I grew up around guns. I lived in the Sierras of Northern California. We had many hunters and it was not uncommon to see rifles on racks in pickup trucks. Before becoming a Buddhist and a minister I entertained the idea of law enforcement as well as military service, but not as a Chaplain. I had friends with rifles and handguns and own some myself. I have taken lots of training for a civilian and use the art of firearms as a meditation and see it similar to the Zen practice of archery (Kyudo).
I became interested in Buddhism from my training in martial arts. I had been injured in a traditional Ju Jitsu class and had to 'retire' from that part of the practice but was interested in the philosophy of the marital arts and the links we had in the West to Buddhism like the television series Kung Fu and the fascination of the Shao Lin monks and even in Bruce Lee.
In college I began to explore meditation. The demographics of the university was not at all Buddhist and it was difficult to find anything helpful in the way of meditation practice. This was the early 1980s and there was not much yet. Later, after graduating I went to a retreat at a local monastery and was hooked. I studied with the monks and nuns and not only travelled with them throughout much of the Buddhist world but also eventually became an ordained Buddhist Minister. I took 10 precepts, none of them said anything about weapons at all. Not that I really cared anyway. Some argue that it breaks the first precept of not taking a life, but having a gun does not mean you have or will take a life. It is no different than owning a knife. It can be used for skillful things or unskillful, it can be use to help and to harm. Even if you look into 'engaged Buddhism' of Plum Village and their 14 precepts there is no mention of weapons or guns. I took and maintain the precepts and when and if I fail at them I work to become better. I practice to help myself and others where I can. Taking the precepts and following the Eight Fold Path did change me to be more compassionate and understanding as well as to have greater knowledge of how we work as people and how we can learn to better react to them. Now one can argue that there are things that we should not do in the view of the Eight Fold Path such as 'right action', thinking or livelihood. As in the teachings it does say to not do what the 'wise' would censure one for. But there is still no mention of weapons or guns.
When working with people that are learning meditation and looking to put Buddhist practice into their daily lives I get to know them and they get to know me. Sometimes the fact that I am a gun owner and a CCW Permit (Concealed Carry Weapon Permit) holder comes up. Some people are confused and some are down right offended that I would even think of owning a gun. I have taught and counseled many people that are and were military, police and security. They have to have these weapons around them and can also benefit from the teachings and practice of Buddhism and the meditations it offers.
For the permit I had to take training and a class as well as pass a background and security check to get the license. I do not consider myself political really and carry and had training for safety and confidence in my abilities at a shooting range. I generally do not get into discussions about the Second Amendment as I am not a lawyer or politician and believe that is for them to figure out.
Shooting ranges, in my experience are very controlled environments with definite feel of a place of mindfulness and attention, like some zendos or temples I have visited. Everything is coordinated and done in the same manner like many Buddhist meditation centers and temples. Now I know that most people that have attended a workshop or spent time at a temple or zendo would find it hard to find any similarities.
I was recently speaking to a patient of mine who is also a Concealed Carry License holder and carries a handgun routinely. He had taken training just as I had done and was also a member of a local Christian church. I happened to see an advertisement for churches' security called Faith Based Security Advisory Council which is an organization overseen by the Department of Homeland Security. He was a security team member at his church. I had seen armed security at Synagogues I had visited and at other Christian churches, and at every UNDV event I attended, but those were military and police security teams from the hosting country. So many guns and other anti violence measures which were obviously violent.
So why do Buddhists seem to have such an aversion of guns? There are many many weapons of the Dharmapalas; Swords, Ropes, Spears, Axes, Knives, Thunderbolts, Arrows with bows, and clubs. They are not only weapons of war or protection but of Devine realization. So how come guns are seen as so very evil.
Some say that a gun is designed to kill a person, what about a sword? No one uses one to eat with, to cut bread, they use a bread knife, Can a machete which is designed to be used on plants be used on people and animals for violence? Sure.
