"Then Yodhajiva the headman went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side.
As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One:
"Lord, I have heard that it has been passed down by the ancient teaching lineage of warriors that
'When a warrior strives & exerts himself in battle, if others then strike him down & slay him while he is striving & exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of devas slain in battle.'
What does the Blessed One have to say about that?"
"Enough, headman, put that aside. Don't ask me that."
A second time...
A third time Yodhajiva the headman said:
"Lord, I have heard that it has been passed down by the ancient teaching lineage of warriors that
'When a warrior strives & exerts himself in battle, if others then strike him down & slay him while he is striving & exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of devas slain in battle.'
What does the Blessed One have to say about that?"
"Apparently, headman, I haven't been able to get past you by saying, 'Enough, headman, put that aside. Don't ask me that.' So I will simply answer you -
When a warrior strives & exerts himself in battle, his mind is already seized, debased, & misdirected by the thought: 'May these beings be struck down or slaughtered or annihilated or destroyed. May they not exist.'
If others then strike him down & slay him while he is thus striving & exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the Hell called the Realm of those slain in battle.
But if he holds such a view as this:
'When a warrior strives & exerts himself in battle, if others then strike him down & slay him while he is striving & exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of devas slain in battle,'
THAT IS HIS WRONG VIEW.
Now, there are two destinations for a person with wrong view, I tell you:
Either Hell or the Animal womb."
When this was said, Yodhajiva the headman sobbed & burst into tears.
The Blessed One said: "That is what I couldn't get past you by saying, 'Enough, headman, put that aside. Don't ask me that.'"
"I'm not crying, Lord, because of what The Blessed One said to me, but simply because I have been deceived, cheated, & fooled for a long time by that ancient teaching lineage of warriors who said: 'When a warrior strives & exerts himself in battle, if others then strike him down & slay him while he is striving & exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of devas slain in battle.'
- SN 42.3: Yodhajiva Sutta — To Yodhajiva (The Warrior)
"All tremble at the rod ( punishment ),
Life is dear to all.
Comparing others with oneself,
One should neither strike nor cause to strike."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 130
"Searching all directions with your awareness,
You find no one dearer than yourself.
In the same way,
Others are fiercely dear to themselves.
So you shoudn't hurt others
If you love yourself."
- The Buddha, Udana 5:1
*** Read
1) "The Price of Peace" - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2009/02/price-of-peace.html
2) "Rule No. 12 - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2008/11/rule-no12.html
3) "Why Fight? - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-fight.html
