THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL EXCHANGE took place in the hours and days after the terrorist suicide attacks in America on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. The exchange began between members of the Meditation Circle of Charleston, West Virginia, in response to an initial request from a member that a special effort be made to conduct a loving-kindness meditation at the group's regular Sunday morning meditation that weekend in Charleston. The exchange has been edited and excerpted for length.

From: Doug
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 10:40 PM
Subject: Meditation suggestion

I suggest we put out the word to our members that the Meditation Circle will hold a special loving-kindness meditation on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. for anyone -- Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike -- to attend. I can give a loving-kindness meditation and we can do some meditation and then discussion. Or just sit in quiet in order to do what we can to add some peaceableness to the town -- and by extension, the world at large -- at this difficult time

It's a hard question: Does loving-kindness meditation include: "May those responsible for the yesterday's loss of life be well, happy and peaceful, may no harm come to them, may no difficulties last long?"

Yes, Joe, I'm afraid it does. I wouldn't state it quite that way, though: "May my enemies be well, happy and peaceful, may no harm come to them, may no difficulties come to them, may they have calm, centered minds. May they have patience, insight, courage and compassion in meeting the challenges of life..."

The Dalai Lama met with a Tibetan monk who had escaped over the Himalayas from Chinese-occupied Tibet. The monk met with His Holiness and told him all about how he was treated in Chinese prisons. And there was a most terrible time that came to him, the monk said. What was that? the Dalai Lama asked? When he was tortured? "When I almost lost my compassion for the Chinese."

I quote these words and stories and don't profess to know how to implement them in the face of such evil actions. (I can't imagine how I would feel if my wife -- who had planned to go to New York tomorrow for a trip-- had been there yesterday and had been caught in the conflagration).

Yet somehow we can't let ourselves be overwhelmed with negative emotions in the face of negative actions and horrific behavior -- we must try to bring ourselves out of the dream of hatred and spite and rage when we find ourselves in it.

Our job in such moments is to try to stay centered, and when we are able to engage in skillful action, engage in it -- so that we can help ourselves and so help those around us. And that includes even the most utterly confused in the world. Compassion -- even in the face of that ultimate and terrifying confusion that we call "evil" -- is part of the work. It has to be. Otherwise, it's just pretty, nice-sounding words.

Would I feel unhappy if Osama bin Ladan were nuked tonight in his bed? I wouldn't be upset. I feel that urge for vengeance and revenge. Yet do you feel better that Tim McVeigh was killed, does the nation feel "healed" because we ran poison into his veins and killed him? Did that solve the wound from Oklahoma City or did it just let us act as vengefully, in it's own tiny way, as the confused rage that led him to do what he did?

I don't really know the answer to these biggest of questions. I am glad American soldiers and others took killing instruments to stop the German war machine in Europe and Hitler.

But stopping the cycle of violence in this realm Buddhists call samsara must have to do with actions and choices we undertake in our own individual hearts and spirits.

PAGE 2: Chogyam Trungpa's cheerful assassination policy

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