I've gotten many inquiries from individuals inquiring to the process of becoming a chaplain of Buddhist faith in the U.S. military. I'd like to post some basic requirements here, that are based on military requirements (which also can be found here: http://www.ncmaf.org/chaplain.htm). Hopefully you will be able to get good information!
•Bachelors and Masters Degrees
Most Buddhist clergy are not required to have academic degrees to be ordained; however, this is a must for ALL United States military chaplains. A bachelors degree typically involves 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours and a graduate degree 72 credit hours in an accredited institution. Not less than 36 hours must be in theological/ministry and related studies, consistent with the respective religious tradition of the applicant (Buddhism in this case). A graduate degree in Buddhist Studies would be highly recommended.
• Ordination
Together with the graduate degree requirement, this is also a potential obstacle for many applicants. Ordination means recognition that you are considered clergy in your particular Buddhist tradition. This does not include lay teacher status. The number of years you have practiced Buddha-dharma as a layperson also cannot be considered as qualifying for ordained status. You MUST be ordained AS a clergyperson. A big plus is at least two years' experience in a religious environment, as a temple minister, or monastic, for example. The US Armed Forces cannot ordain people, and the Buddhist Churches of America cannot ordain in the Jodo Shinshu tradition solely for purposes of chaplaincy. It is UP TO YOU to find a track to ordination.
• Endorsement from the Buddhist Churches of America
The Buddhist Churches of America is the ONLY recognized endorser for Buddhist U.S. military chaplains. An official form known as a DD2088 - Statement of Ecclesiastical Endorsement - is signed by our abbot. Without this signed endorsement, you cannot become a military chaplain. Receiving a signed DD2088 is dependent on whether you can demonstrate completion of a Master’s Degree program and provide proof of ordination from an authentic Buddhist tradition. A personal interview will also be required.
• US Citizenship, Security Background Check, and Age Limits
These are requirements of all service branches (Army, Navy, and Air Force). The age limit is usually in the early forties by the time of commissioning, but there may be age waivers on a case-by-case basis. This may be determined by the branch of service, and your chaplain recruiter.
• Physical Condition
The military is a very demanding physical and mental environment. You will have to pass a physical exam as part of your chaplain application package. There are yearly physical tests you will have to pass (runs, pushups, situps, pull-ups), and the expectation is that you will physically exercise frequently on your own, and with your command, as a group (even in the Air Force)! Also, you will definitely be going on overseas deployments, which may involve living aboard a naval warship, or living in the field for months on end. If you have any physical conditions that cannot permit you to do this, military chaplaincy may not be a good choice for you.
• Ability to Work in the Deparment of Defense(DoD)Directed Religious Accommodation Environment
What this means is that all military chaplains by necessity work in an interfaith environment, and may not discriminate or proselytize (although unfortunately these are certainly known to happen). What "ability to work" means is that you will very frequently encounter and work with non-Buddhists: can you work with Christians every day, even having a Christian – or Jewish or Muslim - chaplain as your boss? As a chaplain, you will definitely counsel people of other faiths, or no religious affiliation. Most people will look at you as a spiritual person, a chaplain, whether they are Christian or Wiccan (which there are many of in the military). This also means encountering Buddhists from traditions different from your own, even ones you may personally disagree with. However, your purpose as a chaplain is to provide for the free exercise of religion - it is not to convince a Soka Gakkai Buddhist that his/her teaching is false and that Theravada Buddhism is the real deal, or vice versa, for example. You may have disagreements but you may not try to convert or proselytize yourself, anymore than it is ethical for Christian chaplains to try to convert the Buddhists in their command. Military chaplaincy is genuine interfaith work. In addition, being a military chaplain means working IN a military environment, not outside of it. Living in a military environment 24/7 means participating in the culture and camaraderie of military life, as well as dealing with the annoying illogicities that also are part of military life! As a military officer also, you support the mission of your command.
Again, these requirements are NOT established by the Buddhist Churches of America, but by the Department of Defense. There aren't any special exemptions for Buddhists; these are guidelines that Christian, Jewish, and Muslim chaplain applicants also have to follow. For anyone who meets these requirements and would like to apply to become a chaplain, the first step would be to contact a chaplain recruiter, which can be done by going to one of these sites.
