The Compassionate Rifle

A gun is an inanimate object; a wonderful Rorschach test into the psyche of those perceiving it. As a profound admirer of Buddhism I find it interesting to hear the anger in the words of many Buddhists decrying the presence of guns. There are many instances in Buddhist texts that allow for self defense, they even go so far as to create a formula for killing unjust kings.

Those looking to condemn guns based on Buddhist principle are wise to begin their salvo by citing the very first Buddhist precept:

1. Refrain from killing living things.

It is most good to refrain from killing all living things, but in and of itself a gun will kill nothing. The person behind the gun must use it to do so. This is a hard concept to accept for many. I myself have said in the past "Guns are for killing people, period." That statement is simply not true as I came to discover. If you are a devout Buddhist and you have a gun are you going to kill someone? As a devout Buddhist in ownership of a gun you are tasked with not using it out of fear or anger. So when you hear something in your house that goes bump in the night and you have a shotgun in the gunsafe, I would remind you to refrain from killing living things. I would give the same advice to someone investigating that bump in the night wielding a baseball bat. Because someone owns a gun does not mean they have killed something or will kill something. That is a perception that reveals a significant insight into the person making it.

There is a strong history of force used in defense of self and others in Buddhism. Thupten Gyatso was the Dalai Lama during the war between Tibet and Chinese Nationalists. He is quoted as saying:


"In the future, this system (Communism) will certainly be forced either
from within or without on this land...if, in such an event, we fail to defend
out land, the holy lamas...will be eliminated without a trace of their names
remaining...our political system will be reduced to an empty name; my officials
will be subjugated like slaves to the enemy and my people, subjected to fear and
miseries, will be unable to endure the day or night. We should make every effort
to safeguard ourselves against this impending disaster. Use peaceful means where
they are appropriate; but where they are not appropriate, do not hesitate to
resort to more forceful means." (emphasis added)

As the current Dalai Lama explains, Gyatso knew that independent Tibet could never overcome a huge nation like China. So he turned to Nepal and Bhutan and proposed, "A sort of common defense: raise an army, train it as best as possible. Just between us, this isn't strictly practicing non-violence." (Dalai Lama with Jean Claude Carriere, Violence and Compassion: Dialogues on Life Today, as taken from the Dalai Lamas Army, D. Kopel.)

The Dalai Lama himself owns a gun (...sort of):
New York Times, 11/1993, C. Dreifus

A: ...I also had an air rifle in Lhasa. And I have one in India. I often feed small birds, but when they come together, hawks spot them and catch them. A very bad thing. So in order to protect these small birds, I keep the air rifle.

Q: So it is a Buddhist Rifle?

A: (Laughs) A compassionate rifle!

All of this would seemingly fly in the face of the very first precept: Refrain From Killing Living Things. Raising an army hardly seems pacifist. The renowned Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh gave a training to the police department in Madison Wisconsin (unfortunately I don't have the exact transcript). During the training he was asked about a police officer that is in a situation that has to kill someone. the simple argument is of course; "no one has to kill someone." This of course is true, but unrealistic in many circumstances. To save the innocent, at times extreme measures must be taken. Being the amazing Buddhist that Thich Nhat Hanh is, he focused on the intent behind the killing. The police officer should have compassion in their heart while they are using lethal force. They are ending the suffering of a perpetrator in this world. The officer should not have anger or fear in their heart, but compassion for the corrupted soul before them. The first precept says to refrain from killing; it does not say never kill.

Thich Nhat Hanh so wonderfully highlights what is so important about Buddhism; what is in your heart? What is in your heart when your finger is on the trigger? Is it peace, is it rage, is it anger, is it laughter? My own casual plinking habits are heavily influenced by the condition of my heart. If I am angry or upset in any way, I feel I should not be shooting a gun. If I'm feeling happy and positive I enjoy taking the time with friends to go shooting. Be at peace in your heart and you will forever know the ways of the compassionate rifle.