The world, as we see it, is a virtual reality (VR): it is constructed by our ideas/expectations, desires, fears. The same holds for the idea of self. So far no problem. If, however, one holds that these forms of VR are actually real, then suffering starts. War starts in the mind.
Christopher, with respect, you did comment on 7 October in your blogpost but you also adopted the BBC / Guardian trick of refraining from actually calling the Hamas ‘fighters’ terrorists and members of a proscribed terror organisation. You also give no indication that you watched the film of the atrocities committed by Hamas, spelling it out with same grim attention you gave to the recent report on IDF atrocities in Gaza. As you wrote on 19 March about that report, it is “a horrifying, detailed analysis of the current consequences of the IDF (Israeli army) invasion of Gaza under the orders of the Israeli government to launch and sustain an ongoing systematic decimation of the people of Gaza and their homeland.” And so it is, but where’s the equivalent blogpost for the Hamas atrocities, the detailed analysis of infernal crimes committed by young Palestinian men, applauded by their friends and families, and filmed, allegedly, by photojournalists who were on the payroll of Reuters and Associated Press? Where’s the endictment and outrage when it comes to the horrifying levels of capture, corruption and collusion of the international organisations that are supposed to be there to provide support and relief to the victims? I personally have not watched the film because — frankly — it terrifies me, and I don’t have the guts. Have you? And if so, what’s your take? Since Covid, I have utterly lost faith in the proclamations of Engaged Buddhism because all I have seen is biased activism. This blogpost does nothing to dispel my disillusionment.
I heard some stories about practices in the monasteries involving sitting with a body of a dead monk and contemplating death.
I wonder if it would be a worthy practice to watch the film of the atrocities of hamas and contemplate absolute evil?
Witnessing absolute evil might disable whitewashed terms such as "violent activists".
I personally skipped this lession, am sure it will traumatize me beyond repair. Just hearing about the atrocities traumatized me for life. But just for this life. I'm not an Aharant yet.
IMO, the lack of acceptance of any guilt on the Israeli side for the violence happening is the "other side of this coin".
IMO, it is (Hamas) terrorism against (state) terrorism - the following text I copied from anotjer person's comment on another article on another site:
"....state terror that has always been the foundational component of Israeli doctrine, from Plan Dalet in 1948 at its founding and the concomitant murder of 15,000 Palestinian farmers in 530 villages, the slaughter of all the males, the many rapes of the women and girls and shipping many of the survivors to what would become the concentration camp of Gaza.
... the Nakba ... Dahiya doctrine mandating the IDF's slaughter of an entire village from which a single gunshot might have issued. Terrorism?"
Is there truth in the above? Everyone has their own judgement on the possible facts.
There is a lot of history to the situation:
did ...(names)............... help the founding of Hamas as a competitor to Fatah?
The call for a ceasefire is not an expression for taking sides. It is an expression for staying in touch with one's humanity and reason.
I can not even imagine the pain through which people on both sides are going.
The 7th of October has traumatised a nation. We can see the effect of the trauma right now: much violence and trauma being inflicted in return.
If we were not to ask our heart, but only our mind for advice,we need to ask one single question: Is it likely that the current actions of IDF will lead to Hamas being extinguished? Or is it more likely it will have the exact opposite effect: a generation of traumatised children looking for revenge?
A call for a ceasefire is in the interest of BOTH sides. This war makes no sense, no matter if you look at it with your heart or your mind.
Calling for ceasefire without calling for release of hostages is basically saying: we don't care about Israeli girls being raped in hamas' tunnels as we speak. We don't care about the Israeli children and grandparents (some same age as Christopher) held in horrific conditions. Oct 7th is a crime against humanity and it is still going on. When is it ok to perform crimes against humanity against Israelis?
Interestingly, yesterday a call for ceasfire and release of hostages was raised to the UN security council by the US and UK. Who vetoed? Russia and China. Why? For geopolitical reasons which I will not go into, let's just say it has to do with money and power, not with compassion and humanity. In a peculiar macro-karmatic way, a few hours later the Islamist "violent activists" attacked Russian civilians.
But its ok, right? Because Russia also has a land dispute with Islamists, in Dagastan and occupied muslim areas in the Caucaz.
If one holds the view that Islamist terror is a freedom movement, one does not understand contemporary interpertation of Jihad.
The extreme Islamist culture is in a way similar to the Pali canon Buddhism, in the aspect of devaluing this life and its manifestations. The difference of course is that Buddha preached non violience as the basis for the spiritual path, while military Jihad encourages atrocities against infidels and incourages martyrdom for its own population. This creates a vicious cycle of crimes against humanity, because humanism is not a value here.
It seems that the main occupation of radical Islam is the occupation of mind. It makes one wonder, should we call for the Buddhist masters to teach the Dharma in Gaza, in Afganistan?
I most certainly do not hold the view that Islamist terror is a freedom movement.
I am appaled by the actions of Hamas and by the rise in antisemitic incidents worldwide.
What happened on Oct 7th and the ongoing capture of Israeli hostages by Hamas is wrong and horrific beyond words. Yes, of course a call for a ceasefire should absolutely include a call for release of hostages. This seemed self- evident to me at the time of writing the above comment. Both go hand in hand to me.
