Morocco earthquake: a message from Karmapa

September 11, 2023

Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, shares this message following the earthquake in Morocco:

A transcript of the letter follows.

Dear Dharma friends,

I am writing this message following last Friday’s earthquake in Morocco, the strongest to hit the nation’s centre in more than a century. It is with profound regret and heartfelt sorrow that I have been following the tragic consequences of this recent natural disaster: nearly 2,700 people have been killed, with the death toll expected to rise further over the coming days and weeks; and over 2,500 injured – not to speak of all those still unaccounted for, or the countless individuals who have lost the very basis of their existence.

As I am writing these words, rescue teams in Morocco continue to search for survivors in the rubble, doing their best to reach even the most isolated communities. Many are still praying for a miracle, hoping against hope to be reunited with their missing loved ones.

When impermanence strikes in such a brutal way, it is quite challenging to come to terms with it, and words can hardly do justice to how we feel. We have a sense of helplessness in the face of such overwhelming suffering, because we feel unable to do anything about the pain and grief directly.

Nevertheless, what we as Dharma practitioners can always do is offer support by dedicating our practice, prayers and merit to all the victims of this, and any other natural or manmade disaster.

So therefore, dear Dharma friends, let us extend our prayers and wishes to the deceased, the bereaved and those rendered homeless alike, and let us hold them all in our heart and in our thoughts.

Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa