Rev. Danny Fisher

The Washington Post is reporting that 33 people at Virginia Tech have been murdered by a lone gunman, with at least another 24 injured. It is the worst shooting of its kind in U.S. history.

At this tragic and devastating moment, I would like to offer two things. The first is the Buddha’s prayer for freedom from suffering:

May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid,
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending
one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless,
fearful wilderness–
the children, the aged, the unprotected–
be guarded by beneficent celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

The second is a link to The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence/The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence. To join with this organization in their efforts to reduce gun violence, press this button:

Please hold the Virginia Tech community in your hearts and practice.

(From left to right) Miroj Shakya, Ven. Rinchen Gyatso, and me at the Mt. Baldy Lodge. Photo by Eldor Choriev.

Three cheers for my colleague, friend, and fellow blogger Ven. Rinchen Gyatso, who suggested to my roommate, another friend, and I that we get off campus and away from our computers for the night by taking a trip up to scenic Mount Baldy.

Mount Baldy–or, formally, Mount San Antonio–is highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains. (The nickname comes from the lack of trees around the summit.) For those of us interested in the history of Buddhism in America, the village of Mount Baldy is a special place indeed, as it is home to the eminent Mt. Baldy Zen Center. The center’s abbot, the truly remarkable Kyozan Joshu Sasaki Roshi, turned 100-years-old just two weeks ago (!). The center is also the sometimes home of one of my heroes, the great singer-songwriter-poet Leonard Cohen.

We didn’t visit the Zen center, but had a lovely dinner and went for a long walk until it was dark. I took some pictures, and I think a few of them turned out well. They’re below.