The Buddha as warrior

It might seem strange to think of the Buddha as a “warrior” when he is rightly seen as above all a figure of peace. Lieutenant (jg) Jeanette Shin, the US military’s first Buddhist chaplain, looks at the Buddha’s martial background.

The Buddha never advocated the killing or destruction of “infidels” of any religion or doctrine, and always recommended the path of nonviolence.

However, Shakyamuni’s life and teachings reveal a person raised to be a heroic warrior invested in honor. While he renounced the life planned for him by his parents, as a secular warrior-king, he used the language of warriors to convey the Dharma, so he could stress that following the path of Dharma required similar virtues possessed by warriors.

http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/the-buddha-as-warrior

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I seem to recall this in my teachings, and.. when The Dalai Lama spoke about Bin Ladin, what he said made perfect sense to me.

What did he say about Osama bin Laden?

Interesting.

is Chogyam Trungpa's "Shambala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior."

If you have not read it, I highly reccomend it.

Great reading to start the day with.