"gregkavarnos"
Your use of the is completely out of context. The teaching is not one about "just" war, but about (as the chapter title says):
Conditions of a Nation's Welfare
no its not completely out of context,you sir just skipped the entire first of the chapter,the context is that King of Magadha desires to go to war with Vijjians who are buddhists and are protectors of the Arahants/Dharma,and the king is sending someone to ask the Buddha what he thinks about the coming battle.and again as the context will show the Buddha says these Vijjians will not be defeated in battle.
*now again how are the Buddhist Vijjian soldiers who protect the Arahants going to win a battle if they are not permitted to fight?
how can the Buddha predict victory for the Buddhist Vijjian soldiers if as Buddhists they are not supposed to fight?
you are making the claims that the dharma says Buddhists soldiers are not supposed to fight,if this was true then the Buddha would of told the King of magadha that the Buddhist Vijjian soldiers who uphold the Dharma and are the "protectors" of the Arahants would easily be beaten in battle cause they would not fight back.
instead he lets him know that these PROTECTORS of the arahants will not be defated in battle.
this is the actual context
Part One: In Magadha
1. Thus have I heard. Once the Blessed One [1] dwelt at Rajagaha, on the hill called Vultures' Peak.
At that time the king of Magadha, Ajatasattu, son of the Videhi queen, [2] desired to wage war against the Vajjis. He spoke in this fashion: "These Vajjis, powerful and glorious as they are, I shall annihilate them, I shall make them perish, I shall utterly destroy them."
2. And Ajatasattu, the king of Magadha, addressed his chief minister, the brahman Vassakara, saying: "Come, brahman, go to the Blessed One, pay homage in my name at his feet, wish him good health, strength, ease, vigour, and comfort, and speak thus: 'O Lord, Ajatasattu, the king of Magadha, desires to wage war against the Vajjis. He has spoken in this fashion: "These Vajjis, powerful and glorious as they are, I shall annihilate them, I shall make them perish, I shall utterly destroy them."' And whatever the Blessed One should answer you, keep it well in mind and inform me; for Tathagatas [3] do not speak falsely."
3. "Very well, sire," said the brahman Vassakara in assent to Ajatasattu, king of Magadha. And he ordered a large number of magnificent carriages to be made ready, mounted one himself, and accompanied by the rest, drove out to Rajagaha towards Vultures' Peak. He went by carriage as far as the carriage could go, then dismounting, he approached the Blessed One on foot. After exchanging courteous greetings with the Blessed One, together with many pleasant words, he sat down at one side and addressed the Blessed One thus: "Venerable Gotama, Ajatasattu, the king of Magadha, pays homage at the feet of the Venerable Gotama and wishes him good health, strength, ease, vigour, and comfort. He desires to wage war against the Vajjis, and he has spoken in this fashion: 'These Vajjis, powerful and glorious as they are, I shall annihilate them, I shall make them perish, I shall utterly destroy them.'"
"What have you heard, Ananda: do the Vajjis duly protect and guard the arahats, so that those who have not come to the realm yet might do so, and those who have already come might live there in peace?"
"I have heard, Lord, that they do."
Thereupon the brahman Vassakara spoke thus to the Blessed One: "If the Vajjis, Venerable Gotama, were endowed with only one or another of these conditions leading to welfare, their growth would have to be expected, not their decline. What then of all the seven? No harm, indeed, can be done to the Vajjis in battle by Magadha's king, Ajatasattu, except through treachery or discord. Well, then, Venerable Gotama, we will take our leave, for we have much to perform, much work to do."
"Son of Buddha"hence why the mercenary translation of Bhikkhi Bodhi makes more sense...
gregkavarnos"
For you it does, so that you can justify the glorification of killing.
No it makes sense cause if the Buddhist soldiers who PROTECT and GAURD the Arahants were not supposed to fight,then the Buddha would of told the invading king that they would win the battle cause buddhists soldier dont exist and wont fight back,instead he tells him the Buddhist soldiers will win the battle.
also HOW can the Vijjian soldiers not only win the battle but HOW can they protect and gaurd the Arahants if they are not permitted to fight?(is your idea of protecting and gaurding someone to just sit there and watch them be killed and do nothing about it?your idea of "protecting" doesnt fit the actual context of this sutta whatsoever.
"Son of Buddha"
well no the Buddha makes it clear in the 18th vow of the Infinite life sutra that if you have faith in him for even ten moments of thought you will be reborn into the Pureland.
"gregkavarnos" Yes, well...
let's not forget bohicitta. And does the 18th vow specify if you will be reborn in his presence directly or not?
Yes the sutra specifies it,also a person shouldnt be vain in thinking of himself to have a higher position in the Pureland,going to the Pureland is all that matters(your "position" is trivial once you get there)
"gregkavarnos"Mahayana Mahaparinirvana sutra I've been meaning to tell you this for some time now, and maybe now is the correct moment: it is no use quoting the Mahaparinirvana Sutra at me because I consider it a bad rewrite of the Mahaparinibbana Sutta by a variety of essentialists and other misfits trying to justify their completely mistaken beliefs by ascribing them to the Buddha. I do not consider it Buddhavacana because it clearly contradicts the vast majority of the corpus of Sutta, Sutra, Tantra and Shastra.
oh well thats your very tiny minority view as for the rest of us Mahayanists the Nirvana sutra is considered definite teachings and is usually listed in the top 3 main sutras of most Mahayana Schools.
also I dont qoute the Nirvana Sutra for you,I qoute it for the hundred of other Mahayanists who will read this page
P.S you are incorrect most tantras are actually of the Tathagatagarbha True Self Class which is why Ven.Dolpopa qouted heavily from them,if you dislike the Nirvana Sutra then you will HATE most tantras that even go father than the nirvana sutra on topics you seem to dislike.