Army: http://chaplain.goarmy.com
Navy/Marines/Coast Guard: http://www.navy.com/careers/officer/clergy
Air Force: http://www.airforce.com/careers/job.php?catg_id=1%E2%8A%82_catg_id=3&af_job_id=314
Friday, August 1, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Letting Go of Unnecessary Attachments
[This is a copy of an article I wrote for our ship's Ombudsman newsletter and the NW Navigator, a regional Navy chaplain publication]
There is an old Zen story about two traveling monks who were preparing to cross a shallow river. A young and beautiful woman was also traveling in the same direction, but she was in tears because she had injured her foot, and no one was willing to help her across the muddy and rocky riverbed. The older of the two monks said, “I am willing to help you across the river.” Picking her up in his arms, they crossed the river safely; the monk set her down, and the young woman thanked him with a smile and went on her way. The younger monk was shocked that his master had carried the woman across, since as a monk he was not supposed to even touch women. Although he said nothing at first, the incident kept replaying itself in his mind throughout their day’s journey until they reached their destination, the monastery. Finally the young monk could not bear it any longer and blurted out, “Master, why did you do that at the river?”
The older monk replied, “Oh, you mean that woman? I put her down a long time ago. Are you still carrying her?”
The moral of the story is that we sometimes we dwell unnecessarily on things that belong in the past. Whether they are positive or negative actions, we can develop unhealthy attachments to them that eventually hurt our lives in the present. We think too much about how we were wronged by others, which may turn into long-standing grudges, or we think about past accomplishments too much, which then turn into “resting on our laurels.” Another moral is that we can also worry excessively about how our actions may look to others, even if it has good results; we think, “What will others say? What will they think of me now?” This may cause such worries that we forget the original intent of our act, and become discouraged from doing anything that may cause such worries.
All these worries cause stress and depression in our modern society. Often, we try to forget our worries through self-medication, or alcohol, or other diversions, but ultimately they only provide temporary relief. However much we try to forget unpleasant things, they always come back to remind us. The best way to relieve our pain doesn’t lie in the act of forgetting but rather in the act of letting-go. Others may define this as forgiveness, or we may also call it letting go of attachments. Much like cleaning out the garage and home of unwanted and unnecessary material clutter, we need to clean out our emotional and mental home of unneeded burdens that only serve to create obstructions.
Whenever we volunteer our help to others, we should also remember that volunteerism should be done out of true selflessness, a genuine will to assist others. We may like to be recognized and commended for our volunteerism, but like the old and wise monk in the Zen tale, our help may be misunderstood as only ego-serving. If help is given from a sincere heart, we accomplish the goal, and then we move on to the next mission. We may like to keep carrying the burden, but we will need to let it go one day!
There is an old Zen story about two traveling monks who were preparing to cross a shallow river. A young and beautiful woman was also traveling in the same direction, but she was in tears because she had injured her foot, and no one was willing to help her across the muddy and rocky riverbed. The older of the two monks said, “I am willing to help you across the river.” Picking her up in his arms, they crossed the river safely; the monk set her down, and the young woman thanked him with a smile and went on her way. The younger monk was shocked that his master had carried the woman across, since as a monk he was not supposed to even touch women. Although he said nothing at first, the incident kept replaying itself in his mind throughout their day’s journey until they reached their destination, the monastery. Finally the young monk could not bear it any longer and blurted out, “Master, why did you do that at the river?”
The older monk replied, “Oh, you mean that woman? I put her down a long time ago. Are you still carrying her?”
The moral of the story is that we sometimes we dwell unnecessarily on things that belong in the past. Whether they are positive or negative actions, we can develop unhealthy attachments to them that eventually hurt our lives in the present. We think too much about how we were wronged by others, which may turn into long-standing grudges, or we think about past accomplishments too much, which then turn into “resting on our laurels.” Another moral is that we can also worry excessively about how our actions may look to others, even if it has good results; we think, “What will others say? What will they think of me now?” This may cause such worries that we forget the original intent of our act, and become discouraged from doing anything that may cause such worries.
All these worries cause stress and depression in our modern society. Often, we try to forget our worries through self-medication, or alcohol, or other diversions, but ultimately they only provide temporary relief. However much we try to forget unpleasant things, they always come back to remind us. The best way to relieve our pain doesn’t lie in the act of forgetting but rather in the act of letting-go. Others may define this as forgiveness, or we may also call it letting go of attachments. Much like cleaning out the garage and home of unwanted and unnecessary material clutter, we need to clean out our emotional and mental home of unneeded burdens that only serve to create obstructions.
