Every time the young stick-up man tugged at my companion’s purse with his left hand, she would pull back, causing the muzzle of the pistol he held in his right hand to swing back and forth. Its line of fire each time was directed across my chest and if he accidentally or deliberately squeezed the trigger this piece might never have been written.

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There is no doubt that aware Buddhists, at least in theory, consider everything to be “forgivable.” There is no “unforgivable.” The most heinous sins or crime, which are listed as five—killing a saint, killing father, killing mother, breaking up the Buddhist community, and making a perfect Buddha bleed—are called “uninterruptible” or “immediate” sins.

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One of the fascinating aspects of the invasions and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan is how so many Americans, prodded by their rulers, have convinced themselves that U.S. troops are killing and dying to “protect our freedoms.” All across America — in churches, sports events, airports, and the like — people steadfastly maintain their sweet, innocent mindsets as they “support the troops” in their effort to heroically spread freedom, democracy, and the American way of life and protect Americans from the terrorists.

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“We’re going to talk about the policy of torture,” is what the radio producer said when she called me five years ago. “And you’ll have ten minutes to defend your side.”

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