While Buddhist Relief was preparing a blog posting about Aung San Suu Kyi, the news broke that Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan had been assassinated. We take a moment to pause from posting about Burmese issues today, to honor Bhutto for her courage to return to her home country of 160 million people, to possibly serve and represent them again.
This year, Pakistan and India both commemorated their 60th anniversary of independence from British rule. Burma will follow suit on January 4th, 2008. Pakistan was once neighbors with Burma until 1971, when the Eastern part of Pakistan became an independent nation, now known as Bangladesh.
The immediacy of the news and images of the last moments of Benazir Bhutto's life reached all four corners of the world, literally within a matter of minutes. The shocking incident is virtually happening in one's living room or in front of one's computer screen. How powerful a technology we have - to become immobilized and stunned. As a student of Buddhism, it occurred to this Buddhist Relief blogger that such an incident is also an opportunity to contemplate on: impermanence; the preciousness of a human rebirth; and, being of benefit to all sentient beings.
Several months ago, KPC's Spiritual Director Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo revealed a new melody for the traditional (Tibetan) "Prayer to be Reborn in Dewachen", which we wish to share with you. As Jetsunma describes it, it is "like a mother singing her children to sleep." It is a lullaby of compassion for those passing from this life.
Please feel free to download the prayer here and to share it widely. At the KPC temple in Maryland (USA), this prayer is played ongoingly in the Prayer Room - where the unbroken 24-hour Prayer Vigil of over 22 years - takes place. (For more information on the 24-hour Prayer Vigil or to sponsor prayers, click here).
With this blog posting, Buddhist Relief dedicates The Prayer to be Reborn in Dewachen to Benazir Bhutto, the others who were killed during the incident, and the suicide bomber.
No comments:
Post a Comment