Whenever we volunteer our help to others, we should also remember that volunteerism should be done out of true selflessness, a genuine will to assist others. We may like to be recognized and commended for our volunteerism, but like the old and wise monk in the Zen tale, our help may be misunderstood as only ego-serving. If help is given from a sincere heart, we accomplish the goal, and then we move on to the next mission. We may like to keep carrying the burden, but we will need to let it go one day!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Just Your Average Airplane Conversation
I would like to share a recent experience I had returning from a vacation in Arizona. As I sat on the last leg of the flight to D.C., I had a window seat next to a woman who glanced over at my left wrist containing sandalwood mala beads. After the third time of glancing, I looked at her, made eye contact, and smiled. This gesture definitely broke the ice. She then proceeded to ask me what the bracelet meant. I told her they are prayer beads. She replied, “I am a devote Roman Catholic and I collect rosaries from all over the world. What kind of prayer beads are those?” I stated they are Buddhist prayer beads. I bought them in Hawaii at the Honolulu Dharma Center when I was in the military. Somewhat shocked by my answer, she asked, “I thought Buddhism was a peaceful religion. Pretty strange to have a pacifist go to war.” I quickly replied, “Well if more Buddhists went to war then I guess there would be no need to fight over anything and then there would be no wars and everyone would be happy!”
We both joined each other in laughter.
After a short moment of silence, we were served our meals. When I was asked by the flight attendant if I wanted chicken or beef, I responded chicken. My fellow flight mate could not resist to make another comment about my choice. She said, “How can you be a REAL Buddhist if you eat meat?” I could tell this was the beginning of a long conversation in which would occupy the rest of the flight; but I gladly accepted. I love conversing with people on anything from philosophy to different cultures. I responded that not all Buddhists are vegetarian. In fact, throughout Tibet, a devote Buddhist country, their diet consists mainly of meat coming from Yak, milk, and other high protein foods such as chicken and sheep. By her expression, she thought this was interesting. I followed by saying that I always say a short prayer before eating meat so it tastes that much better! After smiling at my humorous nature, She then asked, “What makes you a Buddhist?” I answered, well I was hoping you could tell me because I’m a meat eater that served 10 years in the military and I don’t fit your description of what you think a Buddhist should be.
While enjoying our lunch meal, I begin to dive deeper into explaining my view of Buddha nature. What mainly makes an individual a Buddhist would be accepting the four truths. Meaning that life involves affliction, one should live to rid oneself of attachment, the cessation of anguish is attainable, and the way to end suffering is through the Noble Eightfold path. She said “Well basically your saying that life is filled with pain, so don’t attach yourself to anything, just accept it and you will rid yourself of suffering? Well, that doesn’t seem that hard.” I responded well either are the Ten Commandments but many practitioners have issues with them also. “So the Eight Noble thing is like the Commandments?” she asked. I said, Well that is a lesson for another flight. I’m getting off in D.C. so maybe the next time we sit together on some other flight you’ll get an answer. We laughed again.
Actually the Noble Eightfold Path pertains to wisdom, personal conduct, and mind development. It focuses on having the correct view, intentions, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. She responded, “Interesting. How can a person have the right intentions or actions in the military?” I stated that being pure of heart and living towards cherishing all life is a prime universal concept. She said that if more people just followed that concept, then the world would be a better place. I stated that one doesn’t have to be a Buddhist to believe that. She added that her son is in Iraq right now and he was always curious about Buddhism. But being raised in a Roman Catholic Family, she steered him away from it. He started to meditate to clear his mind from dealing with the hardships of being in Iraq. She also mentioned that the next time she writes to her son, she will tell him about me. I stated to tell him that there is a Buddhist Chaplain in the Navy and soon there will be one in the Army. So not to worry, the Buddhist Community is well on its way to clearing up misconceptions and serving those Buddhists in the Military.
Thanks for allowing me to share!
Auspiciously,
Rocco
We both joined each other in laughter.
