Pakistan: Where Is Our Compassion Now?

Pakistan, which arguably contains, somewhere within its borders, the ancient polity of Oddiyana, has been devastated by floods. So, to put that another way, the modern place many scholars reckon as inclusive of the ancient birthplace of Padmasambhava, has been laid to ruin by the water element.

The Christian Science Monitor reports: 

"The floods have killed nearly 1,600 people, left more than 4 million homeless, and in some fashion affected 20 million. Relating the situation in Pakistan to other high-profile natural disasters and conflicts, Oxfam’s humanitarian director, Jane Cocking, told journalists that this is 'a single, long event which has the scale of the tsunami, the devastation of Haiti, and the complexity of the Middle East.' "

But, for Pakistan, attention has been slow in coming. Some are of the opinion this is due to generalized compassion fatigue when it comes to Muslim nations -- which Pakistan most certainly is.

My own opinion is, "so what?" Whether these are Buddhists, Muslims, or people of any other faith, should not become any sort of yardstick by which we measure "how we ought to feel." These are human beings, just like us, and they are in a terrible situation right now.

I could have illustrated this brief post with a picture of devastation, of water-ravaged lands, and distressed refugees. I have chosen an image of Padmasambhava instead.

His mercy knows no limits, and neither should ours.