Alas, while I am sympathetic to the notion of Buddhist peacefulness, the suggestion that Buddhist countries are peaceful and tolerant is a bit problematic. Sri Lanka has not been renowned for peace in recent years. Nor has Japan been that peaceful historically. A study of Tibetan history would show plenty of blood. China is not *that* peaceful a country. Cambodian and Thai history have their black moments. That is just the way people seem to be, I’m afraid, and we should be wary of a rather romantic image of Buddhist history.
Paul Williams
