Have we Rights to Convert Anyone to Buddhism ? | Buddha and His Dhamma

Buddha and His Dhamma | Have we Rights to Convert Anyone to Buddhism ?

Conversion Not to be by Force.

• The Blessed One was once going along the high road between Rajagraha and Nalanda with a great company of the brethren,—with about five hundred brethren. And Suppiya the mendicant, too, was going along the high road between Rajagraha and Nalanda with his disciple, the youth Brahmadatta. 
• Now, just then, Suppiya the mendicant was speaking in many ways indispraiseof the Buddha, in dispraise of the Doctrine, in dispraise of the Order. But young Brahmadatta, his pupil, gave utterance, in many ways, to praise of the Buddha, to praise of the Doctrine, to praise of the Order. 
• Thus they two, teacher and pupil, holding opinions in direct contradiction one to the other, were following, step by step, after the Blessed One and the comany of the brethren. 
• Now the Blessed One put up at the royal rest-house in the Ambalatthika pleasance to pass the night, and with him the company of the brethren. And so also did Suppiya the mendicant, and with him his young disciple Brahmadatta. And there, at the rest-house, these two carried on the same discussion as before. 
• And in the early dawn a number of the brethren, assembled, as they rose up, in the pavilion; and the subject of the talk that sprang up among them was the conversation between Suppiya and Bramhadatta.
• Now the Blessed One, on realising what was the drift of their talk, went to the pavilion, and took his seat on the mat spread out for him. And when he had sat down he said: " What is the talk on which you are engaged sitting here, and what is the subject of the conversation between you?" And they told him all. And he said: 
• " Brethren, if outsiders should speak against me or against the Doctrine, or against the Order, you should not on that account either bear malice, or suffer heart-burning, or feel ill-will. 
• " If you, on that account, should be angry and hurt, that would stand in the way of your own self-conquest. If, when others speak against us, you feel angry at that, and displeased, would you then be able to judge how far that speech of their's is well said or ill?" 
• " That would not be so. Sir." 
• " But when outsiders speak in dispraise of me, or of the Doctrine, or of the Order, you should unravel what is false and point it out as wrong, saying: ' For this or that reason this is not the fact, that is not so, such a thing is not found among us, is not in us.' 
• " But also, brethren, outsiders may speak in praise of me, in praise of the Doctrine, in praise of the Order. What are the things when they would say praising me you would say ? 
• "He may say 'Putting away the killing of living things, Gotama the recluse holds aloof from the destruction of life. He has laid the cudgel and the sword aside, and ashamed of roughness, and full of mercy, he dwells compassionate and kind to all creatures that have life.' It is thus that the uncon-verted man, when speaking in praise of the Tathagata, might speak. 
• "Or he might say: ' Putting away the taking of what has not been given, Gotama the recluse lived aloof from grasping what is not his own. He takes only what is given, and expecting that gifts will come. He passes his life in honesty and purity of heart.' 
• "Or he might say: ' Putting away unchastity, Gotama the recluse is chaste. He holds himself aloof, far off, from the vulgar practice, from the sexual act.' 
• "Or he might say: * Putting away lying words, Gotama the recluse holds himself aloof from falsehood. He speaks truth, from the truth he never swerves; faithful and trustworthy, he breaks not his word to the world."
• "Or he might say: 'Putting away slander, Gotama the recluse holds himself aloof from calumny. What he hears here he repeats not elsewhere to raise a quarrel against the people here; what he hears elsewhere he repeats not here to raise a quarrel against the people there. Thus does he live as a binder together of those who are divided, an encourager of those who are friends, a peacemaker, a lover of peace, impassioned for peace, a speaker of words that make for peace.' 
• " Or he might say.: ' Putting away rudeness of speech, Gotama the recluse holds himself aloof from harsh language. Whatsover word is blameless, pleasant to the ear, lovely, reaching to the heart, urbane, pleasing to the people, beloved of the people— such are words he speaks.' 
• "Or he might say : ' Putting away frivolous talk, Gotama the recluse holds himself aloof from vain conversation. In season he speaks, in accordance with the facts, words full of meaning, on religion, on the discipline of the Order. He speaks, and at the right time, words worthy to be laid up in one's heart, fitly illustrated, clearly divided, to the point.' 
• "Or he might say: 'Gotama the recluse holds himself aloof from causing injury to seeds or plants. ' He takes but one meal a day, no eating at night, refraining from food after hours (after midday). ' He refrains from being a spectator at shows, at fairs, with nautch dances, singing, and music. ' He abstains from wearing, adorning or ornamenting himself, with garlands, scents, and unguents. ' He abstains from the use of large and lofty beds. ' ' He abstains from accepting silver or gold. ' ' He abstains from accepting uncooked grain. ' ' He abstains from accepting women or girls. ' ' He abstains from accepting bond-men or bondwomen. ' He abstains from accepting sheep or goats. '
  ' He abstains from accepting fowls or swine.
  ' He abstains from accepting elephants, cattle, horses and mares. ' ' He abstains from accepting cultivated fields or waste. ' ' He abstains from acting as a go-between or messenger. ' ' He abstains from buying and selling. ' He abstains from cheating with scales or bronzes or measures. ' He abstains from the crooked ways of bribery, cheating and fraud. ' ' He abstains from maiming, murder, putting in bonds, highway robbery, dacoity and violence.' 
• " Such are the things, brethren, which an unconverted man, when speaking in praise of the Tathagata, might say. But you should not even on that account, be filled with pleasure or gladness, or be lifted up in heart. Were you to be so, that also would stand in the way of your self-conquest. When outsiders speak in praise of me, or of the Doctrine, or of the Order, you should acknowledge what is right to be the fact, saying: ' For this or that reason this is the fact, that is so, such a thing is found among us, is in us.' "

Buddhist deeksha-Bhoomi