On the question of killing
When faced with the most extreme of human conditions, what is the right ethical path to choose? This is a conversation topic that many religious leaders understandably look to avoid, as one is left with few good answers left to choose from. And yet it is a query that Bhikkhu Bodhi willingly took on, in a podcast discussion aired last year. In that talk, he acknowledged the extreme moral difficulties that many are now facing in Myanmar, where a cruel choice is laid out between not violating the Buddhist precepts on one hand, and on the other, being defenseless before an inevitable violence that an evil oppressor is perpetuating. How does one begin to respond to such a terrible set of circumstances? In the following excerpt, Bhikkhu Bodhi provides some consideration.
“In the fulfillment of one’s responsibilities, such action might become unavoidable.”
“Since I'm a monk, I don't want to make any statement that might be interpreted as advocating or justifying the killing of another human being. But I would say that I certainly understand the difficult moral choice that a person, that the people, in the situation described have to deal with. Under those circumstances, they have to make the choice, whether they're going to passively endure the suffering, even to death, the killing inflicted upon them, the rape of their daughters or wives, or stand up, courageously recognizing that in taking action, they are going against Buddhist precepts.
But seeing that the circumstances necessitate actions undertaken out of compassion for their loved ones, in a sense of responsibility for their loved ones.
Maybe this is the solution to the problem, that when one enters into a particular relationship, say, a relationship of marriage, or when one bears children, one has a responsibility towards one's spouse, towards one’s children, to protect their lives. And if one also if one is a member of a small community, like a village, one also has a responsibility to protect the lives of the members of that village, or that community, from attack by aggressive outside forces. And so in this case, I would say even though it's regrettable to take forceful, violent action, even action that might entail the destruction of the lives of others, I say that, in the fulfillment of one's responsibilities, such action might become unavoidable.”