Sitting & Metta for the Children

[Jundo]

At this time of year of (hoped for) Peace and Giving, I would like to remind folks too of the children and families of Homs and other places like it in Syria and around the world ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/war-and-hunger/

(it is the first story here) ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU8o8Ptzbe0

The United Nations World Food Program, highlighted in this story, functions largely on private donations ...

http://www.wfp.org/

https://give.wfp.org/en/?step=country

Gassho, J

SatToday

[RichardH]

How hard not letting the sight of horror induce hard words or thoughts in us...

How can one bear this kind of violence against the innocent with no desire for justice?

Honestly, I don't know if I can send metta to those hands soaked in the blood of innocent kids.

I'll try but don't know if I will be sincere wishing well for those mercyless killers.




Gassho,
Walter

#SatToday

Hi Walter. Metta practice has no bearing on the need and desire for justice. We are always responsible for our actions and have to hold each other to account. Metta is looking into greed, anger and ignorance... delusion. There are accountable people, yet within each person there are these beginningless energies in play. A mind locked into fixed view and absolutism is burning and deluded for example. There is suffering all around, connected and co-arising.

Just a view from here.

Gassho Daizan

Sat today

[Jundo]

Let me add that, even though Buddhists tend to say there are no "bad people," only "bad actions", and that even the harmdoer is a "victim" of greed, anger and ignorance, most Buddhist Teachers of all schools will allow that there is still reason to stop or punish criminally the wrongdoer via prison or the like, or even to use violent force ... even (although not all Buddhists agree on this) to use deadly force ... to prevent future violence by the person. Most (not all, and there are some prominent absolute no holds barred pacifists) would say that this is in keeping with the Precept to Preserve Life because the deadly force is being used to preserve the lives of even more innocent victims.

There is a famous old tale of even the Buddha, in a prior incarnation, committing murder for just such reason. The important point is that he was willing to take upon himself the Karmic effects which would result in order to save the lives of many, and in order to spare the murderous pirate from his own bad Karma.

(In a previous life, the Buddha was Captain Compassionate Heart, sailing with 500 merchants. An evil pirate, Dung Thungchen (Blackspear) appeared, threatening to kill them all. )The captain, a bodhisattva himself, saw the [pirate]'s murderous intention and realized this crime would result in eons of torment for the murderer. In his compassion, the captain was willing to take hellish torment upon himself by killing the man to prevent karmic suffering that would be infinity greater than the suffering of the murdered victims. The captain's compassion was impartial; his motivation was utterly selfless.
http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...l=1#post107879

I am not sure about the effect of our Karma in lives to come ... but I do know that we likely will bear the effects of our actions in this life in some way. I have a friend, an ex-policeman, who had to kill someone in a perfectly necessary and justified act to save lives. Yet, my friend still carries that with him to this day.

No, taking lives is never a "good" thing. Sometimes it is necessary.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Myosha]

Hello,

"You can do anything in this world if you are prepared to take the consequences." – W. Somerset Maugham

Thanks to all for the lesson.


Gassho,
Myosha sat today

[Jundo]

Let me add that, even though Buddhists tend to say there are no "bad people," only "bad actions", and that even the harmdoer is a "victim" of greed, anger and ignorance, most Buddhist Teachers of all schools will allow that there is still reason to stop or punish criminally the wrongdoer via prison or the like, or even to use violent force ... even (although not all Buddhists agree on this) to use deadly force ... to prevent future violence by the person. Most (not all, and there are some prominent absolute no holds barred pacifists) would say that this is in keeping with the Precept to Preserve Life because the deadly force is being used to preserve the lives of even more innocent victims.

This happens to connect with our latest Precept reflection for this week ... To Refrain from Anger ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?13022-PRECEPTS-XI-To-Refrain-from-Being-Angry

Gassho, J

SatToday!

[Heisoku]

_/\_ _/\_ _/\_


Gassho Heisoku.

[Ansan]

Much metta to all. We do not own a TV and consequently miss a lot of the news. This is very painful. And it goes on, with the slaying of New York policemen in response to the recent shootings. So much suffering.

Gassho,
Ka

#SatToday

[Kyonin]

Honestly, I don't know if I can send metta to those hands soaked in the blood of innocent kids.

I'll try but don't know if I will be sincere wishing well for those mercyless killers.
y

Do it with a smile. Imagine how the world would be if only they understood gratitude and compassion.

