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the premise put forth in the opening post appears to not recognize or distinguish between "pacifist" and "passive." when an opening premise is flawed then that which flows from it tends to also be flawed.
I have no further comment to you about this. I'll be passive about this with you.
I have no further comment to you about this. I'll be passive about this with you.
it would be helpful for anyone considering the points point forth in this thread topic to recognize and understand the differences between "passive" "pacifist" and "nonviolence."
"The Buddha taught that violence begets violence and that only love can stop the cycle, so it is important to avoid participating in violent actions. But this doesn’t mean lying down and passively accepting abuse. Nor does it mean demonizing the person who is causing the trouble or seeing that person as the “other.”
"Nonviolence does not equal passivity or non-responsiveness. It means bringing forth the qualities of heart we are training ourselves in, namely, loving-kindness, courage, patience, and wisdom, and doing our best to enact them in the heat of the moment. Pausing to be mindful of just one breath can help calm the mind. Calmness offers the possibility of responding out of wisdom and compassion, rather than out of anger."
"it’s extremely beneficial to learn skills for meeting violence with nonviolence. The Buddha’s guidelines for wise speech can provide invaluable skills. These include practicing speech that is truthful, kind, unifying, and useful, and letting go of speech that is untruthful, unkind, divisive, and indulgent. It’s important to recognize the power of our individual actions, no matter how small they may seem. In the face of suffering, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless. It is possible to slide into passivity and even indifference. Dharma practice encourages receptivity not passivity, and equanimity not indifference. "
from articleDoes nonviolence always mean taking a passive approach?
I found this today, which I thought was interesting: "However the ability for the monk to be separate from or aloof from most social and political concerns is sometimes taken to be the Buddhist ideal, and lay Buddhists, instead of seeing that in those areas which the monks do not involve themselves, it's the duty of the lay Buddhists to become active. They sometimes assume that non-involvement is the model for all Buddlhists. The monks stay aloof from social problems and injustices etc, and so therefore should all good Buddhists. That is overly passive, it is not the Buddhist model. The Buddhist model is of a sharing of responsibility."
a person can change and challenge the status quo without being contentious.
being a pacifist does not equate to being passive. they are not the same.
there are people who mistakenly conflate the two.
It is quite shocking that a poster on this forum could conflate the two, which means they understand neither.
It is now clear why there is so much difficulty with communication about any concept related to spirituality and religion.
Ah. Those dang " impulses ". Not unlike " appetites " in my faith tradition.
Seems there are many common "Truth's"
good point.
it is the difference between "reacting" (as in a knee-jerk reaction)
and "responding" as in choosing our response.
that is the essence of responsibility. the ability to respond. instead of reacting.
it is taking responsibility for our own thought, speech, actions, and feelings.
it would be helpful for anyone considering the points point forth in this thread topic to recognize and understand the differences between "passive" "pacifist" and "nonviolence."
"The Buddha taught that violence begets violence and that only love can stop the cycle, so it is important to avoid participating in violent actions. But this doesn’t mean lying down and passively accepting abuse. Nor does it mean demonizing the person who is causing the trouble or seeing that person as the “other.”
"Nonviolence does not equal passivity or non-responsiveness. It means bringing forth the qualities of heart we are training ourselves in, namely, loving-kindness, courage, patience, and wisdom, and doing our best to enact them in the heat of the moment. Pausing to be mindful of just one breath can help calm the mind. Calmness offers the possibility of responding out of wisdom and compassion, rather than out of anger."
"it’s extremely beneficial to learn skills for meeting violence with nonviolence. The Buddha’s guidelines for wise speech can provide invaluable skills. These include practicing speech that is truthful, kind, unifying, and useful, and letting go of speech that is untruthful, unkind, divisive, and indulgent. It’s important to recognize the power of our individual actions, no matter how small they may seem. In the face of suffering, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless. It is possible to slide into passivity and even indifference. Dharma practice encourages receptivity not passivity, and equanimity not indifference. "
from articleDoes nonviolence always mean taking a passive approach?
Wisdom! My impression is that this is basically a semantic issue with the words being used since I perceive no actual difference in the stance of the participants with regard to "reaction" versus thoughtful "response." Agape requires that you consider the impact on everyone involved before responding. We do not always do that and that is our most common and troubling human trait.
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Wisdom! My impression is that this is basically a semantic issue with the words being used since I perceive no actual difference in the stance of the participants with regard to "reaction" versus thoughtful "response." Agape requires that you consider the impact on everyone involved before responding. We do not always do that and that is our most common and troubling human trait.
