Buddhism

All hagiography of the Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, presents him as being born a Kshatriya, a warrior-noble. Although the times of his birth and death are uncertain, most historians date his lifetime to the 4th or 5th century bce. The stories say he left lay life at age 30, implying he had trained as a warrior. Indeed, some stories present him as a skillful warrior, winning his wife by displaying his prowess in archery and swordsmanship, though causing no harm. The popular story of the Buddha’s enlightenment is recounted as a final battle between the Buddha and the army of Mara (death). More typically, the teachings of the Buddha in the scriptures (in the Pali language, the Tipitaka) show the Buddha denouncing violence ...