[meteorite-list] The Deeper Wound

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From: Michael Casper <Michael_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:49:02 2004
Message-ID: <000c01c141db$6434a6e0$0200a8c0_at_Domain>

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The Deeper Wound

As fate would have it, I was leaving New York on a jet flight that took
off 45 minutes before the unthinkable happened. By the time we landed in
Detroit, chaos had broken out. When I grasped the fact that American
security had broken down so tragically, I couldn't respond at first. My
wife and son were also in the air on separate flights, one to Los
Angeles, one to San Diego. My body went absolutely rigid with fear.=20
All I could think about was their safety, and it took several hours=20
before I found out that their flights had been diverted and both were =
safe.
Strangely, when the good news came, my body still felt that it had been
hit by a truck. Of its own accord it seemed to feel a far greater =
trauma
that reached out to the thousands who would not survive and the tens of
thousands who would survive only to live through months and years of
hell. And I asked myself, Why didn't I feel this way last week? Why=20
didn't my body go stiff during the bombing of Iraq or Bosnia? Around the =

world my horror and worry are experienced every day. Mothers weep over=20
horrendous loss, civilians are bombed mercilessly, refugees are ripped=20
from any sense of home or homeland. Why did I not feel their anguish=20
enough to call a halt to it?

As we hear the calls for tightened American security and a fierce
military response to terrorism, it is obvious that none of us has any
answers. However, we feel compelled to ask some questions.

 Everything has a cause, so we have to ask, What was the root cause
of this evil? We must find out not superficially but at the deepest
level. There is no doubt that such evil is alive all around the world =
and
is even celebrated.

 Does this evil grow from the suffering and anguish felt by people =
we
don't know and therefore ignore? Have they lived in this condition for a
long time?

 One assumes that whoever did this attack feels implacable hatred =
for
America. Why were we selected to be the focus of suffering around the
world?

 All this hatred and anguish seems to have religion at its basis.
Isn't something terribly wrong when jihads and wars develop in the=20
name of God? Isn't God invoked with hatred in Ireland, Sri Lanka,=20
India, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, and even among the intolerant=20
sects of America?

 Can any military response make the slightest difference in the
underlying cause? Is there not a deep wound at the heart of humanity? If
there is a deep wound, doesn't it affect everyone?

 When generations of suffering respond with bombs, suicidal attacks,
and biological warfare, who first developed these weapons? Who sells=20
them? Who gave birth to the satanic technologies now being turned=20
against us? If all of us are wounded, will revenge work? Will=20
punishment in any form toward anyone solve the wound or aggravate it?=20
Will an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and limb for a limb, leave=20
us all blind, toothless and crippled?

 Tribal warfare has been going on for two thousand years and has now
been magnified globally. Can tribal warfare be brought to an end? Is
patriotism and nationalism even relevant anymore, or is this another =
form
of tribalism?

 What are you and I as persons going to do about what is happening?
Can we afford to let the deeper wound fester any longer?

 Everyone is calling this an attack on America, but is it not a rift
in our collective soul? Isn't this an attack on civilization from =
without
that is also from within? When we have secured our safety once more=20
and cared for the wounded, after the period of shock and mourning is=20
over, it will be time for soul searching. I only hope that these=20
questions are confronted with the deepest spiritual intent. None of=20
us will feel safe again behind the shield of military might and=20
stockpiled arsenals. There can be no safety until the root cause is=20
faced. In this moment of shock I don't think any one of us
has the answers. It is imperative that we pray and offer solace=20
and help to each other. But if you and I are having a single thought=20
of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment,
we are contributing to the wounding of the world.

Love,

Deepak Chopra

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<DIV>The Deeper Wound As fate =
would have=20
it, I was leaving New York on a jet flight that took off 45 minutes =
before=20
the unthinkable happened. By the time we landed in Detroit, chaos had =
broken=20
out. When I grasped the fact that American security had broken down =
so=20
tragically, I couldn't respond at first. My wife and son were also in =
the air=20
on separate flights, one to Los Angeles, one to San Diego. My body =
went=20
absolutely rigid with fear. All I could think about was their =
safety, and it=20
took several hours before I found out that their flights had been =
diverted=20
and both were safe. Strangely, when the good news came, my body still =
felt=20
that it had been hit by a truck.  Of its own accord it seemed to =
feel a=20
far greater trauma that reached out to the thousands who would not =
survive=20
and the tens of thousands who would survive only to live through =
months and=20
years of hell. And I asked myself, Why didn't I feel this way last =
week? Why=20
 didn't my body go stiff during the bombing of Iraq or Bosnia? Around =
the=20
 world my horror and worry are experienced every day. Mothers weep =
over=20
 horrendous loss, civilians are bombed mercilessly, refugees are =
ripped=20
 from any sense of home or homeland.  Why did I not feel their =
anguish=20
 enough to call a halt to it? As we hear the calls for =
tightened=20
American security and a fierce military response to terrorism, it is =
obvious=20
that none of us has any answers.  However, we feel compelled to =
ask some=20
questions.     Everything has a cause, so =
we have=20
to ask, What was the root cause of this evil? We must find out not=20
superficially but at the deepest level. There is no doubt that such =
evil is=20
alive all around the world and is even=20
celebrated.      Does this evil grow =
from=20
the suffering and anguish felt by people we don't know and therefore =
ignore?=20
Have they lived in this condition for a long=20
time?      One assumes that whoever =
did this=20
attack feels implacable hatred for America. Why were we selected to =
be the=20
focus of suffering around=20
the world?      All this hatred =
and=20
anguish seems to have religion at its basis. Isn't something terribly =
wrong=20
when jihads and wars develop in the name of God? Isn't God invoked =
with=20
hatred in Ireland, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Israel, Palestine, =
and even=20
among the intolerant sects of=20
America?      Can any military =
response make=20
the slightest difference in the underlying cause? Is there not a deep =
wound=20
at the heart of humanity? If there is a deep wound, doesn't it affect =

everyone?      When generations of =
suffering=20
respond with bombs, suicidal attacks, and biological warfare, who =
first=20
developed these weapons? Who sells them? Who gave birth to the =
satanic=20
technologies now being turned against us? If all of us are wounded, =
will=20
revenge work? Will punishment in any form toward anyone solve the =
wound or=20
aggravate it? Will an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and limb =
for a=20
limb, leave us all blind, toothless and=20
crippled?      Tribal warfare has =
been going=20
on for two thousand years and has now been magnified globally. Can =
tribal=20
warfare be brought to an end? Is patriotism and nationalism even =
relevant=20
anymore, or is this another form of=20
tribalism?      What are you and I =
as=20
persons going to do about what is happening? Can we afford to let the =
deeper=20
wound fester any =
longer?      Everyone is=20
calling this an attack on America, but is it not a rift in our =
collective=20
soul? Isn't this an attack on civilization from without that is also =
from=20
within? When we have secured our safety once more and cared for the =
wounded,=20
after the period of shock and mourning is over, it will be time for =
soul=20
searching. I only hope that these questions are confronted with the =
deepest=20
spiritual intent. None of us will feel safe again behind the shield =
of=20
military might and stockpiled arsenals. There can be no safety until =
the=20
root cause is faced. In this moment of shock I don't think any one =
of=20
us has the answers. It is imperative that we pray and offer solace =
 and=20
help to each other.  But if you and I are having a single thought =
 of=20
violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are =

contributing to the wounding of the =
world. Love, Deepak=20
Chopra </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Thu 20 Sep 2001 09:51:39 AM PDT

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