Like so many others, my heart really goes out to all those affected by these fires, human, animal or other organic form.  

Last Friday at 7 pm there was a 3-minute prayer for rain, asking us to imagine sheets of water deluging down, putting out fires, soaking into the ground, preventing fires spreading, bringing relief.  And rain did come to some of the affected areas.  I’ll be doing this again, every Friday until the end of the bushfire season, praying for rain for the affected areas in Australia.  will you join me? 
Tejasvini 
 

Receiving all metta into our sad hearts here in Australia. Many of us have received open hearted responses of care from other sangha members all around the world checking in with us. Sangha in action. 
I saw a drawing recently depicting a group of traditional superheroes, Superman etc, greeting a tired, ash covered Australian volunteer firefighter with a simple caption “welcome to the club.”
These everyday workers have left their office desks, classrooms, businesses, studies, farms, families  etc and have been on the fire frontline for months. You see their tiny forms in media pictures sometimes in the front of monsterous walls of flame, putting their lives at risk to save others. They have collectively saved thousands of homes and lives.  
Some will struggle to ever fully recover from what they have witnessed during this time on the frontline. Some have lost their lives and left small children and family members at home devastated.

I heard a story of a bush apiarist who, when going back into a burnt landscape to check on his hives, took up the offer of help from young student apiarists. However, these students were so traumatised by the ongoing sound of the cries they heard in the bush of the badly burnt animals that were still alive, the beekeeper had to arrange counselling for them after that day and drop the idea of students helping on further trips. 

I am so grateful for my connection with the three jewels at times like this. The dharma gives a cosmic perspective and meditation practices provide welcome support in the face of this immense suffering, without freezing up completely. I hope our government wakes up to the ‘cries of the world‘ so clearly evident from the people in this country protesting on the streets to the devastated animal populations and the blackened bush.

And whilst Australia faces this tragic event I am also very aware of other significant painful events happening around the world. The tonglen practice sharpens the heart to take what we are experiencing and utilise the tenderising of our own hearts to raise our awareness of others in the world also experiencing catastrophic events.  Metta to all those suffering  
In the face of tragedy we still have the amazing resilience and bravery of everyday human beings that definitely fosters hope. So many instances of love, connection, kindness and generosity are also happening in our blackened countryside. 

Although the bush fire catastrophe in Australia is absolutely worthy of our collective attention and Metta, I find myself a bit troubled by this particular appeal when there is so much silent suffering in so many other places in the world as well, the ongoing but largely forgotten atrocities in Syria, for instance, and the loss of 180-odd people in the aircraft shot down over Tehran the other day. I’m sure this wasn’t the intention but it does look a bit like Australia is being singled out because the people affected are wealthy white folk. Is it also the sheer scale of the loss of animal life that has tipped the balance? The Amazon fires didn’t elicit this kind of response in my memory. Now this video has been published it will look like double standards not to do something similar in response to every other catastrophe. And, let’s face it, there are going to be many more. I’m sorry to hit a discordant note here, but feel there’s an important principle at stake.

Thanks for this initiative. It’s great to read all the comments posted.

Last weekend I led the Order Metta at Adhisthana and started with the Australian bush fires, and then drew on the Buddha’s metaphor of the world being on fire asking all of us to engage with metta just like an firefighter might engage with the bush in Australia - knowing life was dependant on it.  The shrine room was fairly full, with the resident community and the members of European Chairs Assembly. It was a poignant way to start our bi-annual Chairs meeting.

I’m thinking of you all, over there facing such devastation.

Aryajaya, James and Shubhavyuha, friends from Adhisthana and Australia, I was very moved by your joint reminder of the great suffering caused by the bushfires. I know from experience what comfort and support comes from waves of metta, and in our chapter this afternoon we share remember you and send metta to all those affected by the fires. Love, Dharmavajri