Mourning for America

Editor’s note: Rev. Blayne Higa is the minister of the Kona Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Kealakekua on the Big Island of Hawaii and serves as Director of the Buddhist Study Center in Honolulu. The following is the full text of his Dharma message on Sept. 14. The Wheel of Dharma is reprinting the message with Rev. Higa’s permission.

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Good morning. I stand before you with a heavy heart. Earlier this week, we witnessed yet another act of political violence — the murder of a popular conservative activist who was gunned down while speaking at a college campus. 

This horrific event has sent shockwaves through many communities. Many in our country, who regarded him as a man of faith and a champion for their values, are mourning his loss, while others, who viewed him as an oppressor promoting hate and division, are not. 

Polarized Times

It’s not my place, nor anyone else's, to tell someone how they should feel right now. We need to extend grace and compassion to everyone during this tumultuous time. This underscores the complex reality of being human, of grief, and the polarized and dangerous times we are living through. 

However, we should all mourn the loss of another human being to the culture of rage, contempt and gun violence that threatens to consume us all.

Charlie Kirk championed positions and a worldview I wholeheartedly oppose. Yet, he was not an enemy but a fellow American exercising his right to free speech. I respect that and mourn his violent death. We should all be appalled by political violence in any form. Full stop. This is not how we resolve our differences in America. We debate civilly and passionately, present our views to the public, and hold free, fair elections that showcase competing visions for our country. Violence in any form contradicts the sacred principles of democracy.

And yet, we cannot ignore the very real harm his words and actions caused to many in our country. We can both mourn what his loss means for his loved ones and acknowledge all that he did to hurt others. All of these truths can coexist. We can face complexity with honesty, sensitivity, and compassion.

We’ve seen this clash of realities in the news and on social media over the past few days, with heartfelt tributes to a loving husband and father alongside calls to hold him accountable for the harmful and destructive things he said and stood for. When our lives come to an end, we are remembered as a whole person, not just the parts we want others to focus on. We have the capacity to accept the full scope of a life with all its contradictions. That is what it means to be a mature human being.

In this time of deep anger and division, we should reflect on the words of Shotoku Taishi, the revered patron of Buddhism from 6th-century Japan, who said:

“Let us cease from wrath and refrain from angry looks. Nor let us be resentful when others differ from us. For all beings have hearts and each heart has its own leanings. Their right is our wrong and our right is their wrong. We are not unquestionable sages, nor are they unquestionably fools. We are both simply ordinary beings.”

His wise words, rooted in the Buddha’s teachings, encourage us to recognize our shared humanity and to live with humility and compassion for others, even those with whom we disagree. Prince Shotoku reminds us that our very existence depends on our relationships with others. When we honestly reflect on who and what we are, we realize our deep connection and mutual dependence on all things.

The Buddhist practice of loving kindness begins with ourselves and extends to all beings, including those we find challenging to love and care for. When we reflect deeply on our interdependent lives, we see that what harms one person likely harms others, and what benefits one will probably benefit many. This is how we should cultivate the empathy and compassion needed to help heal our deeply fractured nation and world.

Two-Headed Bird

In a teaching from the Amida Sutra, one of the three sacred scriptures of Shin Buddhism, there is a beautiful two-headed bird named Gumyocho that dwells in the Pure Land. Meaning “shared life,” the Gumyocho is said to have a melodious voice that sings the Dharma, guiding those who hear its song toward enlightenment.

According to legend, the bird’s two heads had very different personalities and desires. When one head was sleepy, the other wanted to play. When one was hungry, the other wanted to rest. Eventually, the two heads began to resent and hate each other.

One day, while one of the heads was sleeping, the other feasted on delicious fruits and flowers until he was full. When the sleeping head awoke, he wanted to eat too, but he was already full because they shared one stomach. He was angry that he could not enjoy any of the food. So, he took revenge by secretly poisoning the other head, which resulted in its death. However, he also suffered and died because they shared the same body.

As he was dying, he realized how foolish he had been. While he resented his other head, he failed to see that his own life depended on it. By harming his other head, he was also hurting himself. In the Pure Land, the Gumyocho sings, “The way which destroys others also destroys oneself. The way that keeps others alive also keeps oneself alive.” Through this story, the Buddha teaches that we are all living a life of mutual dependence.

However, it often feels as though we are living in vastly different worlds from one another. This clash of perspectives and values has led to the dehumanization of those we disagree with. The pain and hurt we continue to cause each other result in mutual harm. In our obsession with winning and being “right” at all costs, we have lost sight of our shared humanity. Despite our differences, we are part of one community, one nation and one world. We are one human family and our lives are bound together.

So yes, I do mourn the murder of Charlie Kirk as well as the many others who have been victims of political violence in our country.

I mourn all the innocent lives lost to uncontrolled gun violence.

I mourn our culture of anger and contempt toward those we disagree with.

I mourn the loss of empathy for those outside our own tribes.

I mourn the use of faith to justify discrimination and exclusion.

I mourn the rise of violent rhetoric and the intentional stirring of anger.

I mourn how our leaders are fueling the flames of division and hate.

I mourn the cynical exploitation of tragedy to suppress free speech and dissent.

I mourn for our inability to see our shared humanity.

I mourn the lives destroyed by a system that keeps failing us.

I mourn for our children and the world we are creating for them.

I mourn for our nation divided.

Tranform Suffering

Just like a lotus flower rises from muddy water to bloom beautifully, we can also transform our suffering into something greater. The Buddha shared with us a path of continuous becoming. Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to look inward and gain a deeper understanding of the workings of our own heart and mind. The Buddha’s path isn’t about escaping the ocean of suffering but about diving into it and immersing ourselves to be transformed. 

Just as a lotus flower cannot grow in clear water, we can’t grow without the “mud” of our lives. Our challenges, obstacles and hurts are the nutrients that help us grow. The Buddha’s teachings enable us to accept it all and turn the muck into a life of awakening. But we must intentionally choose to do this difficult work.

It is very easy for us to be consumed by anger. However, our unchecked anger and resentment will only lead to more suffering. The Buddha teaches that “Blood stains can not be removed by more blood; resentment can not be removed by more resentment; resentment can be removed only by forgetting it.” 

And as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned, “we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” We should deeply reflect on the words of the Buddha and Dr. King, which remind us that our path forward cannot be built on anger, contempt or violence. We should strive to respond thoughtfully and peacefully rather than react impulsively and violently in the days ahead.

Choice Is Clear

Perhaps we can finally understand what it truly means to be human through these tragedies before we destroy each other. Our choice is clear: We can become better versions of ourselves or remain trapped in resentment, anger and fear. 

It’s time to set aside these childish and selfish games, put on our big kid pants, and do the messy work of healing our broken and divided country before we face the fate of the two-headed bird. We can and must hold each other accountable because our future depends on it.

In closing, please join me in Gassho to recite the Name of Amida, the Buddha of all-inclusive wisdom and all-embracing compassion, with the aspiration to be better and do better in these troubled times. 

Namo Amida Butsu.