The world, as we see it, is a virtual reality (VR): it is constructed by our ideas/expectations, desires, fears. The same holds for the idea of self. So far no problem. If, however, one holds that these forms of VR are actually real, then suffering starts. War starts in the mind.
Christopher, with respect, you did comment on 7 October in your blogpost but you also adopted the BBC / Guardian trick of refraining from actually calling the Hamas ‘fighters’ terrorists and members of a proscribed terror organisation. You also give no indication that you watched the film of the atrocities committed by Hamas, spelling it out with same grim attention you gave to the recent report on IDF atrocities in Gaza. As you wrote on 19 March about that report, it is “a horrifying, detailed analysis of the current consequences of the IDF (Israeli army) invasion of Gaza under the orders of the Israeli government to launch and sustain an ongoing systematic decimation of the people of Gaza and their homeland.” And so it is, but where’s the equivalent blogpost for the Hamas atrocities, the detailed analysis of infernal crimes committed by young Palestinian men, applauded by their friends and families, and filmed, allegedly, by photojournalists who were on the payroll of Reuters and Associated Press? Where’s the endictment and outrage when it comes to the horrifying levels of capture, corruption and collusion of the international organisations that are supposed to be there to provide support and relief to the victims? I personally have not watched the film because — frankly — it terrifies me, and I don’t have the guts. Have you? And if so, what’s your take? Since Covid, I have utterly lost faith in the proclamations of Engaged Buddhism because all I have seen is biased activism. This blogpost does nothing to dispel my disillusionment.
Well said, thank you.
I heard some stories about practices in the monasteries involving sitting with a body of a dead monk and contemplating death.
I wonder if it would be a worthy practice to watch the film of the atrocities of hamas and contemplate absolute evil?
Witnessing absolute evil might disable whitewashed terms such as "violent activists".
I personally skipped this lession, am sure it will traumatize me beyond repair. Just hearing about the atrocities traumatized me for life. But just for this life. I'm not an Aharant yet.
IMO, the lack of acceptance of any guilt on the Israeli side for the violence happening is the "other side of this coin".
IMO, it is (Hamas) terrorism against (state) terrorism - the following text I copied from anotjer person's comment on another article on another site:
"....state terror that has always been the foundational component of Israeli doctrine, from Plan Dalet in 1948 at its founding and the concomitant murder of 15,000 Palestinian farmers in 530 villages, the slaughter of all the males, the many rapes of the women and girls and shipping many of the survivors to what would become the concentration camp of Gaza.
... the Nakba ... Dahiya doctrine mandating the IDF's slaughter of an entire village from which a single gunshot might have issued. Terrorism?"
Is there truth in the above? Everyone has their own judgement on the possible facts.
There is a lot of history to the situation:
did ...(names)............... help the founding of Hamas as a competitor to Fatah?
etc. etc.
All violence is unacceptable.
The lack of humanity is obvious.
The call for a ceasefire is not an expression for taking sides. It is an expression for staying in touch with one's humanity and reason.
I can not even imagine the pain through which people on both sides are going.
The 7th of October has traumatised a nation. We can see the effect of the trauma right now: much violence and trauma being inflicted in return.
If we were not to ask our heart, but only our mind for advice,we need to ask one single question: Is it likely that the current actions of IDF will lead to Hamas being extinguished? Or is it more likely it will have the exact opposite effect: a generation of traumatised children looking for revenge?
A call for a ceasefire is in the interest of BOTH sides. This war makes no sense, no matter if you look at it with your heart or your mind.
Calling for ceasefire without calling for release of hostages is basically saying: we don't care about Israeli girls being raped in hamas' tunnels as we speak. We don't care about the Israeli children and grandparents (some same age as Christopher) held in horrific conditions. Oct 7th is a crime against humanity and it is still going on. When is it ok to perform crimes against humanity against Israelis?
Interestingly, yesterday a call for ceasfire and release of hostages was raised to the UN security council by the US and UK. Who vetoed? Russia and China. Why? For geopolitical reasons which I will not go into, let's just say it has to do with money and power, not with compassion and humanity. In a peculiar macro-karmatic way, a few hours later the Islamist "violent activists" attacked Russian civilians.
But its ok, right? Because Russia also has a land dispute with Islamists, in Dagastan and occupied muslim areas in the Caucaz.
If one holds the view that Islamist terror is a freedom movement, one does not understand contemporary interpertation of Jihad.
The extreme Islamist culture is in a way similar to the Pali canon Buddhism, in the aspect of devaluing this life and its manifestations. The difference of course is that Buddha preached non violience as the basis for the spiritual path, while military Jihad encourages atrocities against infidels and incourages martyrdom for its own population. This creates a vicious cycle of crimes against humanity, because humanism is not a value here.
It seems that the main occupation of radical Islam is the occupation of mind. It makes one wonder, should we call for the Buddhist masters to teach the Dharma in Gaza, in Afganistan?
I most certainly do not hold the view that Islamist terror is a freedom movement.
I am appaled by the actions of Hamas and by the rise in antisemitic incidents worldwide.
What happened on Oct 7th and the ongoing capture of Israeli hostages by Hamas is wrong and horrific beyond words. Yes, of course a call for a ceasefire should absolutely include a call for release of hostages. This seemed self- evident to me at the time of writing the above comment. Both go hand in hand to me.