After a short moment of silence, we were served our meals. When I was asked by the flight attendant if I wanted chicken or beef, I responded chicken. My fellow flight mate could not resist to make another comment about my choice. She said, “How can you be a REAL Buddhist if you eat meat?” I could tell this was the beginning of a long conversation in which would occupy the rest of the flight; but I gladly accepted. I love conversing with people on anything from philosophy to different cultures. I responded that not all Buddhists are vegetarian. In fact, throughout Tibet, a devote Buddhist country, their diet consists mainly of meat coming from Yak, milk, and other high protein foods such as chicken and sheep. By her expression, she thought this was interesting. I followed by saying that I always say a short prayer before eating meat so it tastes that much better! After smiling at my humorous nature, She then asked, “What makes you a Buddhist?” I answered, well I was hoping you could tell me because I’m a meat eater that served 10 years in the military and I don’t fit your description of what you think a Buddhist should be.
While enjoying our lunch meal, I begin to dive deeper into explaining my view of Buddha nature. What mainly makes an individual a Buddhist would be accepting the four truths. Meaning that life involves affliction, one should live to rid oneself of attachment, the cessation of anguish is attainable, and the way to end suffering is through the Noble Eightfold path. She said “Well basically your saying that life is filled with pain, so don’t attach yourself to anything, just accept it and you will rid yourself of suffering? Well, that doesn’t seem that hard.” I responded well either are the Ten Commandments but many practitioners have issues with them also. “So the Eight Noble thing is like the Commandments?” she asked. I said, Well that is a lesson for another flight. I’m getting off in D.C. so maybe the next time we sit together on some other flight you’ll get an answer. We laughed again.
Actually the Noble Eightfold Path pertains to wisdom, personal conduct, and mind development. It focuses on having the correct view, intentions, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. She responded, “Interesting. How can a person have the right intentions or actions in the military?” I stated that being pure of heart and living towards cherishing all life is a prime universal concept. She said that if more people just followed that concept, then the world would be a better place. I stated that one doesn’t have to be a Buddhist to believe that. She added that her son is in Iraq right now and he was always curious about Buddhism. But being raised in a Roman Catholic Family, she steered him away from it. He started to meditate to clear his mind from dealing with the hardships of being in Iraq. She also mentioned that the next time she writes to her son, she will tell him about me. I stated to tell him that there is a Buddhist Chaplain in the Navy and soon there will be one in the Army. So not to worry, the Buddhist Community is well on its way to clearing up misconceptions and serving those Buddhists in the Military.
Thanks for allowing me to share!
Auspiciously,
Rocco
Visit to HMAS Stuart
Hello all!
Recently I had the opportunity to cross-deck over to the HMAS Stuart, an Australian ship also here with us in the Persian Gulf. I was only there for a few hours as the guest of Chaplain Russell Smith, the Stuart's chaplain, but it was a great chance to see how another ship operated (the men have beards! the women can wear their hair down!) Also it was an opportunity to share the Buddha-dharma with some of the Stuart's sailors - Buddhism is one of the fastest-growing religions in Australia. Most knew about Buddhism through the Dalai Lama's books (especially "The Art of Happiness") so it was a good discussion.
I also regularly visit the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) carrier which we are attached to. Navy chaplains at sea usually cross-deck in what is called a "Holy Helo" meaning we get transported via helo to different ships in order to provide services and counseling, especially when it comes to providing different faith services. We have a good-sized active Buddhism study group; some are raised Buddhists in their families, or married into a Buddhist family, and others are simply curious about Buddha-dharma.
In both situations, there is a definite interest in Buddhism worldwide, and in what most people would probably think as most unlikely places - the warship. But Western militaries are drawn from cross-sections of its society, so it is really no surprise that Buddhists and those interested in Buddhism would turn up there! It also proves a need for more military Buddhist chaplains to provide services and instruction.
Namo Amida Butsu
Recently I had the opportunity to cross-deck over to the HMAS Stuart, an Australian ship also here with us in the Persian Gulf. I was only there for a few hours as the guest of Chaplain Russell Smith, the Stuart's chaplain, but it was a great chance to see how another ship operated (the men have beards! the women can wear their hair down!) Also it was an opportunity to share the Buddha-dharma with some of the Stuart's sailors - Buddhism is one of the fastest-growing religions in Australia. Most knew about Buddhism through the Dalai Lama's books (especially "The Art of Happiness") so it was a good discussion.
