Three Ways to Release Warriors form the Role of Killing

Abstract

According to the Indian Classics in general, the most important function of a king is to protect his people, which in certain situations takes a form of warfare against a foreign army or internal rebels. Some discourses can be found in Buddhist scriptures in and before the 7th century CE that teach or describe ways or strategies for a king or warrior to deal with the diplomatic problem without resorting to warfare including killing. Those ways can be roughly divided into three types: (1) retreat from the role of warrior; (2) resolution without pitched battle; and (3) pitched battle without killing. Each type has subdivisions. The authors of the Buddhist scriptures selected certain strategies from those commonly found in the Indian scriptures on politics such as the Arthaśāstra and reformed them in accordance with the Buddhist precept against killing.