Discovering the killing of Osama Bin Laden this morning gave rise to a mix of emotions. Because from an « awakened » perspective of the oneness of all life, it is certainly a more complex event than the expressions of nationalistic euphoria in America would have it seem.
Sure, he was what generally would qualify as a « bad guy, » one who promotes killing and violence as a means to his totalitarian end. So killing a killer can be seen as the « lesser of two evils, » as they say.
Yet no killing is without consequence. What those consequences are, we cannot know. No act is isolated, nor is any « bad guy. » What are the interdependent causes that have given rise to this guy? We’re all in this together. Is he fundamentally different than you and I?
What we try to do with our sitting practice and the Buddhist guidelines (the precepts) is live in awareness. We aim to act not from a deluded place of exclusion and separation (like Bin Laden) but from an awakened place of oneness and diversity, of inclusion.
I guess today that might mean including the killing of a killer. Or it might not.
Including the killing of a killer
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
an eye for an eye leads to far developed blindnes –
i cannot explain – but i feel it would have been more right when it had happend immediately after –
Now it is very much a thing of the mind – and time has a big place in it.
you can turn the question around:
as the president of America (ex) can you do nothing?
Can you just imprison him and judge him?
Two weeks ago i was psychological attacked in a very bad way. I did not react. I couldn’t but i also choose in that moment not to. Feels like i did put a mirror that gives them back what is theirs… meanwhile i am very much hurt though.
but bin Laden is just another thing? Or it isn’t????
Interesting thought, interesting question…
Yesterday at night I found a interesting though: Now that we have a new saint and we have killed the bad guy, is the world any better or is it just another turn of the big wheel of life?