Let us cease from wrath, and refrain from angry looks. Nor let us be resentful when others differ from us. For all people have hearts, and each heart has its own leanings. Their right is our wrong, and our right is their wrong. We are not unquestionably sages, nor are they unquestionably fools. Both of us are simply ordinary people. How can anyone lay down a rule by which to distinguish right from wrong? For we are all, one with another, wise and foolish like a ring, which has no end.
— Shotoku Taishi
The events of September 11th once shook our world in a way that felt unimaginable. I wrote an article I called “The Terror Within”. Sadly, today, we once again find ourselves living in a time where war, violence, and uncertainty seem to surround us. Conflicts across the globe—particularly in the Middle East, tensions involving Iran, and wars that continue to unfold—fill our news, our conversations, and our hearts with unease.
The deaths and suffering, both physical and emotional, continue to affect countless lives. And just as with the loss of a loved one, many of us react with anger, disbelief, sadness, and grief. Even when we understand that impermanence is a central teaching of the Buddha, when suffering touches us directly, we are often surprised by our own reactions.
What continues to surprise me is how quickly anger and the desire for retaliation can arise within me. When we hear of attacks, threats, or escalating conflict, there is a natural impulse to respond with strength, with force, with the idea that something must be done immediately. These feelings are not new—they are part of our human condition.
But as we reflect more deeply, we begin to recognize this pattern. Fear turns to anger. Anger turns to blame. And blame often leads us to dehumanize others. We begin to divide the world into “us” and “them,” forgetting that the very tendencies we condemn are also present within ourselves.
This is not limited to any one nation, religion, or group of people. The seeds of hatred and intolerance are not confined to distant lands or unfamiliar cultures. They exist within all of us. Whether we are aware of it or not, anger and resentment are often just beneath the surface, waiting for the right conditions to arise.
At the same time, during moments of crisis, something else also arises.
We see an outpouring of compassion. People reaching out to help one another. Communities coming together. Acts of kindness that remind us of our shared humanity. These responses are just as real as the anger and fear.
We live in a society shaped by many beliefs and traditions. As Buddhists, we may not always express ourselves in the same way as others around us, but we can still understand the feelings that give rise to their actions. There is a time for teaching, and there is a time simply for being present, for supporting one another, and for acting with kindness.
In times like these, we may feel powerless. We may wonder what we can possibly do in the face of such large and complex events.
But the Buddha’s teaching gives us a place to begin. We can look within.
We can recognize the anger that arises in us, and instead of acting from it, we can pause. We can choose not to let hatred take root. We can act with care, with patience, with compassion—first in our own lives, and then in our communities.
If a small number of individuals, driven by anger and hatred, can bring about such widespread suffering, then what might be possible if we, as individuals, act from compassion?
This is not naïve. It is deeply practical.
Every action we take contributes to the world we live in. The law of karma reminds us that causes and conditions shape outcomes. If we respond to hatred with more hatred, the cycle continues. But if we respond with understanding and compassion, even in small ways, we begin to interrupt that cycle.
Shotoku Taishi reminds us that we are all limited, all partial in our understanding. None of us holds the complete truth. This humility is essential, especially in times of conflict, when certainty can quickly turn into self-righteousness.
As adults, we have a responsibility to examine our own hearts. To notice when anger arises, and to work with it. To refrain from harmful actions, even when they feel justified. To cultivate compassion, not just for those we love, but for all beings.
For our children, the teaching can begin simply. Be kind. Be patient. Treat others with respect. Not just friends, but everyone.
If even a few individuals can influence the world through hatred, imagine what is possible when many act from kindness.
This is the heart of the Buddha’s teaching—love and compassion for all beings.
In a world where many pray for protection and blessing, we can remember that Amida Buddha’s compassion embraces all beings without exception. It is not limited by borders, nations, or beliefs.
We are called to live within that compassion and to express it through our actions.
As the Dhammapada teaches:
“Let us live happily then, hating none in the midst of those who hate. Let us dwell free from hatred among those who harbor hatred.”
Namo Amida Butsu.