The source of peace is within us; so also the source of war. And the real enemy is within us and not outside. The source of war is not nuclear weapons or other arms. It is the minds of human beings who decide to push the button and to use those arms out of hatred, anger or greed. All forms of violence, especially war, are totally unacceptable as means to settle disputes between and among nations, groups and persons. His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Martin McGee, of Buffalo, has studied and practiced Buddhism since 1978

War is a racket, it always has been. Smedley Butler, United States Marine Corps major general

These two quotes summarize how I feel about war. I grew up in the Vietnam era. The graphic TV news footage of Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc and his self-immolation while sitting in the lotus position on a busy daytime street in Ho Chi Minh City (then Saigon) scared and confused me as a young child. It became a befitting symbol for the fiery times. The 66-year-old monk was protesting against the persecution of Buddhists by the U.S. backed South Vietnamese government.

Later on, I learned that self-harm and suicide are prohibited in Buddhism. In college, I went to Japan as a student in a semester abroad program and met people who had lived through World War II. An old guidebook that I picked up at a library used book sale prior to leaving led me to study on weekends at a Zen monastery near Mount Fuji.

I grappled with how a country that produced its famed peaceful Zen culture could become a nation at war. I learned that it is complicated, to say the least.

The physical, emotional and psychological suffering from war is not only felt by those directly impacted. It infects all humanity. Non-violence is at the heart of Buddhist thinking and behavior. Nothing in Buddhist scripture gives any support to the use of violence as a way to resolve conflict. The Buddhist doctrine of Ahimsa implies the total avoidance of harming any living creature by deeds, words and thoughts.

The guiding principal of compassion in Buddhism is akin to the golden rule found in all religions: the wish for others to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. It is based on appreciating other peoples feelings, especially when weve gone through the same ordeal.

Emptiness and interdependence in Buddhism are more than concepts; they are beneficial keys to understanding the nature of reality and our place in it. Upon hearing the term emptiness, one might think this suggests nothingness or a void, but the meaning is directly connected to the concept of interdependence, whereas nothing exists in a void. Great possibilities arise in emptiness. We can make anything happen (peace instead of war, love over hate, sharing rather than greed), but we can only do so by bringing together the necessary conditions.

This years annual WNY Peace Centers dinner on November 10 brings keynote speaker Rima Vesely-Flad to Buffalo. She is a professor of Buddhism and Black studies at Union Theological Seminary and the author of Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition. Her talk is entitled The Dharma of Racial Justice: Contemplative Practices & Collective Liberation.

Im looking forward to having this opportunity to learn more about how to find more inner peace and promote social justice.

Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

See the original post:
Buddhist anti-conflict teaching is more important than ever - Buffalo News