Delusion Disaster

Good evening!

We had a big disaster in Japan, with an earthquake and tsunami destroying communities, damaging social infrastructures, devastating the natural life system. Nuclear plants are now in big trouble, evacuating people within a ten kilometers radius.

The scientist and essayist Terada Torahiko said, “When we forget, heavenly (natural) disaster comes.” When we forget natural law, natural disaster comes to create human disaster.

Ryokan said, “When we meet disaster, we had better meet it.” Is he not humane and compassionate? He knew humanity and compassion. So, he advised us to squarely meet a disaster with after-care and prevention, in calm and clear prognosis (prajñâ). He made a poem:

See and know it:
What is permanent?
Earlier or later,
No flowers remain.

Composed things become decomposed. Integration ends in disintegration. Mass and energy in concentration will disperse eventually. Amassing matter and power goes with delusion and disaster, struggle and suffering.

If we have sufficient prognosis and avoid the three poisons of delusion, greed, and hatred, we find out the natural life way, good in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end, without disaster and distress.

3/11/11