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Sep-13-2009
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Two theories of evolution were examined in Part I, Evolution and Human Behavior of a three part essay Evolution and Political Paradigms to understand why the idea of reverting to past for a utopian world is inconsistent with human nature of thinking, creativity and innovation.
Both Hinduism and Buddhism advocate non-violence for virtuous living. The dvaita concepts of Kapila"s Sankhya system were incorporated into Hinduism and Buddhism. Buddhism is renowned for Middle Path teachings, including principles of virtuous living (sila) and non-violence (ahimsa).
Historically, world has experienced periods of military excesses to expand extraterritorially for economic growth, while the warlords claimed they were spreading the state sponsored religion to non-believers of the conquered lands. The reaction to the excessive brutality of wars that killed tens of thousands of enemy on rare occasions was a rise of non-violent movement. The Part II of three part essay examines history of a few such periods of last 2,800 years.
Anti-war Movements and Non-violence
A few civil society leaders of non-violent movements successfully delivered dramatic shifts in social, political, religious and economic norms. Some prophets of peace were murdered by reactionaries but they left behind a legacy of peace. These leaders were religious; however, contrary to such exemplary leaders, clerics or the "other" promoters of religious authority who claim to be managers of moral values and ethical codes of behavior for any religion tend to advocate living by a standard of religious norm they set or approve of. Inducing fear of God some politically active clerics exploit unsuspecting believers for radical causes promoted by ruling elites. Unlike the politically motivated and appointed clerics, the true nonviolence preaching religious leaders are social activists offering masses three tools - religion, moral rules and ethical codes - to help live self-reliant, virtuous and productive life.
One anti-war movement using the active non-violence methods to spread a religion was that of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (273-232 BC), who converted to Buddhism. The passionate practice of non-violence by Jesus (1st century) and that of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) are well known. Some recent non-violent movements include the civil rights marches in America by Rev Martin Luther King (1929-68), the defence of human rights by South Africa"s Mr. Desmond Tutu (1931- ) and protests by student activists at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China against communist autocracy (1989). Collectively they signify evolution in political discourse by citizens, who lacked political and military power. Unlike the non-violence practiced by Ashoka, the other movements were active disobedience of oppressive colonial rule by native or foreign powers and/or autocratic authorities.
Of three innovators of state sponsored religions - Buddhism, Christianity and Islam - only Jesus and Gautam Buddha lived a life of passionate non-violence. Christians and Muslims believe their scriptures (the Bible and Quran) were reveled. Buddhism makes no such claim to revelation by God.
Gautama became Buddha, an awakened teacher by attaining spiritual awakening or enlightenment through meditation. Buddha shared his insights with masses to help sentient or conscious beings to understand the true nature of cycle of suffering and rebirth.
Human suffering is an emotional response to pains induced by life"s struggles. Buddha did not lead a non-violent movement against any political orders; he was focused on imparting his insights to end suffering of conscious beings willing to practice self-reliance for alleviating pain of a hard life and "helplessness" experienced by masses.
Ashoka and Jesus: Both Emperor Ashoka and Jesus promoted a faith with non-violence as its central theme. One was a warlord who participated in brutal bloody wars before he converted to Buddhism and other was born in humble surroundings where masses toiled, lived in misery and elites lived life of luxury.
Ashoka: Mauryan king Ashoka was a warlord on Indian subcontinent. Like any warlord he had built his empire through invasions and conquest of neighboring kingdoms to become Emperor Ashoka the Great.
Ashoka converted to Buddhism after his bloody conquest of the territory of Kalinga, Orissa (India) during the Kalinga War. Regretting the horrors brought about by the conflict, the king decided to renounce violence. He encouraged people to follow the Dharma according to Buddhist teachings and helped propagate the faith by building memorials called stupas and pillars urging respect of all animal life.
Emperor Ashoka used non-violent methods to spread Buddhism beyond India. Prime Minister Zhou Enlai (1898-1976) of China as well as some leaders of Far East nations has noted that internationally Buddhism spread without firing a single shot. In the history of spreading a religion Emperor Ashoka is distinguished as one who did not resort to conquests followed by conversions of non-Buddhists in conquered lands under the blade of sword. According to hundreds of plates and pillars left by Ashoka, emissaries were sent to various countries in order to spread Buddhism, as far South as Sri Lanka and as far West as the Greek kingdoms, in particular the neighboring Greco-Bactrian Kingdom and possibly even farther to the Mediterranean.
Jesus like Buddha before him was a Messiah of non-violence. In land of Israel at Bethlehem of Judea Jesus (a carpenter by trade) was born (7-2 BC) to a Jewish, single mother, Mary. Jewish orthodoxy insisted on following traditions of "laws, rewards and punishment." In the Roman clients Jewish kingdoms of Herod the Great (74 BC - 4 AD) and Herod Antipas (4 BC - 39 AD) elites "closed themselves in ..and closed others out."
The asymmetric political and social environment of the Jewish state allowed Jesus to launch a successful non-violent movement supported by masses against the establishment and Christianity dedicated to the God was born. In defiance of orthodox traditionalist, Jesus preached God of "love, mercy and forgiveness".
Jesus started his ministry when he was about 30 years old and he preached Christianity for 1 to 3 years before he was crucified (26-36 AD/CE). Through out his ordeal Jesus asked his disciples to remain non-violent.
The Jesus ministry was responsible for spreading Christianity. Early converts to Christianity were Semitic Jews. Christianity inherited Jewish norms including Ten Commandments of Mosses, which are moral and ethical rules for Jews and Christians. They also believe that the Bible is a revealed scripture.
Early preachers of Christianity were recruited from civilians who did not enjoy political patronage of the state. For about three centuries Christianity with a message of "love, mercy and forgiveness" linked to non-violence spread like a wild fire to the bottom of the social pyramid in Palestine, Arab lands, Greece and lands around Mediterranean and Red Sea.
Roman Catholics: Once Romans started converting to Christianity (3rd century) there was a radical departure from non-violent Christianity of Jesus. The European political, social, cultural and economic norms were incorporated by Roman Catholics in the New Testament.
Romans discarded social and cultural norms observed by Semitic Jews and in the Roman Catholicism incorporated Roman norms of conformity to the state sponsored faith and beliefs, and vested warlords with absolute authority who declared warlords and their appointed clerics were infallible. They created a class of select few - martyrs - who were offered a place in heaven if they died for causes promoted by the privileged class.
The politicization of Roman Catholic Church accelerated as converted Greco-Romans elevated Christianity to the state religion status in Roman Empire (4th century). In the process, non-violence dominated Christianity of Jesus (1st - 3rd centuries) was transformed into a politically powerful war machine for extraterritorial expansions. Power and political violence flowed through hate and intolerance of non-believers - enemy.
Warlords cum clerics like Augustine (4th and 5th centuries) were influential in developing theology of New Testament that taught anti-Semitism and it was embraced by the Roman Catholic Church. After Catholic Church came to dominate Roman Empire build by Constantine (3rd - 4th centuries) and the Church got involved in several campaigns including Crusades (starting 1096) to coerce and force Jews to convert to Christianity. Conversos - Jews who converted to avoid being killed - (14th century) were followed by Jewish ghettos (16th century).
The resistance by Semitic Arabs to Roman Catholism was followed by the birth of Islam (6th century). Originality was not strength of Arab Muslims. Just as Quran, in part, is based on Old and New Testaments, so is the Arab political model for the spread of Islam based on methods used by Roman Catholics.
(To be concluded;
Part III: Warlordism to Democracy)
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