I also regularly visit the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) carrier which we are attached to. Navy chaplains at sea usually cross-deck in what is called a "Holy Helo" meaning we get transported via helo to different ships in order to provide services and counseling, especially when it comes to providing different faith services. We have a good-sized active Buddhism study group; some are raised Buddhists in their families, or married into a Buddhist family, and others are simply curious about Buddha-dharma.
In both situations, there is a definite interest in Buddhism worldwide, and in what most people would probably think as most unlikely places - the warship. But Western militaries are drawn from cross-sections of its society, so it is really no surprise that Buddhists and those interested in Buddhism would turn up there! It also proves a need for more military Buddhist chaplains to provide services and instruction.
Namo Amida Butsu
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Welcome New Author to Buddhist Military Sangha!
Welcome to RP1(SW) Jerry Benson, currently stationed in the Norfolk, Virginia area. He is a U.S. Navy 1st Class Petty Officer who works as a Religious Program Specialist; they assist the Navy Chaplains. I have known RP1 for some time due to his interest in Jodo Shinshu and Japanese Buddhism, and hope that we will see some great contributions from him in the future.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Honor, Courage, Commitment: For Buddhists, Too?
Hello all!
It's been awhile since I've written a howa, and this topic will be about what we in the Navy cite as our Three Core Values: Honor, Courage, Commitment. These are required for every Sailor. I am writing about these today because I have recently been reminded of them in a couple of ways. Awhile back, I was at a chaplains' training conference and was in a discussion about these values, which had come up. I remember one chaplain stating clearly: "Unless you believe in God, how can you have Honor, Courage, and Commmitment?"
I was more recently reminded of this again when I encountered a Sailor who asked me if I had any salvia, or knew where to buy some. I said I had no idea what that was (I later found out it was a legal - as of this writing! - type of smokable herb). The guy then said, "You're Buddhist, right? Don't Buddhists get high during their services?"
Right.
Calmly (assuming he was for real), I explained, that no, Buddhists typically don't smoke anything during services (citing the precept against intoxicants!) and calmly sent him on his way out of my office. However, my mind was buzzing. Why would he assume that of Buddhists? Why not indeed, when almost every "head" shop or smoke shop sells those tacking-looking Buddha images (or other tchotkes) alongside bongs? So, why wouldn't a Christian think non-Christians have a problem with values, as many of them obviously believe that we are only a footstep away from crazy behavior? Don't they see that on E! all the time?
I am also reminded of something I read in the posthumously published autobiography, Combat Chaplain, by US Army Chaplain Israel Yost, who was a white Christian chaplain assigned to a segregated Japanese-American combat unit from Hawaii during WWII (I would like to take the time to review it more thoroughly later, since I don't have the book with me). In this book about his wartime service, he doesn't so much dwell on the religious identities of the soldiers as focus on how he could care for them: clearly, they were all equally important in his eyes (as should be for a military chaplain), but there was only one paragraph in the book where he mentions that some of his soldiers were Buddhist. He was complimenting one of his soldiers for something he did, and then was surprised when the soldier said he was Buddhist - this realization surprised him because as he had assumed, from knowing his good character, that the soldier was a Christian. The fact that Buddhists could possibly be of good and moral character is something that is just generally not assumed, perhaps.
Perhaps it is not as discussed as often as it should be, but the Buddhist teachings are implicitly concerned with morality and values. I am not speaking of a simple list of dos and donts and or-elses, but of what ought to be an acceptable standard of behavior, thought, and action. The Buddha at many times emphasized the importance of these, as a preliminary to even beginning to understand his teachings. Even if others do it, and get away with it (sometimes) should we? Are we accepting Buddha-dharma just because we think we can now do anything we want, unlike the Christians for example?
There is an interesting story that can be found in the Sumatidarika-pariprccha-sutra. Sumati, the daughter of one of the Buddha's great lay followers, the merchant Anathapindika, became married into a non-Buddhist family. The custom of her new family required an invitation to the wedding banquest of brahmin ascetics. These brahmins happened to be naked ascetics. Sumita's new family asked her to go out and greet them and pay respects, but she refused. Her father-in-law demanded to know why she refused, saying that these naked ascetics were wearing "clothes of Dharma." Sumita rejected this:
[Sumita said] 'To be naked cannot be being clothed in the clothes of the Dharma. My teacher, the World-Honored One, has taught that there are two things that are most sacred in this world. They are shame and modesty, and if these are lacking, the difference between mother and father, elder and younger brother, elder and younger sister, and among relatives will also be lacking. There would be no difference between oneself and a chicken or dog. These people here are without shame and modesty and are naked...How can I go and pay respect to them?' Her husband repeatedly tried to persuade her to go out and greet them, but she said that she would not fall into such a false doctrine even if they were to tear her from limb to limb; and thus she refused.
