"The meek shall inherit the earth - a six-foot plot above them."
And here I always thought the quote was "The meek shall inherit the earth, provided that's okay with everyone else."
Vermont, a lot of the people around me resemble your remark, especially about the massage and aroma therapy candles. And they think I'm the scary one!
"It's okay that that assailant beat me to within an inch of my life, I managed to kiss his fist several times while he was punching me."
Several of my wife's patients (she's an acupuncturist) have found out that she is getting her concealed weapons permit and they are horrified. They believe all of the left wing crap about no guns equals a safe society. I guess none of them have friends in places like Australia. It doesn't matter to them that some bast, sorry, I mean some poor unfortunate homeless person who should be taken in and sheltered, tried to get into her car at a traffic light about five blocks from our house last week. One of them was actually upset that she ran over the guy's foot. (My wife keeps her doors locked and I've taught her that she is driving a four thousand pound weapon in such a situation.) The short version to the end of that story is the guy hobbled away, and my wife drove away. However, if there had been more than one, and they had had something that could actually have been used to break the glass of the door, she would have still been better off with a pistol than with a prayer.
Now, guess what, she also prayed for her assailant. She prayed that he got medical attention, and that he gets the mental help he probably needs. She also prays that he doesn't pull this crap on her again so that she won't have to hurt him again, or kill him next time. The thought of turning her own defense, or the defense of our son, who was in the car with her, over to the police and hoping that it will all work out fine never popped into either her prayers or her continuing to be prepared for the future.
She's a good Buddhist, and believes what the Dali Lama says about such situations. He, considered one of the most peaceful men in the world, says (paraphrased not a direct quote) that is is perfectly fine to defend yourself in such a situation. That way you not only defend your own life, you prevent the assailant from acquiring all of the negative Karma he would acquire if you allow him to continue to victimize others.
As for prayers in such a situation,
I always think about the one I heard on that John Wayne movie "The Cowboys".
"Lord, forgive me for the men I have killed in the past, and the men I am about to kill."
