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Thread: Talk: Offering Metta and Forgiveness to Violent People & Unspeakable Acts

  1. #1

    Talk: Offering Metta and Forgiveness to Violent People & Unspeakable Acts

    For those still struggling with finding Wisdom, Compassion, Loving Kindness and Forgiveness in the face of horrible acts, I offered a talk from my heart at our Zazenkai this week.

    It touches not only on violence in the news such as the tragic and seemingly senseless slaughter in Las Vegas this week, but also personal stories from friends over the years seeking to reestablish relationships with once abusive parents, to reflect on their own violent actions in the past, or to find forgiveness of criminals who hurt loved ones. I also retell the famous story of Buddha and his forgiveness of the killer and bandit Angulimala, who became a monk and eventually an Arhat.

    I do not believe that it is so simple as just a matter of forgiveness or not, ignoring the past.

    For those who have suffered violence, perhaps we might say that we honor the past, recognize the very real scars, allow the pain to be the pain, know the true causes in 'greed anger and ignorance' of the human heart ... and then, with all that, do our best to move on.

    But for the doer of violence, it is even less easy. There is a weight that must be carried, should be carried, for past volitional acts. That is so even if one tries to fix a little of the suffering one has caused.

    In any case, it is a subtle topic, not easy. The Mahayana offers many true perspectives on violence and our response.



    (This talk is a continuation of something I posted earlier this week:

    Offering Metta to someone like Stephen Paddock
    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...tephen-Paddock

    An English translation of the full Angulimala Sutta is here:
    http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....086.than.html

    The poem by Thich Nhat Hahn that I quote, Please Call Me By My True Names, is here:
    https://www.brookes.ac.uk/poetry-cen...my-true-names/

    If you prefer audio:

    Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:
    https://treeleaf.podbean.com/e/octob...iolent-people/


    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAY
    Last edited by Jundo; 10-10-2017 at 03:27 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    Thank you, Jundo.

    Gassho
    Meishim
    Sat today / LAH

  3. #3
    Thank you. I needed to hear this, i just needed some time before I could listen and hopefully better undrstand. Anna listened with me and it spoke to her as well.

    Thanks for your teaching.

    Gassho
    Doshin
    St/lah

  4. #4
    Thank you for this teaching.

    Gassho
    Warren
    Sat today

  5. #5


    Gassho
    Washin
    sattoday

  6. #6
    Thank you Jundo. A very important message.


    Eight verses of thought transformation, Dalai Lama
    fourth verse:

    When I see beings of wicked nature
    Overwhelmed by violent negative actions and suffering,
    I shall hold such rare ones dear,
    As if I have found a precious treasure.


    gassho,
    Anne
    ~st~

  7. #7
    Thank you

    Gassho
    Ishin

    Sat Today Lah
    Grateful for your practice

  8. #8
    Member Seishin's Avatar
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    SZIZTM


    Seishin

    Sei - Meticulous
    Shin - Heart

  9. #9
    Thank you for the lesson.
    Gassho
    Sat Today/LAH

    Theophan

  10. #10
    This was a beautiful teaching, it touched my heart and made me cry, thank you Jundo
    Gassho
    Frankie
    satwithyoualltoday/lah

  11. #11
    With so much going on in the world this is as relevant as ever. I'm grateful that I clicked on it today. Thank you Jundo!

    Gassho,
    SatLah
    Kelly

  12. #12
    Thank you for this talk about violence and metta. Timely now, as ever.
    Veronica
    stlah

  13. #13

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