Buddha Spoke About A Madman Wildly Swinging A Sword In The Market

[Tace]

It was an allegory.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

1. Sure it wasn't a prophecy?

Sounds like * to me.

[Tace]

2. It Was His Example Of When Killing Can Be Justified

He was speaking in abstract terms.

(On edit: According to Buddhist doctrine, killing can never be justified.)

[McCamy Taylor]

6. Justified? You accept and acknowledge suffering, you dont justify it.

[Tace]

8. I'm No Authority -- But You're Right

According to Buddhist doctrine, killing is never justified.

[mzteris]

3. do you have a link

to this? I'd really like to read it for myself and I didn't readily find it upon googling.........

Thanks.

[Tace]

9. Uplooking...

[walldude]

4. Indiana Jones?? n/t

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Couple of Buddhist parables about heaven/hell and swords here.

http://www.spiritwalk.org/zenstories.htm

The old monk sat by the side of the road. With his eyes closed, his legs crossed and his
hands folded in his lap, he sat. In deep meditation, he sat.

Suddenly his zazen was interrupted by the harsh and demanding voice of a samurai
warrior. "Old man! Teach me about heaven and hell!"

At first, as though he had not heard, there was no perceptible response from the monk.
But gradually he began to open his eyes, the faintest hint of a smile playing around the
corners of his mouth as the samurai stood there, waiting impatiently, growing more and
more agitated with each passing second.

"You wish to know the secrets of heaven and hell?" replied the monk at last. "You who
are so unkempt. You whose hands and feet are covered with dirt. You whose hair is
uncombed, whose breath is foul, whose sword is all rusty and neglected. You who are
ugly and whose mother dresses you funny. You would ask me of heaven and hell?"

The samurai uttered a vile curse. He drew his sword and raised it high above his head.
His face turned to crimson and the veins on his neck stood out in bold relief as he
prepared to sever the monk's head from its shoulders.

"That is hell," said the old monk gently, just as the sword began its descent.

In that fraction of a second, the samurai was overcome with amazement, awe,
compassion and love for this gentle being who had dared to risk his very life to give him
such a teaching. He stopped his sword in mid-flight and his eyes filled with grateful tears.

"And that," said the monk, "is heaven."

By Fr. John W. Groff Jr.
from A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. Which Buddha?

[Tace]

12. Siddhartha Gautama

Yet, Buddhism is so wide-ranging that I'm not sure now where I read the story, or its source.

[McCamy Taylor]

10. OK Im gonna take a stab (no pun intended)

Usual response to violence is violence as in "You blew up our World trade center? We are gonna blow up two or three of your muslim countries."

That is violence justifying itself, which typifies the principles of "All life is suffering" and "Desire is the source of all suffering" since the lives of the combatants in these wars is pretty miserable and it is their desires for retribution and dominance and total control which will bring absolute safety which has lead them to their miserable present state.

So, how do they lose their desire and end their miserable suffering? They act like the old wise man. They act properly, which is to show compassion for the guy swinging the sword. Hey, he is a human being full of pain and suffering brought on by desire. He wants enlightenment. Let's show him enlightenment. Let's answer his violence (which has its source in a desire for retribution, dominance and total control which will bring absolute safety) with a message of gentleness and love. Since this is what the guy with the sword really wants, he is going to recognize it, especially if you are a Buddhist master, because you have marketing skills that a Madison Ave exec would die for.

[Tace]

11. I'm Searching Around For A Link...

with little luck so far, although I've seen the allegorical story a few different places.

Some elements of the story:

--It's wrong to kill, even in self defense.
--Killing a deranged madman wildly swinging a sword in a crowded market would carry negative kharma.
--However, a compassionate person may elect to take on bad kharma and kill the madman for two reasons: To stop further killing of innocent bystanders; and to save the madman from accumulating any more negative kharma.

I really don't have a point to make. I consider myself a pacifist.

I was prompted to make the original post when I considered what I'd do if I had the chance to stop a deranged swordsman in a market.

: )