The Reality of War : War is violence and violence is unpredictable

The Dalai Lama, in an excellent analysis of the Reality of War, clearly states that although he is personally deeply opposed to war, he does not advocate appeasement in front of unjust aggression. 

I want to make it clear, however, that although I am deeply opposed to war, I am not advocating appeasement. It is often necessary to take a strong stand to counter unjust aggression. For instance, it is plain to all of us that the Second World War was entirely justified. It "saved civilization" from the tyranny of Nazi Germany, as Winston Churchill so aptly put it. In my view, the Korean War was also just, since it gave South Korea the chance of gradually developing democracy. But we can only judge whether or not a conflict was vindicated on moral grounds with hindsight. For example, we can now see that during the Cold War, the principle of nuclear deterrence had a certain value. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to assess al such matters with any degree of accuracy. War is violence and violence is unpredictable. Therefore, it is better to avoid it if possible, and never to presume that we know beforehand whether the outcome of a particular war will be beneficial or not.

A similar position is developed by Yagyu Munenori in his Heiho Kandesho : It is sometimes justified to kill a dangerous man to preserve the life of others. 

This kind of position is delicate. What exactly does constitute a threat ? If somebody verbally threatens to kill you, does that threat justify killing him in self defense ? 

If a country threatens to nationalize some of the assets owned by corporations of another country, is it justified to attack them to defend the interests of these corporations ? 

If a group of fanatics in a part of the world uses chemical weapons to kill civilians in the context of a civil war, is it a threat that justifies "punishment" ? 

Would this punishment really punish the guilty ones ? Would this punishment really prevent the recurrence of such an horror, or could it exacerbate it ?

War is violence and violence is unpredictable. Therefore, it is better to avoid it if possible, and never to presume that we know beforehand whether the outcome of a particular war will be beneficial or not.

The only people who gain anything out of any kind of war are the shareholders and employees of corporations of the armament industry and the politicians receiving funds from these corporations.

 

The Chinese Cemetery of Nolettes

On June 1st, 2013, I visited the Chinese Cemetery of Nolettes on the Somme River. 849 Chinese men who died during World War I or right after it are buried in this beautiful place. 

 

Their simple gravestones are engraved with Chinese as well as English characters.

Most of these men who died so far from home where probably Buddhist and it is unlikely that any Buddhist words were ever spoken on their behalf. 

I lit some incense I had brought with me, and I sat in Zazen under the main cypress tree during the time it took for one stick to burn. 

After that I walked each row of gravestones reciting the heart sutra for them. 

Then I bowed and left. 

 

Here is the story of men buried there almost totally forgotten for over 80 years...

In 1916, France and Britain started to recruit Chinese labourers to fill the manpower shortage caused by World War I. Approximately 140,000 Chinese workers - about 100,000 with the Brits and 40,000 with the French - served on the Western Front during and right after the War.

At the end of the war about 5,000 to 10,000 of them stayed in France and formed the original nucleus of the Chinese community in Paris.

Mainly aged between 20 and 35, these men did not take part to actual combat. They were supporting the frontline troops, unloading ships, building dugouts, repairing roads and railways, digging trenches and filling sandbags. Some worked in armaments factories, others in shipyards. However, when the war ended some were used for mine clearance, or to recover the bodies of soldiers and fill in miles of trenches.

According to the records around 2,000 of them died during the war, most from the 1918-1919 Spanish Flu pandemic, and some as a direct result of enemy action or of wounds received in the course of their duties.

Those who died, classified as war casualties, were buried in several French and Belgian graveyards in the North of France. The largest number of graves is located at the Chinese Cemetery of Noyelles sur Mer close to the Somme river's estuary, where 849 men are buried.

The contribution of these men went forgotten for decades until military ceremonies resumed in 2002.

The General and his Vase

Once upon a time, in old China, a great general retired after many years of military service. As he wanted to stay busy, he decided to start collecting antiques.

One evening, he sat in his study to admire his latest acquisition:  a small, very beautiful (and pricey) porcelain vase. Observing it under the sunset light, he rejoyced at the exquisite patterns the ancient craftsmen had worked into it.

Suddenly, a careless move and the vase slipped from his hands. He tried to catch it, but its slick surface was hard to grasp. As the vase was falling, the general dove down to catch it before it reached the floor. A close call, but he managed to stop the fall inches from the disaster!

The general's heart was pounding hard and fast. His breathing was frantic. Carefully holding the vase, he slowly stood up, sat at his table and relaxed.

He felt so relieved he had prevented the loss. 

Still, something was not right. He should have been elated, but only felt puzzled. 

"In all my campaigns," he thought to himself, "in all these years, charging the enemy, leading my men into battle, at times facing armies much bigger than mine… I have never felt such fear as I just now did, realizing I very well might lose this vase ..."

The General looked at the vase again, a most beautiful object indeed. Smiling, he opened his fingers. 

The vase dropped and shattered into pieces.

 

Zen at War and Dr DT Suzuki

For some reason, this comment by Elliston Sensei on the previous post about DT Suzuki could not be directly posted - here it is. 

Thank you, Jiryu-san, for pointing this out. We need to exercise compassion in hindsight, as well as in the present.

 
It is arrogant, and an example of the victors writing the history, to pretend that if we Western Zen practitioners had been in Japan, we would have acted differently than the Zen practitioners who were there at the time, especially under attack. The Japanese people were thoroughly propagandized against the West, just as we were against them (remember the chimpanzee cartoons?). They were convinced that the invading forces would rape, pillage and plunder the country, completely wiping out their heritage, and that there would be no more Japan (who could blame them, looking at the imperial history of the West?). 

It is no wonder that every one of them resolved to fight to the death for the sake of their country. This does not excuse or forgive the many atrocities committed under the military imperialists, but it does not hold water as a criticism of Zen. It is a criticism of aggression and war, which according to Buddhism, derives from this personal, self-aggrandizing self, the one that sees differences between itself and others, always making itself look better at others' expense. Let's all take a deep breath and a long, clear look in the mirror.

According to Sensei, the Japanese people were amazed (and revolutionized regarding their view of Western culture and politics) at the compassionate treatment they had at the hands of our occupation forces after the surrender, and the generosity of the Marshall plan. Matsuoka-roshi took pains to clarify this in his writings, and Okumura-roshi delivered an eloquent explanation of this tragic situation in a Q&A session at ASZC, regarding Victoria's critique. We should listen to the people who were actually there, rather than engage in Monday quarterbacking.  

It is interesting to note that at the same time the world was crashing down around their feet (see Nagasaki and Hiroshima), the Soto Zen Parliament passed a resolution fully recognizing the absolute equality of nuns in the monastic hierarchy (see Paula Arai). What would we conclude from this? That the good-old-boy network of the senior monks caved, since everything was going to hell anyway? Or that they had the presence of mind to do what needed to be done, in spite of the extreme conditions of nuclear war? I would suggest the latter.

 

If it were not for our Japanese forefathers, we would not have been exposed to this precious dharma. Let us not be too hasty to condemn them.  

Gassho,

Sensei