Respect For Life

HEMMER: … I will not fight for Starfleet, but I will defend its ideals. Pacifism is not passivity. It is the active protection of all living things in the natural universe.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, “Momento Mori” (s1ep4), Stardate 3177.3

I love Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and I love this quote.

The first precept of Buddhism, regardless of which list you talk about, starts with a vow not to destroy life. Further, in such texts as the venerable Dhammapada (collected sayings of the Buddha), you can see quotations like so:

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

and:

142. Even though he be well-attired, yet if he is poised, calm, controlled and established in the holy life, having set aside violence towards all beings — he, truly, is a holy man, a renunciate, a monk

Translations by Acharya Buddharakkhita

Per tradition, monks in the Buddhist tradition are often strictly vegetarian and why some devout lay Buddhists choose to be vegetarian, either full-time or on specific holidays.

But, I think Hemmer’s quote goes a step further, peace, goodwill, and pacifism are not simply refraining from violence; it is also respect for all life (even the Gollums in life). This requires empathy, putting yourself in their shoes. You see this expressed in such popular liturgy as the Four Bodhisattva Vows, dedication of merit, and so on.

But like many things in Buddhism, such a lofty goal is hard to uphold at first. So, the precepts more narrowly focus on simple training rules (not to do X, not to do Y), and overtime, as basic training rules become second-nature, and your understanding of the Buddha-Dharma deepens, one’s practice refines more and more over time. So, if you feel you can’t live up to such an ideal, don’t worry. It’s important to know that the ideal exists, and that every starts from somewhere.

Namu Shakamuni Butsu
Namu Kanzeon Bosatsu

P.S. Double post today to celebrate Strange New Worlds, season three. I cancelled my subscription of Paramount Plus some months ago (no regrets), but I enjoy the first two seasons on BluRay, and waiting to get the subsequent seasons on BluRay as well.