On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine initiating a major escalation in the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War that began in 2014. This aggression shocked the entire world. The Ukrainian leadership took immediate action to protect and defend its own country and has since gained global empathy and solid assistance from European and North American allies. This war has disrupted the entire world and has not yet been resolved. In this thesis, I will tell three classic stories from the Buddhist scriptures and use them to unfold four major points of discussion. The first story records that King Longevity chose to give up the throne to the invaders in order to avoid the suffering of the people from the war. The second story describes a time when King Viḍūḍabha of Kosala sent his army to Kapilavastu and extirpated the Sakyans. The other is regarding the Maghada-Viiji war during which King Ajātasattu from the Magadha Kingdom intended to conquer his neighboring Vajjika League. Therefore he sent his royal minister Vassakāra to consult with the Buddha, who gave an oral discourse on the Seven Conditions of Welfare (Satta Aparihāniyā Dhammā), which would ensure the prosperity of a country. Ergo, the author raises the following three questions, and hopes to find a complete answer in the Buddhist scriptures: 1. Is it possible to prevent warfare before its commencement? 2. In the face of an unavoidable war, which attitude is considered closer to the Buddhist approach: fighting bravely or surrendering? 3. War has existed throughout human history. Can the Buddha’s teachings on standing up for peace in the face of warfare (he himself has served as a living example by using his physical presence and potentially sacrificing himself to stop an aggressive army) be adapted to a contemporary context?
