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Buddhist community ponders apparent link between their faith and Navy Yard shooter??

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Comments

  • I am not surprised when disturbed people do disturbing things . . .
    Do you have to be sane to follow the dharma? It helps.

    Are you wounded? Crazy? Immature? A gun toting drinker? Lazy? Fearful? Self examination guys . . .
    Maybe we can add Buddhism to our skill set?

    Most of us are on a scale of insanity, the least crazy are using a degree of personal objectivity to recognise our afflictions and do something to move towards greater balance and sanity.

    Can I be calmer? Yes. Can I be kinder? Yes. Can I be saner? Maybe, maybe not. However I can try . . . it seems the sane thing to do . . . maybe . . . ?

  • blockquote class="Quote" rel="oceancaldera207">They leave those things on krustycrabs desk....I'm truly astounded.

    Sadly, it is true. I hve at least for a Buddhist, 14 in total. It is one person in a fairly big corporation, no one else, just the Buddhist. :) It has been going on for about 3 years so while it is not rare for me to find one, it is not very frequent as far as averages.

    I have ideas as to who it might be, but with no proof, and honestly I would be making an educated guess at best. I hear apologies for the trouble but it is basically shrugged off. To the HR department, it is not causing any great harm, just someone being over-zealous occasionally in placing a tract in my chair or on my desk. One of the HR people even said one day, 'Well, they are just worried about your soul." It is tolerated and I need a job, not had much luck finding anything better so what do you do?


    Wow...that's extremely fd up.:(
    Yeah the mindset that produces that...whatever it is... is so dark and oppressive. Ugh I feel like I need a shower.

    but really, I think it is serious in the sense that it creates an atmosphere of persecution. a person has the right not to feel harassed at work.



  • Sorry really messed up the blockquotes in that last post.
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator
    Regardless of what HR does or says, there are laws present in your state that usually are meant to prevent those kinds of things. Read up on the laws, and bring them to the HR person and tell them if they don't do something, you will. Or, at least read your company policies on harassment on the basis of religion and see if anything there can help you that you can take to HR.
  • I understand what both of you are saying karasti and oceancaldera207. I just know how things work there and people who cause waves often get pushed out of the boat. :) Laws against harassment are wonderful things, if you can afford to face the repercussions.
  • oceancaldera207oceancaldera207 Veteran
    edited September 2013
    That's why u talk to an attourney *first*. You've already done all you can by complaining to HR. @KrustyCrabs also contact local ACLU or better yet your state's civil rights division

    That is if you feel that you need to go that way.

    IMO, if you're feeling like you'll face repercussions for lodging a complaint, then there's something definitely rotten in denmark.

    (The preceeding post intends no offense to denmark or any Danes contained therein. All rights reserved C 2013 OC207 inc.)
  • Well, there is a great deal rotten in Denmark actually. :) I really appreciate the advice but long term prospects for someone my age are not good by going that route and I have some 'experience' with what others have tried to do and failed, shockingly failed.

    Plus, the darkness these people have will never be changed or have learned anything even if I succeeded. They would simply be worse wherever they wound up with the next person. It is truly a small price to pay when you consider the universe all around us.

    At the end of the day, I put on Queen and David Bowie with the song Pressure. It helps.
  • LeonBasin said:

    In the article they mention that individuals who are mentally ill, are more than likely to find Buddhism appealing. I find that statement a bit harsh? Not sure how to even explain it, as I'm a bit speechless? But at the same time I can see where they are coming from. I would like to discuss this with you guys.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/shooters-interest-in-buddhism-prompts-debate-about-stereotype-of-peaceful-faith/2013/09/18/f0ecd938-1fcf-11e3-94a2-6c66b668ea55_story.html

    The grass over the other side is always greener. Of course, Buddhism could be just appealing to people who are mentally ill and people who are not. But that would not necessarily mean that they are going to practise what Buddha taught. The shooter, you see, has broken one of the most basic precept.
  • Suffering is a great motivator. I wouldn't be practicing Buddhism if I had not developed my mental illness. I started meditating and reading books when I became mentally ill. It's said that you need a good mixture of suffering and wellness to study. If you are too well you just forget all about it. And if you are in a hell realm you are too overwhelmed to practice; I have a hard time meditating more than ten minutes in a stretch (sitting) because my body feels so terrible. I do 30 minutes a day broken up. It does help my body feeling, but I cannot do more than 10 in a sit (usually). Sometimes only 5 and then I finish up with walking meditation.
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    footiam said:

    ...

    The grass over the other side is always greener. Of course, Buddhism could be just appealing to people who are mentally ill and people who are not. But that would not necessarily mean that they are going to practise what Buddha taught. The shooter, you see, has broken one of the most basic precept.

    Well, as we've seen on this forum many times in the past, there are those here who would say that the Precepts are just training rules.

    That would not be me.

    But even so, if you take the first 5 Precepts, there is virtually no one here on this forum that has not broken various ones of them repeatedly. That does not mean those Precept-breakers are not Buddhist.
    KrustyCrabsNirvana
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    I heard on the news that Starbucks have asked customers not to bring in guns?
    I feel relieved to live in a place where I can go for a coffee without having to stare down the barrel of an assault rifle. :-/
  • I heard on the news that Starbucks have asked customers not to bring in guns?
    I feel relieved to live in a place where I can go for a coffee without having to stare down the barrel of an assault rifle. :-/

    I think you are being a little dramatic, people don't go out on the town carrying assault rifles. But if you know just how many people carried a gun you'd probably be surprised.

    Where do you live? In my state (Minnesota) it's perfectly legal to carry a handgun with the proper permit. Many states in the US are the same. Business are requires to post a sign on their front door indicating no firearms are allowed if they do not wish for customers to be armed.
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