On 11.11.11 over 100 people gathered in the University of Vermont Davis Center to meditate and chant the ancient sound, “Om.” Other people were doing the same in locations all around the world. This event was sponsored by the UVM Mindfulness Practice Center.

Can you find me in the picture? (I’m the one with the good posture, for once, in the right hand side of the picture in front of the column)

Nearby, in front of the UVM library, students were reading the roster of fallen soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afhganastan. The recitation would take eight hours to complete. On this Veteran’s Day, the juxtaposition of the karma of war with the karma of meditation was poignant.

While part of the “Mob” I reflected on the profound loss of life in these wars. Is it that difficult to imagine a world where such conflicts could be avoided? Perhaps, if our leaders spent time meditating in groups such as these they might appreciate the interconnectedness of life and not be so quick to send the young men and women of the Armed Forces to their deaths.