Was my late mother "evil"? Buddhist teachings on lifting the curse of good and evil through "Goen"
In this episode, we delve deep into the painful experience of a listener's mother dying by suicide and how to confront such tragedy from a Buddhist perspective, based on a heartfelt letter received from our audience.
The conversation begins with the premise that all humans are weak.
First, the host speaks gently, assuring the listener that there is no need to carry the burden of feeling like you are the only one who is weak. Even those who appear strong simply haven't encountered certain circumstances yet. This is a quiet, bar-like evening moment where we set aside the ruler of "good and evil" and instead re-examine our own hearts using the ruler of "suffering" that everyone carries.
The concept of "Goen" resonates deeply within the heart.
The discussion moves to Shinran's words, "If driven by the necessary karmic conditions (Goen), one is capable of any act." It suggests that when conditions accumulated from the past converge, one never knows what kind of actions they might commit. A perspective is presented that allows us to separate a person from their actions. There is a moment where the heart falls into silence due to a specific event discussed—please be sure to listen to the full episode to hear the rest.
* This summary is generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.