CULTIVATING COMPASSION TO RESPOND TO VIOLENCE:
THE WAY OF PEACE
All violence is injustice.
Responding to violence with violence is injustice, not only to the other
person but also to oneself. Responding to violence with violence resolves
nothing; it only escalates violence, anger and hatred. It is only with
compassion that we can embrace and disintegrate violence. This is true in
relationships between individuals as well as in relationships between
nations.
Many people in America consider Jesus Christ as their Lord, their spiritual
ancestor and their teacher. We should heed His teachings especially during
critical times like this. Jesus never encourages us to respond to acts of
violence with violence. His teaching is, instead, to use compassion to
deal
with violence. The teachings of Judaism go very much in the same
direction.
Spiritual leaders of this country are invited to raise their voices, to
bring about the awareness of this teaching to the American nation and
people. What needs to be done right now is to recognize the suffering, to
embrace it and to understand it. We need calmness and lucidity so that we
can listen deeply to and understand our own suffering, the suffering of the
nation and the suffering of others. By understanding the nature and the
causes of the suffering, we will then know the right path to follow.
The violence and hatred we presently face has been created by
misunderstanding, injustice, discrimination and despair. We are all
co-responsible for the making of violence and despair in the world by our
way of living, of consuming and of handling the problems of the world.
Understanding why this violence has been created, we will then know what to
do and what not to do in order to decrease the level of violence in
ourselves and in the world, to create and foster understanding,
reconciliation and forgiveness.
I have the conviction that America possesses enough wisdom and courage to
perform an act of forgiveness and compassion, and I know that such an act
can bring great relief to America and to the world right away.
Thich Nhat Hanh
18 September, 2001
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh will be fasting from the 21st-30th September
as a way of prayer in action. He invites all of his friends and disciples
to join him in this prayer and meditation, wherever you may be and for
however long you wish, in order to embrace all those who have died and all
who are suffering from the recent tragedy. Those who plan to
participate
in this act of peace may like to e-mail us at mfmaster@vermontel.net
, and to
write a letter to the President and to their Congress people to inform them
of your intentions.
On 27 September, the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh will visit New York City and give
a public talk there. He will be addressing the relevant issues of
peace in action and the cultivation of compassion. All are welcome to
attend. For updated information, please visit our website,
http://www.plumvillage.org , call
our monastery in Vermont, Green Mountain Dharma Center, at (802) 436-1103.