Monks and Just Wars
Abstract
After the Buddha's tune, Buddhism has spread to places in and outside India. As carriers of religious messages, Buddhist monks would invariably find themselves in different social, cultural and political environments. Some places were embroiled in war. There is substantial evidence that a number of monks were directly and indirectly involved in the conflict. For example, they were known to give blessings and motivating sermons to soldiers headed intowar, explaining the rationale of warfare, while some cvenvolunteered to light alongside the force or set up an army of monk warriors. Here are some examples:
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