There are similar stories like these in the various sutras, all illustrating the point that as Buddhists we are guided towards living morally, and not expected to simply accept "anything goes" even if society allows it (maybe). Probably we are not in any danger of being forced to give offerings to naked ascetics, but at times we will be encouraged to do things we feel and know are not right, or even to assume that we are free to do whatever we want. But Buddha-dharma provides us with teachings to guide us away from harmful actions, towards living a truly blissful life. This attitude not common just to Buddhism, but in many other religions and philosophies today. Even though we may assume we are on the path to Enlightenment, we are still meant to be examples to others, as Sumita was, of what it means to truly live a moral life (the story later ends with Sumita eventually convincing her family to follow Buddha-dharma). We need honor to abide by what is proper, courage to live by it and demonstrate it to others , and commitment to keep to it and not simply be swayed by the "anything goes" mentality of samsara.
Honor-Courage-Commitment? Not a problem for Buddhists!
Namo Amida Butsu
It's been awhile since I've written a howa, and this topic will be about what we in the Navy cite as our Three Core Values: Honor, Courage, Commitment. These are required for every Sailor. I am writing about these today because I have recently been reminded of them in a couple of ways. Awhile back, I was at a chaplains' training conference and was in a discussion about these values, which had come up. I remember one chaplain stating clearly: "Unless you believe in God, how can you have Honor, Courage, and Commmitment?"
I was more recently reminded of this again when I encountered a Sailor who asked me if I had any salvia, or knew where to buy some. I said I had no idea what that was (I later found out it was a legal - as of this writing! - type of smokable herb). The guy then said, "You're Buddhist, right? Don't Buddhists get high during their services?"
Right.
Calmly (assuming he was for real), I explained, that no, Buddhists typically don't smoke anything during services (citing the precept against intoxicants!) and calmly sent him on his way out of my office. However, my mind was buzzing. Why would he assume that of Buddhists? Why not indeed, when almost every "head" shop or smoke shop sells those tacking-looking Buddha images (or other tchotkes) alongside bongs? So, why wouldn't a Christian think non-Christians have a problem with values, as many of them obviously believe that we are only a footstep away from crazy behavior? Don't they see that on E! all the time?
I am also reminded of something I read in the posthumously published autobiography, Combat Chaplain, by US Army Chaplain Israel Yost, who was a white Christian chaplain assigned to a segregated Japanese-American combat unit from Hawaii during WWII (I would like to take the time to review it more thoroughly later, since I don't have the book with me). In this book about his wartime service, he doesn't so much dwell on the religious identities of the soldiers as focus on how he could care for them: clearly, they were all equally important in his eyes (as should be for a military chaplain), but there was only one paragraph in the book where he mentions that some of his soldiers were Buddhist. He was complimenting one of his soldiers for something he did, and then was surprised when the soldier said he was Buddhist - this realization surprised him because as he had assumed, from knowing his good character, that the soldier was a Christian. The fact that Buddhists could possibly be of good and moral character is something that is just generally not assumed, perhaps.
Perhaps it is not as discussed as often as it should be, but the Buddhist teachings are implicitly concerned with morality and values. I am not speaking of a simple list of dos and donts and or-elses, but of what ought to be an acceptable standard of behavior, thought, and action. The Buddha at many times emphasized the importance of these, as a preliminary to even beginning to understand his teachings. Even if others do it, and get away with it (sometimes) should we? Are we accepting Buddha-dharma just because we think we can now do anything we want, unlike the Christians for example?
