Practice Compassion to Disintegrate Violence • Dispel Rumor to Stabilize the Society

          The earthquake in Taiwan on September 21st 1999 that claimed several thousand lives was a natural calamity while the suicidal terrorist attack at the World Trade Center towers was a human-inflicted disaster. Whether we witnessed or just heard about these tragic news reports, our minds can become quite perplexed. Many are unable to comprehend how so many invaluable lives could vanish into thin air in a brief moment. What are the reasons for all these?

          I will explain these phenomena from several perspectives. First, we must clearly recognize that this world is impermanent. Things that are impermanent, of course, cannot remain forever. All things will eventually have a day of deterioration - flowers will wither, human will die, and even time itself is a kind of impermanence. Impermanence, however, is not necessary undesirable. Because of impermanence, a collapsed house can be rebuilt; a dead person can be reborn; a dull person can turn into an intelligent mastermind if study with firm resolve; and a poor person can become wealthy if work diligently. Similarly, the instantaneous crumbling of the World Trade Center towers was also a demonstration of impermanence in this world. This leads us to think about another even more frightening manifestation of impermanence - life and death. Life is an impermanent series of acquisition and extinction. All mundane phenomena are well captured by the Chinese proverb: "New generations of people replace the old generations much the same way as water waves in the Yangtze River are pushing one after the other." How is it possible to have a person that will never die? The body is just like a dress and we changed a new one when the old one has became tattered. When we have clearly understood this, we will be able to take death calmly as if we are returning to our home. If you can consider death as moving a home, then you will not be afraid of death as well as impermanence.

          Second, everything in this world has no static form. They all undergo constant changes. The teaching of Buddha tells us to recognize that our world is impermanent and therefore, we should be well prepared for impermanence. Although Buddha stature may have fallen down and houses may have collapsed, our confidence and spiritual conviction remain unchanged.

          Since the water of life flows steadily, even if the physical body has decayed, the true essence of life remains forever. Where will it flow to next? It may flow to the heavenly realm, the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha, or the human realm; or it may flow to the three lower realms of hell, hungry ghost, and animal. The destination is dependent on the kinds of karma that we have amassed throughout countless lives. Therefore, we must be virtuous and always practice good deeds to accumulate merits and virtues. The Sutra of Cause and Effect in Three Existences of Past, Present, and Future says, "If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present."

          Karma is a topic that mentioned frequently in Buddhism. Our karma is generated by acts of our speech, behavior, and thoughts. Our lives are a continuum of past, present, and future lives. The four stages in the cycle of life: birth, aging, sickness, and death are similar to the hands on the face of a clock that go ceaselessly round and round. Whether we live a good or bad life depend on the intricate interactions between causes, effects, and supporting conditions. For example, even if seeds have been sown on the ground, supporting conditions such as soil, sunlight, and water is still necessary for reaping a fruitful harvest.

          Third, the relationship between cause, effect, and karma cannot easily be changed. For example, some of people were able to escape from their offices on the seventieth or eightieth floor of the World Trade Center towers when the disaster happened. On the other hand, many firefighters, police officers, and rescue workers who did not normally work in that building were buried alive during the collapse. How can this be explained? The concept of karma in Buddhism can adequately explain such perplexing phenomenon. The karma of some people would not allow them to die in that building and at that moment while others with their different karma must die then and there. This is the difference between "collective karma" (shared karma shared by all) and "personal karma (shared karma not shared by all)." Collective karma is the karma shared by many different beings at once while personal karma is the karma that is distinct with each individual.

          There is a Buddhist saying that we should endeavor to lessen our accumulated karma while vigilantly avoid generating new unwholesome karma at the same time. "Determinate karma" is the type of karma that is inevitable at a certain time and place, which cannot be avoided by any means. However, there are other kinds of karma that is possible to be altered by means of repentance and vowing with aspiration. Accumulate merits and carry out wholesome acts can also balance out the bad karma. Bad karma is similar to weeds that affect the healthy growing of the plant of merits. Repentance of bad karma is similar to removing weed. As long as the weed is not growing, we will not suffer from our bad karma. Some wondered whether Skakyamuni Buddha and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva are still affected by karma. The answer is affirmative. Only because of their supreme wisdom, unconditional compassion, and immeasurable vow, they are not hindered by afflictions and so their karmic retributions do not materialize. Therefore, Buddhists should learn to cultivate merits and karma will eventually be eliminated.

