The weapons of the Dharma protectors. The weapon I have.

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/

The Four Brahma Viharas, or four divine abodes. The four approaches to Buddhist practice.

 The Four Brahma Viharas:  Four Divine Abodes

Thus I have heard…

The best ways to approach your practice and daily lives.  

Loving Kindness (Metta)

Two entire sutras are dedicated to this (Metta Sutta and Prajna Paramita or Heart Sutra) Think of gentle loving kindness.  This is towards all sentient beings, and ourselves...

Compassion (Karuna)

This is when Metta meets suffering, we see and know what suffering is and does (because we have meditated and developed some wisdom)

Empathetic (Sympathetic) Joy (Mudita)

More the act of appreciating joy wherever and with whomever it happens. 

Equanimity or non-attachment (Upeksha)

‘Even mindedness’ Calmly watching as life happens we are not moved, like a mountain. 

A direct link to Hinduism, the four faced god Brahma possesses these four attributes. Although not a ‘God’ of Buddhism, Brahma was respected and mentioned as a god in the sutras and offered valuable lessons that deserved to be mentioned and respected.  

These four are powerful ways to live, maintain harmony, resolve differences and promote healing.  They should become a place where our minds and hearts ‘live’ (abides).  I.e.  “This is just where my heart and mind are…”  These four attributes, when used as an intention for being, are an amazing way to transform the entire world just from our point of view.   

Each of these viharas are intertwined like everything in Buddhism, they support and temper each of the others so that we do not get lost in them. (attached)

Unbound love prevents compassion from becoming partial.  Compassion reminds us that happiness and love are impermanent and changing.  Equanimity helps us to see them all as they are, without emotional charge and attachments.  Joy gentles the mind, includes all in the possibility of compassion and loving kindness both towards and away. 

As a meditation, dwell in each of the abodes completely, think of examples.  In the process, remember to include not only those you are fond of, but yourself and those with which you may have difficulties and those you do not know and have no influence on or from (animals, bugs, etc).  Remember, what you practice you get good at! 

Says the Master: For one who clings, motion exists; but for one who clings not, there is no motion. Where no motion is, there is stillness. Where stillness is, there is no craving. Where no craving is, there is neither coming nor going. Where no coming nor going is, there is neither arising nor passing away. Where neither arising nor passing away is, there is neither this world nor a world beyond, nor a state between. This, verily, is the end of suffering.— Udana 8:3

What makes up the self (Five Aggregates)

 Thus I have heard…

An aggregate is a combination of elements that are together.  The aggregates that make up trail mix, there are nuts, berries, chocolate etc, each are separate but make up the whole of ‘trail-mix’. 

 The five items that combine to make us who we are.  None of these are unchangeable and therefore not the unchanging self or ‘Atman’.  In the Anattalakkhana Sutta it explains the non-self of the aggregates.  For now we need to understand the basics of human being-ness.  

The Five Aggregates (Skandas)

The Centered Path, Part 9 of the Buddhist Basics (Ref: 

This explains the ever changing attributes of a person, the combination of phenomena that make us believe we are separate from what ‘is’.   This is a simple on the outside but really complex concept in Buddhism.  It is difficult to keep it in perspective as we are often not only the object but the perceiver, this forces us to bring our minds outside our own experience and see it as an artist sees a subject or as a scientist should look at an experiment.   This is the beginning of what we know as ‘I, me, mine’ . They are all illusory,  like watching a film.  All just pieces of the whole thing, not real and in constant flux of being.  When we realize this we can let go easier and understand the variations of thought, experience and existence.  

Each includes all that are present, past or future, internal, external, gross or subtle, common or sublime..

Form (Rupa): Both the body (organ of sense) and sense object.  For example, the eye and the object it is designed to receive information about.  Light, heat, sound waves, and chemicals (smell and taste) all fit here. 

Feeling (Vedana):  Also called sensations:  Pleasant, unpleasant, indifferent. 

Perception (Samjna):  Taking the feeling and giving it some more attributes, warm, soft, hard, etc. This is a preliminary part of the nervous systems actions; ‘there is something’ (Outside of ‘me’ or in ‘me’)

Mental Formations (Samskara): also called Volition:  A conditioned response to a stimulus, a conscious decision. This also relates perceptions and feelings with the form. 

Consciousness (Vijnana): Just having an eye or ear and an object of them, a sight or sound still is nothing without a consciousness to pull it all together.  You may even think of this as sentience or ‘being alive’.  There is eye consciousness, ear consciousness etc.. 

The Buddhist Flag, history and use.

Today we are going to go over one of the most ubiquitous and growing symbols of Buddhism.  By the time we’re done you will know what the colors mean, direction and history of the flag. 

