The closer it gets the greater is the pain. The further it is the lesser the pain.

A war far away in Ukraine is news ,
It is disturbing,
but it is yet news,
we can have our debates and point of view,
we don’t suffer,
we go to sleep well.

When we have a close one stranded in that war ,
it is no longer news ,
because it is closer home,
we cannot sleep any longer,
every moment hurts,
we wait for any positive news,
we wait for our loved one to come back home,
we want to do what we can to help them,
and if we cannot do anything,
we cry , we suffer.

Why ?
Because this is not just news ,
it is one of our family that is involved.

No war is good ,
children dying can never be good for any parent,
a spouse dying is hard for any partner,
a parent dying is difficult for children,
a home being blown away if it is ours can break us , it is not just some bricks , it is love.
All this is happening in a war , right now in our world.

Bodicitta is a Buddhist practice of compassion,
of feeling the pain of others,
can we feel the pain of those who are in the war now ,
those who have lost a loved one ,
those who have lost their home ,
those who face an uncertain night today as we sleep.

Taking in the pain of others will not ever reduce our pain ,
we need to understand we are all connected as one,
that was the lesson of the pandemic we have quickly forgotten.

It is not just about this war but every war is wrong,
let us pray that this war ends soon.