          The anger of Americans towards the terrorists after the September 11th incident is well comprehendible. We cannot say that the United States reprisal attacks on Afghanistan are wrong or the support from Britain and Canada is bad. Nevertheless, such military action is only a worldly-minded solution not an ultimate answer. Using warfare to stop terrorism will only end up with endless escalating reprisals against each other.

          A reporter from the Los Angeles Times asked me whether I am in approval with the United States military strike against Afghanistan. If I said yes, many will criticize me that how can Buddhists support warfare, which goes against the Buddhist no-killing precept. If I said no, then many will start questioning the justification for the thousands of lives that were sacrificed during the collapse of the towers.

          I feel that peace cannot be accomplished if it is considered merely as a slogan. Sometimes, warfare can hasten the attainment of peace but this approach is not without unforeseeable and unwanted aftermath. The best solution is to use the power of compassion to fight a war because compassion can subdue violence. A Chinese proverb says "A person with a smiling face never get hit by a fist." A compassionate smile and language can dissolve any anger. In my opinion, besides the use of fighter jets, bombs, and military power, the United States can add another weapon - the great power of compassion. Terrorists can be dealt with using other methods such as economic sanction and travel restriction. We pray and vow for world peace and harmonious coexistence and the cessation of wars and conflicts.

          Furthermore, compassion is not the same as without any counteraction. For instance, if a ruthless person did a lot of deeds that are harmful to other people's lives, should we set the person free or kill that person to save other innocent lives? According to the Hinayana discipline, which centered primarily on self-salvation, that person should not be killed. On the other hand, under the Mahayana discipline, one will willingly accept any karmic responsibilities associated with the act of killing that evil person to protect other innocent lives. This is the power of great compassion. If we can convert warfare into compassion and love, this world will have hope in the future.

          Since the devastating Taiwan earthquake in 1999, many homes have been rebuilt in Taichang and Nantou counties. With the assistance from devotees of Fo Guang Shan, nine schools have been erected and many Buddha's Light villages for the victims of the catastrophe have been established. We must have strength to face the ravages of disaster at those times. Similarly, the order of the society should be restored after the September 11th terrorist attacks. In fact, biological weapons are not as horrible as rumors. Rumors can lead to agitation and extremely nervousness in people's mind. This, in turn, can drive people into desperate terror and the whole society will be in paralysis. Therefore, we can see that the damage caused by rumor and malicious misinformation is much more severe than that produced by any biological weapons.

          Since the Taiwan earthquake to the World Trade Center disaster, we feel extremely confused and puzzled. Our fragile minds are unable to sustain all these suffering and mishap. Panic and fearfulness, however, cannot solve the problem. It is far better if we can recite the holy title of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Chinese pronunciation: Kuan Yi Po Sa), which encapsulates the great compassion spirit of Avalokitesvara, and try to remain courageous. Everyone should learn to become the Avalokitesvara of the society - to be resourceful, to offer help to all sentient beings, and also to have full confidence in us.

          Christians assert that faith will lead to eternal life. This saying is correct and good. However, the Buddhist affirmation is even more profound and extensive. In the absence of their faith, Buddhists can still have eternal lives, which is composing of countless cycles of birth and death. Since the true essence of life exists in eternity and is imperishable, what is there left to be worried about?

          I have shared with you my thoughts before our ceremony of Taking Refuge in the Triple Gem and the Bestowal of the Five Precepts. Let us all remind ourselves to strive for our best.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun's Dharma Exposition of
Karmic Relationships in View of the Recent Disasters in
Taiwan and the United States

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