Sending Thoughts of Compassion, Support

We have all been glued to our TVs these past several days as we have witnessed the terrible wildfires in Southern California. To see the loss of life, the loss of thousands of homes, businesses, schools, churches and synagogues is tragic beyond belief.  

Our own Pasadena Buddhist Temple had a close call, but has survived the fire. There are members of our Southern District who have lost their homes and others who are awaiting word of the state of their homes.  

We cannot imagine what it must be like to evacuate and to wait for days only to find your beloved home gone. May I extend to you, on behalf of all of us in the Buddhist Churches of America, our thoughts of loving compassion as you face such a horrific tragedy. 

I was thinking what it must be like to lose your home. Our homes give us that sense of comfort and security. When we return from a trip, we all say, “There’s no place like home,” like Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.” We get to sleep in our comfortable bed. We sit in our favorite chair or sofa in front of the TV. We use our favorite coffee cup or wine glass. We wear our favorite old T-shirt or sweatshirt that is faded and stretched, but somehow is what we are most comfortable in. We have on our favorite slippers or house shoes. Our pets have the run of the house, whether they are cats or dogs, or maybe both. We have our favorite mementos displayed on the fireplace and our family photos are displayed on the wall or hallway. Our homes are an expression of our entire lives. Photos of our children are displayed — from infancy to their wedding photos and even photos of grandchildren or great-grandchildren.  

To lose such memories and mementos is like losing a part of our past, our history, our life. How devastating that must feel like.  As we all reflect on how we would feel if we lost our homes, all the more we feel for what you must be going through.  

What can we say in the face of such devastation?  What words of comfort can we share to someone who lost their home and the lifetime of memories that it holds?  

What comes to my mind is the Japanese expression that goes something like, “You fall down seven times, but you get up eight.” This means that in the face of a great challenge, a great loss and a great tragedy, we just have to stand up again, hard as it might seem, but that is what we have to do.

Buddhism teaches us that our life is never alone. We are supported by innumerable causes and conditions each and every day. Family, friends, teachers, co-workers, neighbors, strangers, sustenance from the food that we eat, the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, our life is always supported by “others.” That continues even in the face of great tragedy. We are not alone. We are supported by innumerable causes and conditions, even in the face of the insurmountable. 

A few years ago, I spoke in Colorado at the Longmont Buddhist Temple. One of the members took me for a drive to show the nearby area of Colorado that was devastated by the Marshall Fire, the most destructive fire in the history of Colorado. I saw a huge residential area that was devastated, but homes were being rebuilt. It was an encouraging sight to see how a community, which had been devastated, was rebuilding.  

Although the scale of those fires are no doubt different, I hope that our communities in Southern California can, over time, be rebuilt.   

May our thoughts of compassion and support help you to stand up this eighth time.