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Rev. William Masuda
Many of us were greatly affected by the recent earthquake and the tsunami devastation in Japan. This disaster was also followed by the mid-west and south flooding and tornadoes which also claimed many lives. Natural calamities and disasters force us to confront unpredictable forces of nature and the great disruptions they cause in our lives. Yet, in the midst of these natural disasters, we often quietly and heroically rebuild our lives with compassion, deep caring, unsolicited help and support to return to our daily lives. They manifest the inner cored of our lives which strive for stability, community, and personal meaning.
Healing the world expresses in our patient response and support in times of natural disasters, the virtue of our humanity beyond our self-centered interests and mirror the wisdom and compassion of the enlightened ones. In the Buddhist life, healing the world begins with a self-awakening of not only our individual humanity, but of our deep inter-connectedness with the humanity of other beings, our fellow brothers and sisters. This awakening makes us truly realize that, at the core of our lives, we share this planet equally with all beings. The blind emotional chasms and fissures in our relationships are acts of self-made violence that obstruct our shared inhabitance of this planet.
Our mutual acts of compassion, kindness, and support in times of natural tragedies are dharma lessons of our capacity to engage in enlightened acts of healing the world of human pains and sufferings we all share. "Your suffering is my suffering; your happiness is my happiness. So said the Buddha. And he does not forget this truth for a single moment." Let us remember this heart of Buddha as we open our heart and mind to the never-ending process of healing the world with enlightened compassion and wisdom.
- Gassho in Namu-amida-butsu.