Can It Be Contained - Essay Example

Problems in Buddhism The main negative social effect that Buddhism has brought is its part in war and strife. The religion as compared to the other religion has got the greatest record for peace and morality various forms of Buddhism have been considered instruments of war. The sectors of the region have argued and fought over methods, population, pride, doctrine and national independence. Wilkinson and Teague have argued that some of the success that was obtained by Tibetan Buddhist was due to military support that was given by the Mongols in the seventeenth century which led to devastation of the monasteries of the rival red sect.

the long association that has been noted between Japanese Zen Buddhism and the prowess and aggression of the military… has argued that the Buddhist kingdom in the South East Asia were due to military self-seeking and military aggressive experiences (Wilkinson and Teague, 46). In an example is a description that was given by Walpola Rahula states that the war that was on national independence in Sri Lanka in the second century BC was conducted was conducted with no consideration of the kingdoms but with consideration and in the name of Buddhism.

In another instance after there was replacement of Meiji with restoration feudalism with a state that was dedicated to the oversea expansion and the establishment of Zen, there was a new role that came about which involved nurturing absolute obedience to it and supporting the wars that were of conquest. Zen masters in the 1930s was mainly involved in giving military men Zen training. This was intended at increasing the knowledge that they had on war (Wilkinson and Teague, 79). Buddhist scholars say that there is no justification that the teachings of the religion are associated to war yet there has not been separation of the religion and war.

The religion has the traditions associated to violence. There has also been linking the religion to the practices of torture, suicides and also other forms of wars. In the teachings of the religion, there is undertaking the training to abstain from killing but on the other hand, there are also trainings that are given on wars (Wilkinson and Teague, 109). Buddhism in states such as Japan and United States has seen the emergence of giving training for corporate employees that are designed to suppress the problems that are caused by the religion.

This shows the degree in which the countries have been involved in covering the bad practices that Buddhism has got into rather than tackling the problem and reducing the wars that are associated to the religion. The problem of the religion getting involved in wars can be solved when the highly social centered morality that it has is made to slip into individual remedies when in order to be consistent and true to the teachings that are given by the religion in engaging in wider social works. The training that is given in the religion is those that should be changed so that they mainly focus on encouraging peace rather than giving military and war trainings.

Work cited Wilkinson, Philip, and Steve Teague. Buddhism. New York: DK Pub., 2003. Print.