Putin's Inanity Continues in the Ukraine as Millions Suffer...

The following report is 7 days old and the human cost of  Putin's tragic insanity has only widened and worsened. And, it is most likely going to continue to de so. Quite possibly the world will witness Putin's use of chemical and or biological weapons to inflict further maximum suffering on the Ukrainian people. The possibility of him using nuclear weapons is a remote possibility as well. The 20th century had Hitler. The 21st century has Putin. Donald J. Trump's friend and soul mate.

Tricycle - As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to unfold, Buddhist leaders around the world are offering pleas for peace and messages of support to the Ukrainian people and those watching from afar who feel helpless but eager to take action. The growing number of civilian and military deaths are unknown, but early reports estimate over 230 civilian deaths so far and over 525 civilians injured. Though Russian and Ukrainian reports on military deaths and injuries differ, the numbers are in the hundreds to thousands. On March 2, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that one million refugees have fled Ukraine. Responses from Buddhist teachers and organizations range from formal public statements to heartfelt pleas on social media. 

The Dalai Lama released a statement on February 28 in which he called war “outdated” and said nonviolence was the way forward. 

Our world has become so interdependent that violent conflict between two countries inevitably impacts the rest of the world. War is outdated—non-violence is the only way. We need to develop a sense of the oneness of humanity by considering other human beings as brothers and sisters. This is how we will build a more peaceful world.

On March 2, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a global humanitarian organization based in Taiwan, began fundraising for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country for Poland. A few days prior, Tzu Chi founder Master Cheng Yen voiced her concern for those forced to leave their homes:

Looking at them fleeing—some carrying young children on their backs, holding them in their hands, older ones holding smaller ones—large families are escaping in crowds. We do not know what their destination is.

The dharma masters at the foundation’s headquarters are also currently chanting a portion of the Lotus Sutra called the “Universal Gate,” which is supposed to bring peace and protection. Find more information, including how you can support the foundation’s efforts, here.

Roshi Joan Halifax wrote on Lion’s Roar that by recognizing our interdependence, we’ll be moved to act in a compassionate way. 

We can nurture peace by transforming our own lives. And, at the same time, we must work actively for nonviolence toward all and deep and true dialogue with respect for and appreciation of differences and plurality. And we must take responsibility. We have to ask what is our part and our country’s part in feeding the demon of hatred and violence? 

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