I have spent a lot of time hanging and setting these flags up at temples and festivals I have attended. I have seen them in my travels to Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam. I often wondered where it all started and what the colors mean. I looked it up on YouTube and it seems that on YouTube there are only about 1000 views for this type of video. Some were very good and some were lacking. Here I try to fill in the gaps and have it make more sense.

 

This is the flag of Buddhism; it has five distinct colors and it has six columns, let me introduce it to you.

You can commonly see this flag being used in ceremonies and celebrations in the United States, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.  (those are the places I have seen it). Variants are also seen in Korea, Japan as well as Nepal.  Although it is a unifying symbol it is not THE symbol of Buddhism, in fact, many groups (sects) do not even use this flag at all, nor is it a symbol of reverence.  Think of it more as an advertisement.   It is recognized by the World Buddhist Congress, United Nations Day of Vesak, and many other international groups. However we do not see it too often in Zen, or in the Vajrayana systems of Buddhism.   Zen tends to have little in the way of pageantry, Vajrayana on the other hand has more than enough and if these flags were presented in their festivals and such it could easily get lost in all the colors and banners they use.

This flag first appeared in Sri Lanka around 1885.  It marked the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.  The designers were Mr. JR de Silva and H.S. Olcott. It was it was not widely accepted until the 1950s.  Buddhism had declined under British rule and around 1880 it began to re-take its foothold. There are many reasons for the decline but one of the most controversial is the Christian evangelism that occurred with British occupation. When Sri Lanka became free of Britain in 1949 Buddhism really took off.

Colonel Henry Olcott, a United States citizen and early member of the Theosophical Society had some influence in the design. He proposed it be the same dimensions and shape as most country flags, this was to help it be more acceptable and easily presentable.

Colors represent the colors of the aura that came from the body of the Buddha when he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.

     Blue is the color of compassion, it reminds us to care for others and realize that all beings deserve happiness and that they too suffer.

    Yellow: The middle path or way. This is the way of Buddhism, not hedonistic and not nihilistic. The in between of form and void.

    Red:  Blessing of practice, which is an achievement, wisdom, virtue, fortune and dignity.

     White:  The purity of the teachings or Dharma, one can think of it as also clear like pure water or white like unstained snow.

     Orange:  the symbol of the teachers (The Sangha) and the teachings. It is similar to the color of the robes worn by many Theravada monks and is also a symbol of wisdom.

     

 The last band has all five of the colors, and has to do with all of it coming together as one. It is more of an iridescent or brilliant light source rather than a color or set of colors. The word for that 'color' is Pabhassara in the Pali language.  One can think of it as the idea of 'The rainbow body' we hear of in Vajrayana tradition. 

The flag is hung with the blue against the pole as well as blue at the top in the final column. When hanging lengthwise, or horizontally, it should be with the blue on the right side… (however it will look the opposite from the opposite side of the flag). 

It can be commonly seen in most Southeast Asian Buddhist Celebrations such as Vesak, which happens in or around May every year. 

For personal use, they can even be part of a meditation review, much like the Kasinas (ten objects to settle the mind), Dhyana, Jhana,. Or Samatha meditation practices. Using it as an object of meditation is a great way to familiarize yourself with the concepts of the colors, their meaning and place in your process of practice.

Although we see many different types of banners and flags in Buddhist practice, this one is designed to bring all Buddhists together under one banner. It is a colorful reminder of our practice and our commitment to learn about Buddhism. Since its creation in 1885 and acceptance in the 1950s it has gained popularity and now you may see it in many other Buddhist events, even those of Mahayana, Zen and Vajrayana.

The difference between this flag and what we commonly see as 'Tibetan Prayer Flags". The Buddhist flag is an identifier and banner for events whereas the prayer flags are often placed in areas that are windy or on stupas, altars, and trees to be a continual blessing. Each thread that comes loose and blows away (the prayer flags are designed with this in mind) becomes a prayer to the ten directions for the benefit of all beings. They are designed to fall apart, that is be ever changing and temporary.

On another note, the flag was banned in 1963 in the city of Hue (Vietnam) the monk, Venerable Thich Quang Duc set himself on fire as part of a protest of the banning of not only the flag but Buddhist holidays and the near banning of Buddhism itself. It was not in protest of the war as many people think.

I have been practicing Buddhism for over 20 years and became a minister in 2006. I also run the Centered Path (www.thecenteredpath.org) and hold small retreats and classes. In fact you can find the rest of the teachings, including a video about the flag at our YouTube channel The Centered Path, or The Basic Buddhist.

Please feel free to go to the site and down load the cheat sheet on Buddhist teachings. Then go to YouTube and look us up for videos on each subject. The channel is 'The Centered Path'

Have a lovely day.

Rev. Sean