Q. Would you take sides of a country that is in war but not your own?

A. I hope I wouldn’t but it’s a very complex issue. Greed, hatred and ignorance (known as the 3 poisons in Buddhism) lie at the root of so much suffering in the world. We all experience these mental states to some degree in our everyday lives and in our own thinking. So taking responsibility for our own actions is an important step in changing ourselves and changing society. Actions have consequences - the law of karma.

One of the Buddha’s early teachings very much applicable to life today was:
Hatred does not cease by hatred;
Hatred ceases only by love.

According to the Dalai Lama many of the world’s conflicts start because we forget that despite the many differences in race, culture and faith people are equal in their basic wish for peace and happiness. Human nature is basically kind and good at heart. There must always be hope that the situations that lead to war will change.

Jan McHarry
Involved in the London Buddhist Centre