Non-Aggression vs Pacifism
There is a big difference between Non-Aggression and Pacifism. Here are the highlights.
Today was gun cleaning day. It’s been long overdue. I have seven (7) firearms in total and most of them haven’t been cleaned and lubricated in a while. Partly because I was unfamiliar with them and somewhat intimidated by the prospect of field stripping them and putting them together.
4 rifles, a shotgun, and two handguns later and I can safely say that it wasn’t that bad. Just a little time consuming.
Firearms & Spirituality
Typically spirituality is associated with Buddhist monks that lit themselves on fire to protest religious persecution. This certainly doesn’t scream firearms, second amendment, or natural right to self defense. However, monks typically train in martial arts. This stems from the idea that the only noble or excusable use of force is in the defense of life. That’s where firearms exist for me. They are a means for defending life. In fact, over 1,000,000 firearms interactions occur every year without a shot fired. The main reason is that firing a shot can cause a gigantic consequence…the loss of life.
This is a big focus for the firearms community whether your favorite news station stands to acknowledge that or not. Firearms are all too often associated with blood lust or nefarious activities. In truth, the vast majority of firearms ownership and use is in the name of the preservation of life.
What is Non-Aggression?
Non-Aggression is the concept or philosophy of defense use of force only. Offensive use of force or aggression to achieve a specific goal isn’t noble or warranted. This means that defending yourself is the only acceptable use of force or aggression. What constitutes defense use of force has been a hot debate for some time. But ultimately, I side with the justifiable use of deadly force if it is in the name of saving lives. I feel this is in line with the Buddhist concept of limiting or reducing suffering.
The non-aggression principle can go a lot deeper than this but I wanted to introduce it in a very rudimentary way first. I will certainly expand on the concept in future posts.
Firearms Cleaning
Always clean and take good care of your tools. This was a concept my father and my grandfather instilled in me at a young age. My father more specifically referencing things like firearms and my grandfather referencing things like traditional tools for building. I have owned several firearms for a few years now but haven’t made a concerted effort to maintain them. Part of the reason was the fear of the unfamiliar. I wasn’t versed in caring for certain firearms I had acquired. It took a dose of humility to research and step out of my comfort zone to look up the standard of maintenance for those pieces. Some of the fear also stems from the fact that I haven’t been proactive in my involvement in firearms outside of their purchase and occasional target shooting with them. To me, they aren’t toys. My father taught me that firearms are tools. They are either tools for hunting, self defense, or other (like when he used a shotgun to save a utility worker from a live, downed power line). Until recently, I haven’t been very open about my support for firearms ownership and use. But that has changed in a major way.
I am no longer passively in favor of firearms ownership. I believe that every family should own one. It is obviously up to those families to decided whether or not they want to own one.
Would Buddha Approve of Guns?
I think he wouldn’t have chosen to possess one himself. But I also feel he wouldn’t disagree with an individual’s or family’s choice to own one to preserve life. Limiting or reducing suffering comes in many forms. Firearms have a place in that conversation.
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