We living beings suffer and need guidance. Metta for all.

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Joyo]

There was a terrible act, committed against a child about 8 hours from where I live. The person is being charged and last I heard the child is still in the hospital. Could we send metta to this little girl and sit for her? One of the biggest parts of this practice (for me) is accepting that we just cannot help all beings, no matter how hard we try.

sending love and metta to all children

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

p.s.--and yes, I suppose we should be chanting metta for the person that committed the abuse as well, but like others have said, that is such a hard thing to do

[Mp]

There was a terrible act, committed against a child about 8 hours from where I live. The person is being charged and last I heard the child is still in the hospital. Could we send metta to this little girl and sit for her? One of the biggest parts of this practice (for me) is accepting that we just cannot help all beings, no matter how hard we try.

sending love and metta to all children

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

p.s.--and yes, I suppose we should be chanting metta for the person that committed the abuse as well, but like others have said, that is such a hard thing to do

Sending much metta Joyo ... it is hard to see children hurt or mistreated. Will dedicate my sit tonight to all children facing such terrible acts.

Gassho
Shingen

~ Sat today

[Meishin]

Aren't all persons, victims or perpetrators, equally deserving of compassion? Metta for all.

gassho
john
sat today

[Mp]

Aren't all persons, victims or perpetrators, equally deserving of compassion? Metta to all.

gassho
john
sat today

Yes, this is true John and every time we give metta it is not solely for one, but for all.

That being said children and animals are more vulnerable to such violence and trauma as they do not yet have the same skills to defend or protect themselves. It is important help support and help all sentient beings, but some do require that extra hand of support.

Gassho
Shingen

~ sat today

[Byokan]

Hi All,


I will send metta and sit for this poor little girl.


About sending metta to the perpetrators: I don’t hesitate to do this, and it doesn’t feel unnatural to me. I do feel terrible anger and disgust and frustration when faced with this kind of act. And I do long for and demand justice. But compassion arises from putting oneself in the shoes of another, empathizing with their trouble and their sorrow and struggles. I think to myself -- how can people do these things? I can’t ever imagine myself doing something so horrible and obviously wrong!


But then I do imagine it. What would it take for me, as I am today, to get to a position where I would commit such an act? What would it take to convince me to strap on explosives and walk into a crowded place and think it was the only sane thing to do in my circumstances, and worth the horrible cost? How hurt and warped and damaged would I have to be, to feel driven to abuse a child? What would it take for me to commit genocide, rape, murder, torture, etc, all the horrible things that people do to each other??


I’m not making excuses for heinous acts like these. But I don’t indulge in the luxury of thinking these people are different from me. There is no separation, no essential difference between myself and the perpetrators. If you say that some people are just evil, isn’t that making an excuse? If they are just bad or crazy, they’re really not responsible, are they? If you’re going to hold them to the same ethical and moral constraints that you hold yourself and society to, you can’t place them in a category of being different than you are. People do what they do for a complicated chain of reasons. There, but for the grace of god, nature, nurturance, chance, whatever you believe shapes people in this world... there but for that grace go I.


How can I not feel compassion for someone whose life and worldview is so messed up that they choose to do these awful things? How can I not feel compassion when I think what it must be like to know you did something like this and live with it? How can I not have compassion for wrong choices made and stupid unquestioned beliefs and greed and rage and ignorance and human failings and frailty? How can I not have compassion, knowing that every one of these people who did these things was once a baby in it's mothers arms, with all the potential for happiness and good that we each have? How can I not have compassion?

And if I have no compassion, if what my heart offers in return is only more rage and vengeance and violence, am I not contributing further to the suffering in the world?


This is how I offer metta to the perpetrators. It takes nothing away from the metta I offer to the victims and in no way excuses anything. There’s not a finite amount of compassion that needs to be doled out carefully, only to the "deserving". So much suffering in this world. Metta for all.

Gassho
Lisa
sat today

[Joyo]

Hello Lisa, thank you for this. It was very helpful.

Gassho,
Joyo
just sat

[Daiyo]

Thank you Lisa.

As always, you've put it perfectly clear.
However I must be honest and admit I still can not "feel" that lack of separation, although I can understand it.

Perhaps I must sit a lot more and give myself a lot more of compassion before being able to give it to others without conditions.
I'm working on it, only the results take a lot of time to show up and stay.

Gassho,
Walter

#SatToday