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When Disaster Strikes

by George Gatenby

This summer – or, winter in Japan - seems to have been an exceptionally distressing time for peoples living on the west Pacific Rim, both south and north. Just when we thought that the floods in Queensland and the terrible earthquakes in New Zealand were more than anyone could stand; the most appalling and indescribably distressing earthquake and tidal wave struck the north-eastern coast of Japan. As we all know now it extended its reach right into Tokyo and has drawn a most sour dividend in its effect on the nuclear facility at the Fukushimi Daiichi (No. 1) reactor. At first the Onagawa and Tokai Daini (No. 2) reactors seemed in danger, too.

What can we do in times like these and why do things like this happen?

For my part, I think events like the earthquake in Japan are so horrible and ghastly that it is just impossible to say anything. Really, the most effective thing to do is to focus on practical things. If we are near the situation, and if we are able, it is human and natural for most of us to do what we can to help those who have been less fortunate. People in Australia – especially those who had close encounters with bushfire, as anyone living in Adelaide has – know that when the clouds of smoke blow away, and the first day dawns, we eventually make our way into the hills to help our friends and loved ones begin to pick up the pieces of their traumatised lives.

There may be things to salvage, animals to bury, and aching hearts to soothe. Sometimes no one can say anything or do anything but share a couple of bottles of wine. In such circumstances just being together can help.

As time passes accommodation needs to be found and houses rebuilt. Before very long it is time to go back to work and pick up all the missing pieces of life. It is awful.

Sooner or later, because we human beings are remarkable for our resilience, there is a new house and life begins again. It will never be as it was before. Very often loved ones have been lost and mourning lasts for years – even throughout life.

The last thing anyone needs in times like this is pious moralising or the advocacy of harsh theories about vengeful gods or ‘Mother Nature’. As followers of Buddha Dharma, we bombu know that nothing is permanent. Yet, Shakyamuni, in his kind compassion understands that it is hard for us to accept that.

Sudden misfortune may befall them: all their possessions may be destroyed by fire, swept by floods, plundered by robbers, or seized by adversaries or creditors. Then gnawing grief afflicts them and incessantly troubles their hearts. (Larger Sutra)

Instead of saying that we should recognise the Four Noble Truths or utter pious ideas to people in distress, Shakyamuni suggests a sound and practical solution:

People of the world, parents and children, husbands and wives, and other family members and kinsmen, should respect and love each other, refraining from hatred and envy. They should share things with others, not be greedy and miserly, always speak friendly words with a pleasing smile and not hurt each other. [Larger Sutra]

It is also helpful to remember that natural disasters are impersonal events. There is no such thing as a vengeful god and nature does not have any emotions. People speak of ‘nature’s fury’ but this is ridiculous. Natural disasters are just mindless processes that follow one another in a causal chain determined by the laws of physics and chemistry.

Sometimes people may say that we experience the misery of natural disasters because of the law of karma. But, once again, although this is an immutable law, the Buddha makes it clear that the ‘range of karma’ is one of the ‘five inconceivabilities’. We are just not in a position to make such judgements.

There are certainly clear cause-and-effect relationships that we can discover in some cases. If someone lights a fire in the bush when there is a howling north-west wind on a dry day of 44 degrees Celsius, of course, it is likely to spread. Very often, though, we do not have the wisdom to understand such deep and inscrutable things.

I accept the law of karma without question – it makes sense to me - but there is no way that I can make a judgement about someone’s misfortune on that basis. I would only be expressing my true ignorance. Furthermore, there are certain inevitable facts about life: birth portends death, being human means there is nothing that can stop us getting ill if infected by a hostile virus, and wealth can always easily turn to poverty. We can be maligned and calumniated by mere gossip that is not based on any facts – our reputation destroyed. In such cases there is simply nothing we can do about it.

I believe that whatever happens in our lives we can live honestly and straightforwardly in the light of the power of Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow. Accepting his call in Namo Amida Butsu, we can live with a secure heart in the Buddha’s sure embrace. Dying, we will be born in the Pure Land and become a Buddha, returning to samsara to help others with the perfect wisdom of Amida.

What more can we ask? It is up to us to decide. There is no guarantee that life will be easy and without suffering. But how much easier it is to bear if we accept the purity and simplicity of the entrusting heart of Amida Buddha and say nembutsu - in times that are either happy or full of trouble?

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