Genocide: How to Escape Distant Mass Suffering?
The Shared Loss of Humanity From Exterminating One People
Buddhism views life as suffering and tries to provide guidelines for people to live in ways that reduce the suffering they experience and cause for others. I wonder how people can remove themselves from the suffering they cause others. I know part of the answer is in the question itself: “OTHER” = a way of distancing ourselves from those we don’t want to treat as we would like to be treated.
I also wonder if anyone truly can escape, or if we’re all fated to share whatever evils any human can unleash upon anOTHER.
I recently caught my pinky toe against a corner HARD, so it was in a lot of pain. The toes next to it didn’t hurt but shared the bruising. When one part of our body is injured, it can affect our whole body. Our circulation system connects our whole body. My nearby toes don’t hurt, but the damage my pinky sustained has affected circulation within them. My brain all the way on the other side of my body is acutely aware of my pinky’s pain. No matter how small the toe, its suffering affects the whole. In Wudhoo, Muslims practice cleaning between the toes: acknowledging the importance of purifying fine details of the soul. No matter how distant we may be from the suffering of any other human, I think we are all connected. Every day the genocide of the Palestinian people continues, the value of every human life diminishes. All of our psyches are being damaged in ways we can’t even know.
This video is very powerful and difficult to watch:
You may have already seen some of the clips, but seeing them all compounded like that is just too much and yet not enough for some monsters who choose to continue their monstrosities. I normally love comedy, sci-fi, and any escape from our reality, yet I feel dutybound to see what has been happening in Palestine. I feel like it is so impossible to have a normal life while this is happening. I take a sip of my perfect homemade coffee and feel guilty remembering videos of Palestinian children with empty containers trying to get some kind of sustenance. Every time I feel joy I think about all Palestinian people face & have faced for decades and hate that I can't do more. I hate that all the powerful actions people are working together to take everywhere still isn't stopping it. I think of how my biggest worry is not getting refunded for disputed charges and am disgusted by my privilege.
I believe that the people who are not even conscious of it are suffering in imperceivable ways. It is all of humanity’s loss when anyone tries to justify the dehumanization of their fellow human. From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free, or every human shall be severed from our humanity.