The last few days have been filled with pain and violence:
the shootings at Brown University, the attack in Australia on people celebrating Hanukkah, the murder of our soldiers in Syria, the murder of Rob Rhiner, and the ongoing deaths and injuries from gun violence across the United States including 13,956 deaths and 31,803 injuries this year.
When I see face suffering, I turn to the my vows not as a way to escape the world, but as a way to stay present with it and with those who are suffering.
From the Three Refuges I remember:
- I take refuge in the Buddha – in the possibility of awakening of all beings, including those caught in hatred and fear.
- I take refuge in the Dharma – in teachings that show another way besides violence and revenge.
- I take refuge in the Sangha – in community, knowing we can hold grief together and act together.
From the Three Pure Precepts, I remember:
- I vow to abstain from the unwholesome – from words and actions that add more fear, hatred, or division.
- I vow to do the wholesome – to comfort the wounded, listen deeply, and stand with those who are targeted.
- I vow to benefit all beings – including victims, families, first responders, and even those who cause harm, recognizing that all are caught in webs of causes and conditions.
From the Ten Great Precepts, I remember especially:
- I vow to abstain from the willful taking of life.
- I vow to abstain from indulging in harmful intoxicants, including the intoxication of rage and “us versus them” thinking.
- I vow to abstain from speaking ill of others and from telling lies, knowing that careless words can fuel the climate in which violence grows.
- I vow to abstain from harboring hatred, malice, or ill will, even as I work to prevent harm.
Holding these vows, I mourn every life lost and every body and spirit wounded by violence and hate. I refuse to let these deaths become numbers or headlines that quickly fade. Each person is a whole world.
May we use our grief as a vow:
- to look honestly at the conditions that allow such violence to flourish,
- to support wise and compassionate policies that protect life,
- and to cultivate in our own hearts the peace we wish to see in our communities.
May those who have died be at peace.
May those who are wounded find healing.
May those who mourn be held in love.
May we who remain renew our commitment: not to turn away, and not to add to the violence in thought, word, or deed.
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