War? No Thank You: Wise Words from the Buddha

With all the talk lately about the US and Iran, I thought about this quote from a Buddhist text called the Dhammapada. The Buddha, said in the Dhammapada, verses 129-132:

All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.

All tremble at violence; life is dear to all. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.

One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter

One who, while himself seeking happiness, does not oppress with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will find happiness hereafter.

Translation by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Or as Star Trek so eloquently put it:

Death.  Destruction.  Disease.  Horror.  That’s what war is all about. That’s what makes it a thing to be avoided.

Kirk, “A Taste of Armageddon” (s1ep23), stardate 3193.0

and:

If some day we are defeated, well, war has its fortunes, good and bad.

Commander Kor, “Errand of Mercy” (s1ep26), stardate 3201.7

Indeed, the only good WAR is this one:

Goodwill towards others is the cornerstone of Buddhism, and something we can all foster in the world starting with ourselves.

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhasa
(“Praise to the Blessed One, the Noble One, the fully Awakened One.”)

Edit: since this post was written in 2020, there has been more war since then, both in eastern Europe, and in the Middle East. Once again, I quote Star Trek:

The face of war has never changed.  Surely it is more logical to heal than to kill.

Surak of Vulcan, “The Savage Curtain” (s3ep22), stardate 5906.5