ABSTRACT
In the Western world, Buddhism is widely regarded as a religion devoted to peace, non-violence, pacifism and opposition to war. This chapter explains the Western debate about morality and war. It reviews some traditional Buddhist texts respectively opposing and supporting violence. The chapter examines some of the more discussions referred to earlier pertaining to the issue. Buddhist Opposition to Violence and Killing From one point of view, it is obvious that Buddhism is opposed to violence and killing. In one respect, the rationale for the opposition to violence and killing is obvious: the primary aim in the Buddhist moral outlook is to overcome suffering, and violence and killing typically result in suffering. For the most part, however, the help is likely to move in the other direction: the interpretation of passages pertaining to violence may provide a basis for determining which normative theory, if any, is the best interpretation of the commitments of Buddhist ethics as a whole.
