Hello all.
It's my understanding that one of our members and also a member of our sister site, Bradford, has taken his own life. It's with a sad heart I report this news. While I don't have the particulars yet when I do I'll keep you all posted. Now I'll ask you to please keep his friends and family in your thoughts and prayers as it's now for them to bear the suffering of loss. My heart goes out to them tonight. May the living force comfort and awaken in them the realization that no one ever really dies who was loved well. Suffering and death touch us all and in that we are united. Whatever demons drove him to this are gone and now he knows peace.
There's a story about a women who upon hearing the Buddha had arrived in her town, rushed out to find him. Her young son had just passed away and she heard that he had the power to bring the dead back to life. When she saw him she threw herself at his feet and wept. \"Please my lord, restore my beloved son to life\" she cried. The Buddha looking on her with loving-kindness said \"my child, I will grant your request but first you must preform a task. Take from my this lotus leaf and have it blessed by someone in your town that has not known the suffering of loss.\" Overjoyed she took the flower and set out to the first home she found.
She knocked on the door and asked if anyone had ever died in their household, to this they answered \"Why yes my dear\". She continued on to the next house and received the same answer. On and on she went door to door and person after person it seemed were touched by death and suffering. Finally at the end of the day she went to the graveyard and set her son's body down in his grave, With tears and kisses she said goodbye to her beloved son and laid the lotus at his feet. The next day she returned to the buddha. \"Have you done the task I set forth for you my child?\" \"yes I have my lord\" she replied. From that day on she followed the buddha and reached enlightenment until her last day.
May we by the grace of the force of karma be blessed by his presence again in rebirth in this life or the next.
Namaste,
~Merin~
