FOR TODAY'S TALK
Dear All,
Today's talk is not an easy one in several ways ...
For one thing, I have had a great deal of difficulty to gather appropriate old, traditional Buddhist writings on today's topic. What is most surprising is that today's topic is war, disease, poverty, disaster and other mass suffering in the world, and one might think that those subjects are right at the heart of the Buddhist teachings on "suffering" and "samsara", so there must be lots of old Suttas, Sutras and other writings right on point. But in actuality, I do not believe there are so many old writings directly dealing with these topics except in very general terms.
I will discuss the reasons that may be so during today's talk.
I will also discuss why my talk today will be very positive and optimistic in tone even as it is sad and broken hearted. It is not merely one or the other.
In the meantime, I will post some links to images here ... ugly images. YOU SHOULD NOT FOLLOW THE LINKS IF YOU ARE A PERSON OF FRAGILE OR VULNERABLE CONSTITUTION WHO MAY BE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO VIEWING IMAGES OF VIOLENCE AND DEATH. It is fine if such folks listen to the talk without following these links. I will post a couple of examples so that all may have a sense, but much more is at the links below.
First, recent Pulitzer Prize winning photos of the Ebola crisis:
James Dorbor, 8, suspected of being infected with Ebola, is carried by medical staff to an Ebola treatment center in Monrovia, September 5, 2014. The boy, who was brought in by his father, lay outside the center for at least six hours before being seen.
A relative grieves as a Liberian Red Cross burial team dresses in protective clothing before removing the body of a suspected Ebola victim in central Monrovia, September 18, 2014. The team had gone to the compound four times in the past four weeks. The family of the dead man, sick for six days with the hemorrhagic fever's telltale symptoms, had taken him twice by taxi to treatment centers, only to be turned back for lack of beds.
More here: PULITZER PRIZE EBOLA PHOTOS 2015
Heart rending images of war ....
Now, my main point today is this:
Buddhism [1] explains why such sorrows exist in the world, and explains in reasonable, cogent, realistic ways (beyond some rather more doubtful and fanciful explanations it also offers), [2] provides a vision which offers peace and compassion amid, and transcendence of, all human suffering, and, simultaneously [3] offers a workable path toward the alleviation of such suffering and ugliness in this world in ways vitally necessary for our species' future.
If Buddhism failed in those three hard tasks, I don't think it would have much value. Fortunately, I believe, it does not fail in those tasks. Thus, I can say that my talk today is as positive and optimistic in tone as it is sad and broken hearted. It is not merely one or the other.
Gassho, J
PS - (If you would like to read a short, interesting scholar's paper on "Perspectives on disease and disability from Buddhist canonical literature" (LINK)
Portion:
[In one Sutta, the Buddha] once came across an old monk who was terribly ill. Suffering from acute dysentery, the monk lay in a pitiable condition ... none of the monks of the monastery helped him as he was not known to help anyone. But the Buddha, along with his foremost disciple, Ananda, cleaned up the ill monk, thereby setting an example of selfless service. He proclaimed that "Whoever would tend to me,should tend to the sick," and decreed that the monks, who have only each other, should practice brotherhood and care.
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Originally Posted by Shingen
), so it will be around in one way or another. 
