Apocalypse as a metaphor for compassion
This morning I woke up cranky and started thinking about apocalyptic stories, particularly the one in Mass Effect 3, and wondering if there's a way in which they allow us to deal with our own sadness for the suffering we can't fix in the world, and therefore open a path for us to become more compassionate. The game starts with Earth under attack from an alien machine race known as the Reapers, who have come to wipe out all sentient, organic life in the galaxy. Massive robots rain down from the sky. Billions are killed. In the midst of my bad mood, that felt comforting. I thought of Commander Shepard in the opening sequence standing in the open door of the Normandy and watching a small fraction of the evacuation, only to see the evacuation shuttles shot down a moment later. She must turn away from the destruction and go look for help for Earth. Here's a short video of it (even if you're not into games, I think you'll find it moving). This scene reminded me of a quote from the Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa: "Hold the sadness and pain of samsara in your heart and at the same time the power and
Continue Reading