Tragedy in Connecticutt

A crazed person armed with 3 assault weapons today killed 20 small children in a grade school in Connecticut along with 6 of their teachers and his mother who was a kindergarten teacher at the school.

An obvious response is to once again reproach our leaders in America for giving in to political winds and permitting the sale of such weapons anywhere in this country. In a way, this response is comforting because it affords us someone or some thing or some political shortcoming to blame for the tragedy.

But to me, the most disturbing and perhaps most authentic response is the realization that I cannot comprehend any reason or rationale or spiritual justification or God or anything else that can explain or make sense of such a horrifying act or that could bring comfort to the parents of the dead children.

Carol , i agree , love Nicky .

Your words bring comfort Carol

It's all so shocking.

Yesterday, I went to see Aida. My friends and I bought tickets a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't a live performance here, but a matinee performance at the Met in NY City streamed into a local theater.

One would think this is nothing unusual, except the theater was at the Clackamas Town Center, and the Food Court where I was waiting for my friends to arrive is the same food court where last Monday a gunman fired into the crowd killing two people and injuring a third before killing himself.

As I sat and waited, it seemed surreal. What am I doing here? Shouldn't this be treated as hallow ground, at least for a little while? I watched the reactions of the other people, too. Some were obviously nervous about being there, some seemed aloof, some teenagers were looking around to see if there were any signs remaining of the rampage.

My friends who had the tickets were running late. I stayed still. For me that seemed to be the most comforting reaction to this place. But it was brought to the fore how many different reactions people can have to the same situation, and I wondered if we can really be astonished if someone doesn't behave the same way we do? (I see that here on the OBCC, too.)

And now kindergarteners...my heart bleeds.

What a touching post Mokuan.

If I may add despite the fact that we left Shasta Abbey or the OBC we actually never left our hearts, a temple can actually only teach us limited things,maybe how to act in a limited way in limited surroundings.

However our hearts are vast and our meditation unlimited,everyday we face a new life not yesterdays life one can not be taught today,one has to live it how do we see it how do we live it,I believe all life is sacred,all places are hallow ground.

You acted with grace and dignity,in the middle of lifes difficulties I would like to do that

Carol wrote:

An obvious response is to once again reproach our leaders in America for giving in to political winds and permitting the sale of such weapons anywhere in this country. In a way, this response is comforting because it affords us someone or some thing or some political shortcoming to blame for the tragedy.

I've been wanting to say something about this tragedy, but haven't known what for a while....

The issue of the ease with which people can acquire "deadly force" in the US is very serious and the inability of our government to address it in a way which makes it more difficult for mentally unstable individuals to go on shooting rampages is a reflection of a larger societal failure. There are apparently a great many people who believe they need guns not only to protect against criminals but against the government itself. There is serious paranoia at work which facts and rational thinking cannot address. In response to gun violence I sometimes wonder if I too should get a gun. After all I'm getting older and old people are more vulnerable to attack, etc, but I realize that this is the kind of thinking that drives the whole process and if I sign on what then? Until people can find a way to live together with less fear I don't see this changing much.

Carol wrote:

But to me, the most disturbing and perhaps most authentic response is the realization that I cannot comprehend any reason or rationale or spiritual justification or God or anything else that can explain or make sense of such a horrifying act or that could bring comfort to the parents of the dead children.

You're right Carol. There is no explaining it. The notion that some religions put forth that "God" intercedes on behalf of "man" doesn't hold up under these circumstances. It results in people asking questions like "why does God allow things like this to happen?" to which there is no answer because it's a false premise. This school shooting drives home the extent of our vulnerability as physical beings. The Buddha spoke to the matter of suffering honestly. The Four Noble Truths are not comforting in the way we wish them to be. The responsibility lies squarely on us as a species to learn to live together.

Thank you, Isan. That is a helpful teaching. I am about to post another query about a wonderful friend who has been lying in a coma since New Year's day. As you say, the Four Noble Truths aren't comforting. Not a lot of fun there.

As a side note, as a former lay minister and not a monk but "fallen away" from the OBC world, I find it remarkable to hear good sound teaching from all of you former monks. It's good to get the teaching without the authoritarianism, the personality cult, the ritualistic rigmarole. Thanks to all of you on OBCC!

Carol wrote:

Thank you, Isan. That is a helpful teaching. I am about to post another query about a wonderful friend who has been lying in a coma since New Year's day. As you say, the Four Noble Truths aren't comforting. Not a lot of fun there.

Carol, thanks for the feedback and I hope I didn't sound negative. When I said the Four Noble Truths aren't comforting in the way we expect I should have put emphasis on expect. I believe most of us wish there was a God that would intervene to prevent injustice and tragedy. The Four Noble Truths do empower with a viable alternative.