(Prologue: I’ve got first-hand experience that a real understanding of the laws of karma can substantially change our lives for the better. I created this weblog to share information and personal experience with others. May it be beneficial!)

BOSTON, MA, March 05, 1770 The Boston Massacre — British troops kill five unarmed colonists and wound six others after the colonists hurled taunts and snowballs.

The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770, when British soldiers opened fire on colonists that were heckling a British sentry.

BOSTON, MA – Monday, April 15, 2013, 14h50 EST — two bombs explode near the finish line of the Boston Marathon at 673 Boylston Street

A Boston Marathon competitor and Boston police run from the area of an explosion near the finish line in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP Photo/MetroWest Daily News, Ken McGagh) MANDATORY CREDIT

Violence is rare in this picture-book city.

What would make two young men alleged to be the bombers perpetrate this horror? In this post, we’ll try to answer this question.

1.  Ignorance — The two killers don’t realize how bad this type of action is, or understand the karmic results that flow from such a negative action.
2. Karmic creation — Because of this ignorance, the killers perform the actual act of killing.
3. Consciousness — This factor includes the killers’ motivation, how strongly they feel about what they want to do, and their vizualization of the act step-by-step. Their feelings, and imagining the act, “nourish” the minds of the killers. Seeds of negative karma are now sown in killers’ minds and they will come to fruition at some point in the future.
4. Name and Form— The act of killing confirms the killers’ (ego) identity.
5. Six Senses — During the act of killing the killers’ senses are active – seeing, hearing, touching etc.
6. Contact — takes place when victim is actually killed by the weapon.
7. Feeling — how the killers feel – upset, pleased, neutral etc.
8. Craving or Adoption — Emotional indulgence is now full-blown. Their minds are fixated on the act and killers carry it out to the end.
9. Grasping or involvement — Killers becomes involved in the act because they want something, or want to avoid something. In other words, a self-indulgent reaction to their feelings takes place.
10. Becoming — Now that the killing has been committed, karma has been created.
11. Birth — Killers have given birth to consequences that will affect their future in a negative way.
12. Aging and Death — End of the act of killing.

<source: based on Thrangu Rinpoche’s schemata>

This is the mind of the killers.

It can make us question whether people are basically evil or basically good.

A video of the attack surfaced today showing the moment when the bomb detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The video captures the fiery explosion of one bomb and the thunderous boom of another. But it also captured something else. <source: click here>

Then the Boston Bodhisattva Warriors step forward. They are motivated by selfless and courageous service to others despite the possible danger to themselves.

Before the dust had settled from the explosion police officers and marathon runners were rushing to the scene to help those who were injured. No one knew at the moment what was going to happen next. No one knew if there would be another explosion. All they knew was that there were people who needed help and they rushed to help them. <source: click here>

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