monastery buildings were destroyed and over 71.5 tons of metal statutes shipped to the USSR for scrap.”

The results of foreign take overs of Buddhist countries is obvious to all observers, the most notable example in the mid 20th century being Tibet. Another terrible example, which also resulted from foreign influence, was the Cambodia of Pol Pot.

These and other situations occurred due to the unfortunate kamma of stronger more powerful countries taking over weaker and less defended countries by force. As the Wheel turns, it is arguable that this has been the case for all of time and will likely be the case until the world only consists of Mahatmas (Great Souls) for whom violent behavior is impossible.

More recent examples of violence in Buddhist countries can be seen in Sri Lanka where an ethnic guerilla group the Tamil Tigers waged a terrorist campaign to create an independent homeland for their ethnicity in the tiny island. The battles they fought from 1983 until 2009 almost succeeded, in 1995 a government was elected tried to allow Tamil controlled an autonomous region despite the history of horrendous terrorist attacks.

Several peace talks were made with the Tigers to try to resolve the situation in a peaceful manner, all of which were never successful and appeared to have given the Tigers more confidence in their victory. Only in 2006 when the Tigers controlled 15,000 km^2 was the army allowed to go on the offensive after the peace talks broke down, destroying the group and its last hideout by 2009. 

Although the Buddhist governments of prior decades surely had noble intentions with their prior policies, we have to ask ourselves was their actions responsible? Did the lack of offensive capabilities in 1983 or 1990 condone and condemn to unimaginable suffering and thousands of more deaths as the conflict protracted longer then was necessary? To all observations of what has resulted since 2009 in Sri Lanka, it appears to be so. Myanmar, Thailand, and even India all have conflicts that are very similar to this to whom the authorities are unwilling or unable to bring to resolution.

On the issue of Buddhist violence, in 1997, the Dalai Lama was quoted that only when the last existence of a Buddhist teacher is threatened can violence be used to protect it: ”if the situation was such that there was only one learned lama or genuine practitioner alive, a person whose death would cause the whole of Tibet to lose all hope of keeping its Buddhist way of life, then it is conceivable that in order to protect that one person it might be justified for one or 10 enemies to be eliminated — if there was no other way. I could justify violence only in this extreme case, to save the last living knowledge of Buddhism itself.”

We have to ask ourselves, is this attitude (or policy) justifiable? Is the sacrifice of 99.9% of all monks in a given country justifiable to the principle of non-violence? Or is this in truth an irresponsible attitude that leads to irresponsible kamma?

Furthermore, “In our own case, we don’t consider the loss of a monastery or a monument the end of our entire way of life. If one monastery is destroyed, sometimes it happens. Therefore, we don’t need to respond with desperate violence. Although under particular circumstances, the violence method — any method — can be justified, nevertheless once you commit violence, then counterviolence will be returned. Also, if you resort to violent methods because the other side has destroyed your monastery, for example, you then have lost not only your monastery, but also your special Buddhist practices of detachment, love, and compassion.”

What this sounds to me is that one monastery, one monument, or one monk is not very valuable to the Dalai Lama. Surely a monastery can be destroyed in the case of an earthquake, but in the case of Mongolia and Cambodia in the last century, the enemies of Dhamma never stop with just one monastery or one monk. They aim to destroy them all. If they do not kill more in any particular incident it is not because they regret their actions but because their are simply none left in the immediate vicinity. I don’t think the virtues of detachment, love, and compassion should mean giving license to violent actors to do whatever they want to you and everything you hold dear. For lack of a better term, “demonic” actions against monks can never be dismissed with “sometimes it happens.” Violence never “just happens.”  It happens when a violent thought is executed by the body of a violent mind. Even if he is a saint, the Dalai Lama would make a terrible peace officer. This is why Kings in ancient Asian countries had the title ‘Defender of the Dhamma,’ it was their job to make sure the country remained Buddhist.

The idea that “counterviolence” will be returned to you by an aggressive assailant for defending yourself is also blatantly obvious, I’m pretty certain most school children over the age of five have that figured out. What remains unspoken is the absolute necessity for the victim of violence to be more violent then their attacker in order to stop the threat. Taking responsibility for oneself is responsible kamma. Not doing so is irresponsible. Bhikkhu’s certainly have an obligation not to kill others, as do all Buddhists, but that doesn’t mean not defending themselves or others from harm from either real or perceived threats.

