Sept. 19, 2001i'm listening to an album with that title by the late nusrat fateh ali khan as i write this missive.
i suppose it will be a tagline we'll hear or read often in the coming weeks (or days), since the pakistani capital will likely be the frontline for reports on whatever action the government takes against osama bin laden and the taleban government of afghanistan. it would have to be afghanistan. it seems to me that the situation could only be more ominous and dangerous if those responsible for the horrific attacks on the east coast were in a muslim territory in the the old soviet union (especially if that territory was close to china).
the web and wave of suffering that has ensnared and extinguished so many lives seems that much larger and growing at the moment. at times during the past few days, i've considered the massive loss of life and the cultivation of fear and loathing that we are witness to as the simple result of living in a world with such gross inequities and misuse of resources, a world that is afflicted by violence, hatred, ignorance, intolerance and indulgence, a planet that is being tormented by its effort to achieve balance.
the heavy silence that came over me when i learned the motivation and nature behind what had occurred opened into a very sad but still sincere yearning for compassion. that so many had to die and suffer like that was terrible. that human beings made the choice to take lives like that was terrible. that millions are now gripped with anxiety, confusion, denial, fear, loss and anger is terribly unfortunate. i pray that our world can find its way through this time toward a place of peace and equanimity. as my teacher wrote a few days ago, "This crisis could midwife the rebirth of a worldwide longing for peace, and a recognition that we are all potential perpetrators -- and all potential relievers of the world's sufferings."
i hope that you all can comprehend the validity and import of that statement, and continue to maintain hope, wisdom and a sense of peace and space around yourselves... and hope for the same among all those who have been or will be affected by this massive human disaster.