By Andrew L. Jaffee

116. Hasten to do good; restrain your mind from evil. He who is slow in doing good, his mind delights in evil.

117. Should a person commit evil, let him not do it again and again. Let him not find pleasure therein, for painful is the accumulation of evil.

118. Should a person do good, let him do it again and again. Let him find pleasure therein, for blissful is the accumulation of good. …

- The Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom

Such is typical of Buddha’s teachings. Do no harm. Do not hate. Be at peace. But Buddha’s message of peace stirs evil violence in Muslim extremists. Think about this carefully when considering the actions of the Islamists: they lash out violently against… peace:

Suspected pro-Taleban militants have tried to blow up an ancient carving of Buddha in north-west Pakistan. …

The area has seen a rise in attacks on “un-Islamic” targets in recent months.

This is the first such attack in Pakistan and is reminiscent of the Taleban’s 2001 destruction of the giant Buddhas at Bamiyan in Afghanistan. …

Last week, militants blew up about 60 music, video and cosmetics stalls at a market in the valley after stall owners ignored warnings to close businesses deemed un-Islamic.

The world watched in shock in March 2001 as Afghanistan’s then rulers destroyed the 6th-Century Bamiyan Buddhas. The Taleban said they were offensive to Islam.

It is hard to believe that anyone would find Buddha, the Prince of Peace, “offensive.”

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Related: Islam, War Against Islamo-fascism, Pakistan, Racism

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