VIDEO: 8.9 Magnitude Earthquake, and Tsunami Rattles Japan.

May all beings be happy and safe. May they have happy minds.'

Let him not perform the slightest wrong for which wise men may rebuke him. (Let him think:) 'May all beings be happy and safe.

May they have happy minds. Just as a mother would protect her only child with her life even so let one cultivate a boundless love towards all beings. Source link: Access to Insight.

---Excerpts from the Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Discourse on Loving-kindness---

James: That footage is shocking, yet humbling as to the small nature of man in the face of the greater picture of nature. I was amazed at the fire burning atop of the tsunami waves crashing into the Japanese countryside. The size of the tsunami makes the boats look like toy boats tossed around in the wake of a bathtub filling with water. It's surreal to be sure.

I send my heart and loving-kindness energy to the Japanese people in this hour of need and turmoil. May the loss of life and suffering be as minimal as possible. May those who survive, find peace in their minds in the wake of this devastating and mentally shocking disaster. May those who lost loved-ones be comforted and shown deep compassion.

May we around the world open our hearts and wallets to give freely of our good fortune to help our brothers and sisters in Japan. We are all one and will get through these disasters as one. May we reach out with our loving energy to hug the people of Japan in our caring arms and minds. We must not ignore their plight and needs, for to do so is to ignore our own humanity.

How to help: The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, one of the biggest charity groups in Taiwan, announced earlier in the day that it has set up a command center to prepare for launching relief aid to Japan. Click on this sentence to access their page to donate money for earthquake relief and aid. The Tzu Chi Foundation is a reputable organization that can be trusted with your money. It looks, however, like the donation is by phone--I'll look for an online donation option and update if I find it. UPDATE: A specific Red Cross page for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami has finally but set up. Click here to access page.

~Peace to all beings~

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Illinois Becomes 16th State to Abolish Death Penalty.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a death penalty ban into law on Wednesday, making Illinois the 16th state to end capital punishment. Quinn also commuted the sentences of the 15 inmates on death row in the state. Instead, they will serve life in prison without parole. The ban on executions will take effect July 1. -by Jennifer Epstein for Politico.

James: State sponsored killed is the wrong way to show people that killing is wrong. Seriously, why do we kill people to show other people that killing is wrong? I believe that life in prison without the possibility of parole is a just, yet humane punishment as it avoids that taking of a life while ensuring that they will never kill again. It also gives them plenty of time to think about the horror and pain that they have caused.

They say that time heals all wounds, and I think there is some truth to that phrase. I've seen plenty of documentaries about men on death row who are older now and speak of how much they regret their previous actions. I've seen hardened criminals cry like a baby as an old man at the suffering they causes for their victims, themselves and the criminal's family.

Ending the death penalty is also a cheaper policy than maintaining a death row. As it turns out, it's ten times cheaper despite most people thinking the opposite says Donald McCartin, a former California jurist know as, "The Hanging Judge of Orange County." This from an article by the Associated Press.

And, what of the moral cost to the individuals that we task with the actual killing of the prisoner? I saw a documentary on the death penalty that interviewed several former executioners for prisons who are now emotionally scarred and experiencing nightmares from their former, grisly jobs. If we couldn't kill a person ourselves then how can we ask someone to do it for us and act like that blood isn't on our hands? And, what of the innocent blood that has surely been spilled from executing an innocent person? It seems we can't go a month without hearing someone being exonerated from prison after 20-30 years thanks to DNA evidence.

We can not hope to heal our society of violence when we are sanctioning it's practice in our name via capital punishment. It is my hope that all states in the U.S. move in this enlightened direction.

~Peace to all beings~

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