When really bad things happen

Last week was a very difficult week. Just as I was getting ready to call my sister in Colorado for her 49th birthday, I saw on CNN that something had happened at a school in Bailey, Colorado. I immediately got online and saw that a man had taken teenagers hostage in the high school there, methodically chose young blond girls, sent the others out of the classroom and then began to sexually assault the young women until the police raided the room and he shot a Emily in the back of the head and then he himself was killed by the police. He had had it all planned, including having sent suicide notes in the mail. My first reaction was complete sadness and compassion for the people of Bailey, my sister, my nephew who grew up with Emily as a neighbor and still had her as one of his closest friends. At the same instant I felt a sense of loathing rise up in me against the man who had done this---the loathing turned to hate and grew darker and deeper. Suddenly, in meditation, my heart caught this and a different feeling arose...I felt a sense of sadness and compassion for the man who had done this...how much suffering and delusion he must have been feeling and now carries with him even further. Tears started coming and rolling...after meditating I approached our home altar and offered incense and all the merit I could...Not only to the victims, but to the perpetrator as well.

Now it has happened once again in Pennsylvania...though I do not know the people there...I still feel the same water of compassion wanting to wash over me and the situation...for the victims and the perpetrator.

May Kanzeon's always continue to poor the waters of compassion upon the world and may we always be aware to see it. One last thing that is so important...Emily's last SMS to her parent's cell phone was: I love U all! The small town of Bailey has continued to show this love over the past week. The good is always growing! We must remember that!