Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

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DNS
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by DNS »

I believe he was a Buddhist. From the reports I have read on the news he attended a Thai temple, meditated and chanted with other Buddhists. He was learning the Thai language and according to some reports was already fluent. Who knows, maybe at one point he was considering ordaining in Thailand? Being Buddhist does not (automatically) make one a Buddha, arahant, or even sotapanna. Noble levels come with much effort after many lifetimes. Every Buddhist is at different points on the Path.

It is good to keep the precepts, but how many Buddhists really keep all 5 precepts all the time? I imagine many Buddhists struggle to keep the alcohol abstention precept all the time, violating it for social encounters. And I am sure many Buddhists sometimes tell some white-lies. I am not condoning or approving the breaking of any precepts, just stating the reality.

edit:

I see from J4's link that his interest dropped off a couple of years ago.
Alexis told his Buddhist landlord he wanted to be a monk, but his attendance at temple services slipped from several times a week in 2010 to about once a month in 2011, before largely fading altogether.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by Jhana4 »

I do not see a reason why to discuss the shooter in terms of Buddhism ( other than for journalists to have something to write about ).

People who go on planned shooting sprees are mentally ill. Mentally ill people of all religions do these sort of things. These kind of shootings have nothing to do with anyone's religion and any given religion's rule against murder isn't likely to stop a mentally ill person from killing. Those rules don't even stop mentally healthy people from killing.
In reading the scriptures, there are two kinds of mistakes:
One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
Digity
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by Digity »

The guy "heard voices". See source here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/ ... DN20130918

I guy had schizophrenia and something snapped and he did what he did. We've seen this story over and over again. This is nothing new and it'll happen again and again and again...

The whole Buddhist angle has nothing to do with this story. This is more a story about mental health and the lax attitude Americans have towards guns.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by DNS »

Yes of course, this has nothing to do with Buddhism, even if he were still a Buddhist. It has to do with mental health issues and yes also gun control issues (why did a mentally ill person with prior gun related police events have ability to purchase assault weapons very recently). It is just good to discuss to come to these points, that it is not about his religion. There are some who think religion is a factor in some violent crimes (not necessarily anyone here, but someone lurking through the news reports and this forum) and this is clearly not the case in this incident. So it doesn't matter if he was Buddhist or not.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by Buckwheat »

David N. Snyder wrote:Yes of course, this has nothing to do with Buddhism, even if he were still a Buddhist. It has to do with mental health issues and yes also gun control issues (why did a mentally ill person with prior gun related police events have ability to purchase assault weapons very recently). It is just good to discuss to come to these points, that it is not about his religion. There are some who think religion is a factor in some violent crimes (not necessarily anyone here, but someone lurking through the news reports and this forum) and this is clearly not the case in this incident. So it doesn't matter if he was Buddhist or not.
Just a small point to make here: He did not buy the assault rife. He bought a shotgun (still a deadly weapon, and your question is still valid in regards to the shotgun) and then used the shotgun to kill somebody who possessed an assault rifle, then stole the dead man's weapon.
Sotthī hontu nirantaraṃ - May you forever be well.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by Jhana4 »

Nobody wants to display their dirty laundry, but I would be curious to know how he got through all of the background checks for his security clearance. The CNN crew found about 9 major pieces of fail that should have stopped him from having one and they found it in a day.
In reading the scriptures, there are two kinds of mistakes:
One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by befriend »

lets not make a war on the mentally ill. people who suffer from mental illness are more likely to be the victim of a crime than to be the one acting out a crime. I am schizophrenic, bi polar, ocd, and ptsd, I would rather jump off a cliff than do anything that would break my precepts.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by Jhana4 »

Who is declaring war on the mentally ill?
In reading the scriptures, there are two kinds of mistakes:
One mistake is to cling to the literal text and miss the inner principles.
The second mistake is to recognize the principles but not apply them to your own mind, so that you waste time and just make them into causes of entanglement.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by SarathW »

Hi Befriend
I just start to wonder whether all human suffer from some form of mental illness!
:tantrum:
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by Spiny Norman »

Digity wrote: This is more a story about mental health and the lax attitude Americans have towards guns.
:goodpost:
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by Still Searching »

I never would have thought a Buddhist would commit such a sin. I have known some Buddhists to have struggled with their spirituality and end up drinking, smoking, gambling or flirting with people but to harm another living creature is beyond humane.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by appicchato »

A 'Buddhist' would not have done what this guy did...end of... :candle:
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by daverupa »

appicchato wrote:A 'Buddhist' would not have done what this guy did...end of... :candle:
'No true scotsman' fallacy.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
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mirco
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by mirco »

Dear Sarah,
SarathW wrote:I just start to wonder whether all human suffer from some form of mental illness!
More or less we all do.

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Last edited by mirco on Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Shooter at DC shipyard was Buddhist

Post by mirco »

Still Searching wrote:I never would have thought a Buddhist would commit such a sin.
There are no sins in Buddhism. Only Dependent Origination.

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