User:Zenwhat/Self-defense
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There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within.
— -Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace, Chapter 51
In Buddhism, there is the doctrine of ahimsa, as in Jainism. Ahimsa is the doctrine of strict adherence to non-violence. It was originally a Jain teaching, but it became particularly influential and is now a fundamental part of both Buddhism and Hinduism as well. What separates ahimsa in Buddhism from Jainism is that Buddhists recognize that people have a right to defend themselves. If one lets another harm you, what good is that? It is just as bad as you harming them. And if another is being harmed, how can you, in good conscience, stand by and not help them?
On Wikipedia, "violence," can be understood as:
- Reverting others' edits
- Removing information others placed there
- Nominating articles for deletion
- Putting forth RFCs on users
- Issuing arbitration cases
- Requesting or carrying out user blocks and bans
Just as with violence in the real world, these things are neither good or bad. They are tools and the extent at which they are good or evil depends on how they are used.
One should only use violence in self-defense, never for the sake of aggression.
In accordance with this teaching, one should:
- Revert edits to defend the wiki.
- Remove information to defend the wiki.
- Nominate articles for deletion to defend the wiki.
- Put forth RFCs on users to defend the wiki.
- Issue arbitration cases to defend the wiki.
- Block and\or ban users to defend the wiki.
In accordance with this teaching, one should not:
- Revert edits out of anger or ego, carelessly or for personal reasons.
- Remove information out of anger or ego, carelessly or for personal reasons.
- Nominate articles for deletion out of anger or ego, carelessly or for personal reasons.
- Put forth RFCs on users out of anger or ego, carelessly or for personal reasons.
- Issue arbitration cases out of anger or ego, carelessly or for personal reasons.
- Block and\or ban users out of anger or ego, carelessly or for personal reasons.