At the 969 Movement we follow Venerable Wirathu’s lead on analyzing the actions of others and deciding what the right course of action is to protect our religion and our faith from being harmed by others. We must ask ourselves, what are the ways to reduce the threat of long term potential threats rather than what is the short term way to appease our enemies. We take the opposite view of the Dalai Lama. Instead of willing to sacrifice 99.9% of our peers, we won’t tolerate even .01% being violated. We hope you join us in these actions.

In the face of terrorism, it is exceptionally challenging and incredibly important to maintain the Right Intent. Even with the blood of our brothers still fresh on our most holy temples to lose the Right Intent is to lose the foundation of our religion.

This author proposes that when executed with the right intention, forceful means of stopping violence is a legitimate use of force. We must ask ourselves is allowing violence to occur onder our watch is for reasons of shock, fear, or uncertainty does not display skilfulness in  presence of mind, the same as reacting to violence in anger and rage. Surely it is the Buddha’s intent to teach the monks (his spiritual heir’s) to not cherish their life, to not be beholden to a long life, and to accept the dessolution of the body as a natural occurence all will one day experience. But that does not mean throwing away life unjustly. It means realizing when the right kamma makes it necassary to act. No one would propose that the Buddha would say to an injured victim, “this is your kamma for some action you have done, you must suffer accordingly.” The Buddha is not a nihilist or an existentialist. No, the Buddha would help the victim as he or she is able. We protect our temples, our bodies, and our minds from nefarious influences, but with a clear mind of what we are doing and why it will reduce suffering.

For more on this topic, the following is a different translation from “Sayings of Buddha”, Pilgrims Publishing, 2003:

“Simha said: “One doubt still lurks in my mind concerning the doctrine of the Blessed One. I am a soldier, and am appointed by the king to enforce his laws and to wage his wars. Does the Tathagata declare that it is wrong to go war for the protection of our homes, our wives, our children, and our property? Does the Tathagata teach the doctrine of a complete self surrender? Does the Tathagata maintain that warfare waged for a righteous cause should be forbidden? Buddha replied:

He who deserves punishment must be punished, and he who isworthy of favor must be favored. Yet at the same time the Tathagata teaches to do no injury to any living being but to be full of love and kindness. These injunctions are not contradictory, for whosoever must be punished for the crimes, which he has committed, suffers his injury not through the ill-will of the judge put on account of his evil-doing. His own acts have brought upon him the injury that the executor of the law inflicts. When a magistrate punishes, let him not harbor hatred in his breast; and a murderer, when put to death, should consider that this is the fruit of his own act.

The Tathagata teaches that all warfare in which man tries to slay his brother is lamentable, but he does not teach that those who go to war in a righteous cause, after having exhausted all means to preserve the peace, are blameworthy. He must be blamed who is the cause of war. The Tathagata teaches a complete surrender of self, but he does not teach a surrender of anything to those powers that are evil, be they men or gods or the elements of nature.

Struggle must be, for all life is a struggle of some kind. But he that struggles should look to it lest he struggle in the interest of self against truth and righteousness. He who struggles in the interest of self, so that he himself may be great or powerful or rich or famous, will have no reward, but he who struggles for righteousness and truth, will have great reward, for even his defeat will be a victory.

Self is not a fit vessel to receive any great success; self is small however, is large enough to receive the yearning and aspirations of all selves and when the selves break like soap bubbles, their contents will be preserved and in the truth they will lead a life everlasting. (This does not appear in the first version)

He who goes to battle, O Simha, even though it be in a righteous cause, must be prepared to be slain by his enemies, for that is the destiny of warriors; and should his fate overtake him he has no reason for complaint. But he who is victorious should remember the instability of earthly things. His success may be great, but be it ever so great the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring him down into the dust.

The doctrine of the conquest of self, O Simha, in not taught to destroy the souls of men, but to preserve them. He who has conquered self is more fit to live, to be successful, and to gain victories that he who is the slave of self. He, whose mind is free from the illusion of self, will stand and not fall in that battle of life. He, whose intention are righteousness and justice, will meet with no failure, but be successful in his enterprises and his success will endure. He who harbors in his heart love of truth will live and not die, for he has drunk the water of immortality. Struggle then, O general, courageously; and fight your battles vigorously, but be a soldier of truth, and the Tathagata will bless you.”

It also does not mean that the Buddhism path lacks ferocity. Many Buddhist temples contain ferocious spiritual guardians like the Singha Lions, Dharmapala, or Naga to scare away bad spirits or people with evil intent. In Western terms, the traditional Buddhist posture could be described like a dog that is ‘all bark and no bite.’ Unfortunately in this corrupt age, we need more than stone lions to protect our heritage.