Hatred never ceases by hatred

[Sister Mary Lunatic]

I have done nothing today but watch CNN.  I've seen the films of the
tragedies probably a hundred times and each time I see it, the shock is like
the first time.  My heart goes out to the families of the people who have
been killed or injured.  I pray for the safety of all people all over the
world.  The temptation to feel hatred and the desire for revenge is strong.
But this remembered story (see below) kept running through my head, and I
hope no one will be offended by it. It speaks to all people involved in this
nightmare -- the victims and the perpetrators.

SML

The Dhammapada

   5. At any time in this world,
      Hatred never ceases by hatred,
      But through non-hatred it ceases
      This is an eternal law.

Maha Ghosananda, a respected Cambodian monk went into the refugee camps
where thousands of Cambodians had fled the terrible holocaust conducted by
Pol Pot. Every family had lost children, spouses, and parents to the ravages
of genocide, and their homes and temples had been destroyed. Maha Ghosanada
announced to the refugees that there would be a Buddhist ceremony the next
day, and all who wished to come would be welcome.

Since Buddhism had been desecrated by Pol Pot, people were curious if anyone
would go. The next day, over ten thousand refugees converged at the meeting
place to share in the ceremony. It was an enormous gathering. Maha Gosananda
sat for some time in silence on a platform in front of the crowd. Then he
began chanting the invocations that begin the Buddhist ceremony, and people
started weeping. They had been through so much sorrow, so much difficulty,
that just to hear the sound of those familiar words again was precious.

Some wondered what Maha Ghosanada would say. What could one possibly say to
this group of people? What he did next, in the company of thousands of
refugees, was begin to repeat the verse from the Dhammapada, a sacred
Buddist scripture:

       Hatred never ceases by hatred;
       But love alone is healed.
       This is an ancient and eternal law.

Over and over again Maha Ghosananda chanted this verse. These were people
who has as much cause to hate as anyone on earth. Yet as he sat there,
repeating this verse over and over, one by one, thousands of voices joined
together in unison: "Hatred never ceases by hatred: but by love alone is
healed. This is an ancient and eternal law." Out of the mouths of people who
had been wounded, oppressed, made homeless, aggrieved, and crushed by the
pain of war, came a prayer proclaiming the ancient truth about love, a truth
that was greater than all the sorrows they had seen and felt.

Legacy of the Heart,Wayne Muller



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