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Wondering about the Sutras

U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I was just doing my prayer study and had a split thought to read my old Bible. So, I found my Bible from confirmation and opened it up. When I read it in part, it made me wonder out of all the negativity in the Bible metaphor or not, in the Buddhist sutras are there any thing negative like taking a life or something similar?

I mean, not like a god or anything like that. I haven't read any sutras (well, I haven't read all of them in full, of course) or that I came across that had some type of negativity in it to teach a lesson. To those who know the sutras well?

Am I wrong or right when it comes to the sutras?

Please be honest and factual. I do not believe The Buddha promoted violence. It just bothered me when I picked up the Bible that many religions have some sort of violence in them. What about the sutras?
 
buddhist

buddhist

Well-Known Member
I have not read one sutta where the Buddha advocated violence. Admittedly, I have not yet read all of them yet, but of all the ones I've read, he always denounced violence of all sorts.
 
Rick O'Shez

Rick O'Shez

Irishman bouncing off walls
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I am wondering if the sutras had any wars, historical events, violence in it excluding what the Buddha taught about violence etc. For example, so far the Lotus Sutra has a lot of allogory. I don't know if some of the stories are actually real since they were not meant to be taken as literal stories. However, every religious book I know of has history in it; and, some of that history is distasteful.

Even if the writers or key players did not advocate towards the events in the books, those events are still there.

Are the sutras the same way, or is that one of the unique things about the writings is that it has no events about violence?
 
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crossfire

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic Bully ☿
Premium Member
Carlita said:
This will take me a good while to read. Can you sum it up?

Does it talk about violence or are there sutras that have people doing violence in it?
Click to expand...
It talks about violence not generally being skillful. However, it speaks to the need of the political leaders to have a defensive army against the rampant violence of the time. Buddha emphasized moral strength over physical strength in this regard, and the use of defensive violence requires discernment and use of intellect, reasoning, and morality.
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
crossfire said:
It talks about violence not generally being skillful. However, it speaks to the need of the political leaders to have a defensive army against the rampant violence of the time. Buddha emphasized moral strength over physical strength in this regard, and the use of defensive violence requires discernment and use of intellect, reasoning, and morality.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. I dont think my question is clear, though. In addition to post 8, here is an example:

In some pagan mythologies (if I may say most) there are a lot of confrontations with different gods and goddesses, etc. These events are in the mythology, but the message or lesson that these people give and that Pagans take from it is not of violence.

Likewise with the Bible. (Context only). God does not promote violence. However, within the Bible, the Isrealites killed many people to take over land God gave them.

I can't think of other religions because I don't know them well enough to comment.

The Buddha has thouands of suttras. We know his moral etc where not of violence. However, as any other book about mythology, history, and religion, does it too have some violence regardless of why it is there and the meaning behind it?

In the Lotus Sutra, I haven't read anything violent. There were no wars so far for the Buddha's name. There was no mention of anything confrontary in his environment other than teaching the monks and sharing in people's sufferings.

If there is a pattern, I wonder if other sutras do not have historical violence in it as many historical, religious, and other books have.
 
crossfire

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic Bully ☿
Premium Member
Carlita said:
That makes sense. I dont think my question is clear, though. In addition to post 8, here is an example:

In some pagan mythologies (if I may say most) there are a lot of confrontations with different gods and goddesses, etc. These events are in the mythology, but the message or lesson that these people give and that Pagans take from it is not of violence.
Click to expand...
There are suttas about a battle between the devas and the asuras that seems to parallel stories from other religions, if that is what you are after.
 
Kartari

Kartari

Active Member
Hi Carlita,

Carlita said:
I was just doing my prayer study and had a split thought to read my old Bible. So, I found my Bible from confirmation and opened it up. When I read it in part, it made me wonder out of all the negativity in the Bible metaphor or not, in the Buddhist sutras are there any thing negative like taking a life or something similar?

I mean, not like a god or anything like that. I haven't read any sutras (well, I haven't read all of them in full, of course) or that I came across that had some type of negativity in it to teach a lesson. To those who know the sutras well?

Am I wrong or right when it comes to the sutras?

Please be honest and factual. I do not believe The Buddha promoted violence. It just bothered me when I picked up the Bible that many religions have some sort of violence in them. What about the sutras?
Click to expand...

Sorry I'm late to the party. But no, not in the Theravadan suttas and, to my knowledge, not in the Mahayanist sutras either. Vajrayana is more... interesting, shall we say, and Japan has some colorful Buddhist-inspired tales I've read and heard. But as far as scripture is concerned, the utter lack of contradictions, insanity, and violence in Buddhist scriptures is one of the most striking and legitimating things I've personally found about the Buddhist path.
 
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