There is an interesting story that can be found in the Sumatidarika-pariprccha-sutra. Sumati, the daughter of one of the Buddha's great lay followers, the merchant Anathapindika, became married into a non-Buddhist family. The custom of her new family required an invitation to the wedding banquest of brahmin ascetics. These brahmins happened to be naked ascetics. Sumita's new family asked her to go out and greet them and pay respects, but she refused. Her father-in-law demanded to know why she refused, saying that these naked ascetics were wearing "clothes of Dharma." Sumita rejected this:
[Sumita said] 'To be naked cannot be being clothed in the clothes of the Dharma. My teacher, the World-Honored One, has taught that there are two things that are most sacred in this world. They are shame and modesty, and if these are lacking, the difference between mother and father, elder and younger brother, elder and younger sister, and among relatives will also be lacking. There would be no difference between oneself and a chicken or dog. These people here are without shame and modesty and are naked...How can I go and pay respect to them?' Her husband repeatedly tried to persuade her to go out and greet them, but she said that she would not fall into such a false doctrine even if they were to tear her from limb to limb; and thus she refused.
There are similar stories like these in the various sutras, all illustrating the point that as Buddhists we are guided towards living morally, and not expected to simply accept "anything goes" even if society allows it (maybe). Probably we are not in any danger of being forced to give offerings to naked ascetics, but at times we will be encouraged to do things we feel and know are not right, or even to assume that we are free to do whatever we want. But Buddha-dharma provides us with teachings to guide us away from harmful actions, towards living a truly blissful life. This attitude not common just to Buddhism, but in many other religions and philosophies today. Even though we may assume we are on the path to Enlightenment, we are still meant to be examples to others, as Sumita was, of what it means to truly live a moral life (the story later ends with Sumita eventually convincing her family to follow Buddha-dharma). We need honor to abide by what is proper, courage to live by it and demonstrate it to others , and commitment to keep to it and not simply be swayed by the "anything goes" mentality of samsara.
Honor-Courage-Commitment? Not a problem for Buddhists!
Namo Amida Butsu
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
US Warships to Leave Burma
[From today's New York Times (subscription req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-myanmar-cyclone.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print]
June 3, 2008
U.S. Warships to Leave Myanmar After Aid Refused
By REUTERS
Filed at 11:48 p.m. ET
BANGKOK (Reuters) - U.S. warships will soon leave waters near Myanmar after the ruling military junta refused permission for the delivery of aid supplies to the cyclone-stricken Irrawaddy delta, a top U.S. commander said on Wednesday.
Admiral Timothy Keating said the USS Essex group will sail away from the former Burma on Thursday but leave several heavy-lift helicopters in neighboring Thailand to assist in the relief effort.
"Should the Burmese rulers have a change of heart and request our full assistance for their suffering we are prepared to help," Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said in a statement.
Myanmar has been promised millions of dollars in aid from the United States, other governments and aid organizations.
But the junta has refused to allow the U.S. military to help distribute aid to affected areas, appearing due to fear that a large-scale international relief effort would loosen the grip the generals have held since a 1962 coup.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Bangkok on Sunday that the junta had rejected foreign military help in delivered cyclone aid because it feared it could be seen as an invasion.
Keating said they had made 15 attempts over the past three weeks to convince the regime to allow in U.S. helicopters and landing craft, "but they have refused us each and every time."
The United States had delivered more than 2 million lbs of relief supplies on 106 airlifts to Myanmar since the first U.S. military aid flight on May 12, Keating said.
June 3, 2008
U.S. Warships to Leave Myanmar After Aid Refused
By REUTERS
Filed at 11:48 p.m. ET
BANGKOK (Reuters) - U.S. warships will soon leave waters near Myanmar after the ruling military junta refused permission for the delivery of aid supplies to the cyclone-stricken Irrawaddy delta, a top U.S. commander said on Wednesday.
Admiral Timothy Keating said the USS Essex group will sail away from the former Burma on Thursday but leave several heavy-lift helicopters in neighboring Thailand to assist in the relief effort.
"Should the Burmese rulers have a change of heart and request our full assistance for their suffering we are prepared to help," Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said in a statement.
Myanmar has been promised millions of dollars in aid from the United States, other governments and aid organizations.
But the junta has refused to allow the U.S. military to help distribute aid to affected areas, appearing due to fear that a large-scale international relief effort would loosen the grip the generals have held since a 1962 coup.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Bangkok on Sunday that the junta had rejected foreign military help in delivered cyclone aid because it feared it could be seen as an invasion.
Keating said they had made 15 attempts over the past three weeks to convince the regime to allow in U.S. helicopters and landing craft, "but they have refused us each and every time."
The United States had delivered more than 2 million lbs of relief supplies on 106 airlifts to Myanmar since the first U.S. military aid flight on May 12, Keating said.
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