There is a story of the Buddha, from one of his lifetimes before he achieved enlightenment, in which he is the captain of a boat that is attacked by a pirate. The pirate intends to sink the boat, causing the death of hundreds. Even though killing is regarded as wrong, the boat captain chooses to kill the pirate in order to save the lives of the passengers.
Thank you. Excellent text and very helpful (especially the cartoon of how to punch a Nazi [I practice self-defense and often punch a rubber doll]]. I think we do have a purpose in our life and that is to help other beings and be a compassionate warrior who protects the oppressed and tries to stop oppressors from doing harm without dehumanising them.
The other day I watched a video YouTube by Jason Gregory "Why Hindus Practice the Mudra of Fearlessness" where he says that one should always remain neutral and never take sides. I found that hard to swallow. We have to engage in this world, especially when we are confronted with acts fuelled by hatred. Why else are we here? But it takes skill and compassion and one needs to be ruthlessly honest about why one acts in a certain way (or doesn't act).
Thank you. Excellent text and very helpful (especially the cartoon of how to punch a Nazi [I practice self-defense and often punch a rubber doll]]. I think we do have a purpose in our life and that is to help other beings and be a compassionate warrior who protects the oppressed and tries to stop oppressors from doing harm without dehumanising them.
The other day I watched a video YouTube by Jason Gregory "Why Hindus Practice the Mudra of Fearlessness" where he says that one should always remain neutral and never take sides. I found that hard to swallow. We have to engage in this world, especially when we are confronted with acts fuelled by hatred. Why else are we here? But it takes skill and compassion and one needs to be ruthlessly honest about why one acts in a certain way (or doesn't act).