Free Republic

Jeannine Parvati Baker talks about New Age yogis and abortion: “Allow me first to first turn my attention to the yoga community wherein it is all too common for women yogis (yoginis) to abort their babies … I have watched many of my yogini sisters procure abortions knowing that it was breaking the primary vow of ahimsa (harmlessness) that yogis make. They justified their actions with the confused philosophy of reincarnation and “free will.” In other words, they said that the soul knew “on some level’” what it was getting by choosing incarnation into a woman who did not want...

The Dalai Lama has sent a message of support for Armed Forces Day, which is next Saturday. In it, he writes of his admiration for the military. That is perhaps not so surprising. As he explains, there are many parallels between being a monk and being a soldier – the need for discipline, companionship, and inner strength. But his support will take some of his western admirers by surprise, not least when it comes to his thoughts on non-violence. Attitudes towards violence in Buddhism are enormously complex. There are some traditions that argue aggression, and killing in particular, is always...