initely loving heart of all
things, and that, therefore, in order to bring into harmony that which is
discordant it is necessary to fight and to kill men.[2]

[2] In the article it is said: "This triple world is my own possession.
All the things therein are my own children ... the ten thousand
things in this world are no more than the reflections of my own
self. They come from the one source. They partake of the one body.
Therefore I cannot rest, until every being, even the smallest
possible fragment of existence, is settled down to its proper
appointment.... This is the position taken by the Buddha, and we,
his humble followers, are but to walk in his wake. Why, then, do we
fight at all? Because we do not find this world as it ought to be.
Because there are here so many perverted creatures, so many wayward
thoughts, so many ill-directed hearts, due to ignorant
subjectivity. For this reason Buddhists are never tired of
combating all productions of ignorance, and their fight must be to
the bitter end. They will show no quarter. They will mercilessly
destroy the very root from which arises the misery of this life. To
accomplish this end, they will never be afraid of sacrificing their
lives...." There follow, just as is usual with us, entangled
arguments about self-sacrifice and kindness, about the
transmigration of souls and about much else--all this for the sole
purpose of concealing the simple and clear commandment of Buddha:
not to kill. Further it is said: "The hand that is raised to strike
and the eye that is fixed to take aim do not belong to the
individual, but are the instruments utilized by a principle higher
than transient existence." ("The Open Court," May, 1904. "Buddhist
Views of War," by the Right Rev. Soyen-Shaku.)

It is as if there never had existed the Christian and Buddhistic teaching
about the unity of the human spirit, the brotherhood of men, love,
compassion, the sacredness of human life. Men, both Japanese and
Russians, already enlightened by the truth, yet like wild animals, nay,
worse than wild animals, throw themselves upon each other with the sole
desire to destroy as many lives as possible. Thousands of unfortunates
groan and writhe in cruel sufferings and die in agony in Japanese and
Russian field hospitals, asking themselves in bewilderment why this