A gun, like any weapon, can hold a lot of emotion for people. When people think that Buddhism is totally pacifist they are wrong. Many times Buddhists have had to defend themselves from outside (and inside) threats. They had to use violence and weapons. They also had to accept that karmic debt in that practice. There are of course stories of the saints and highly attained masters that overcame violence with wisdom, non attachment and loving kindness. I do believe in that, but there are times to act accordingly. For example, even in today's world we have mass shootings and 'active shooter drills' at schools. The training advice that they have can also follow the Buddhist principles of non-violence at first in the advice to flee, then hide... finally if cornered and only then to fight back. This is a common advice to schools, places of worship and shopping centers. It is a modern fact of life, like it or not. Buddhist temples of the past also had to deal with bandits, gangs, and ruffians that would do them harm, steal their supplies, food and 'treasures' and harm those living on the grounds. There are also stories of warrior monks and people that stepped forward, including monks that had to defend their lives and temples from such threats. The ones that were totally pacifist all the time did not last long.
There are many dharma protectors (Dharmapalas) in all forms of Buddhist practice. There are some in Theravada, Mahayana and many in Vajrayana. These generally are mythical figures but some are actually based on real life people.
In Theravada not only kings of the real regions are protectors of the Dhamma but also are some of the deities that are left over from Hindu/Vedic lines like Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesh as wells as the Four Protectors of Mount Meru.
In Vajrayana there are eight main protectors; The Tibetan (Vajrayana) Dharmapalas are; Beg-tse, Tsangs-Pa, Kuvera, Lhamo, Yama, Yamantaka, Hayagriva, and Mahakala.
In Chinese temples and some Japanese temples you can see the Wisdom Kings. There are five in esoteric Buddhism, they are;
Gundari Myoo, Ratnasambhava representation 'The dispenser of Heavenly Nectar' He holds a spear and a sword.
Fudo Myoo (Acala) ' The immovable one' represents Mahavairocana, He holds a sword and a noose in the left hand. He uses this to catch straying souls and keep them from going astray.
Daiitoku Myo-o: (Yamantaka), 'One who stops the power of hell'. Holds a trident, a wheel, a sword, and a jeweled club. Helps to purge the practitioner of weakness and evil.
Kongoyashi Myo-o; Conqueror of the three planes. He carries on the right a bell, thunderbolt, an arrow and a sword and on the left is a trident, a bow and a lasso.
Gozanze Myo-o; The vanquisher of the three realms.
In Chinese Buddhism there are 24 protective deities. This includes all the above in one form or another and some Hindu variations as well as some manifestations of actual generals in Chinese history.
So each it seems have some weapons. Why not guns? Well when these were first mentioned there were none. Simple as that. Perhaps today if there were Dharmapalas they would have lightsabers and missile launchers, who knows.
I have a gun, it is a weapon, a tool nut not a toy. I handle it very carefully, mindfully and practice with it in a manner that is non harmful to myself or others. I have no intention of harming someone with it but also understand the responsibility I take for my own karma of having, handling and training with a firearm. It does not make me any less Buddhist than anyone else. It does not break any of the precepts nor the any of the parts of the Noble Eight Fold Path. It may cause some disdain, stress, and mental harm, but that comes from them, not me. It is no different than carrying any other tool.
Am I a Dharmapala? Maybe I will be. I protect the interpretation of the Dharma and help people see their attachments, ignorances and angers and deal with them with wisdom, release and kindness.
References:
https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/vajrayana/tantra-advanced/what-are-dharma-protectors
https://www.kcpinternational.com/2019/11/five-wisdom-kings-five-wisdom-buddhas-japanese-buddhism/
https://www.buddhistdoor.net/features/with-the-wrath-of-a-serpent-the-propagation-of-gudari-myoo-iconography
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45621
https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/the-buddha-taught-nonviolence-not-pacifism/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43300221
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.075.than.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/war-and-buddhism-449732
https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/buddhist-soldier-military/
