Mom kills 4 of her kids and their dad: Karma

AP.org; Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly (COMMENTARY)

It used to be that you could count on a few things, like a mother's love. It used to be that men were the killers for the most part even though all are capable of such a catastrophically demeritorious action, will and carried out, stored up to come to fruition in the future.

(Going to jail is not the fruit or phala of it, for its fruit is yet to ripen along with mental consequences called vipaka, which may begin right away with remorse, regret, and restlessness -- worry and confusion as to what will happen). But the Buddha warned that there are thee terrible things, three poisons of the heart/mind, three roots of all unwholesome deeds (karma). And without rooting these out, we are subject to them at varying levels until we brig ourselves to ruins, as in this case.

Once the Buddha pointed out that for a charioteer guiding horses, when they veer off, reins them in. The others are only holding the reins; they are no "charioteers" at all. In just the same way, when our emotions spin all out of control, like wild horses, we must rise to the occasion and be charioteers. The three terrible things, the poisons, the roots of all bad karma are:

1. Greed (attraction, lust, craving)
2. Hatred (fear, anger, aversion) 
3. Delusion (wrong views, ignorance, confusion).

The good news is that there are three wholesome roots also operating, and this is not the end of the world as it must seem sitting in jail facing court and multiple life sentences. There is still the opportunity for 

1. Nongreed (generosity, unselfishness, letting go)
2. Nonhatred (courageousness, loving-kindness, forgiveness) 
3. Nondelusion (right views, mindfulness, clear comprehension).

There are only a handful of deeds that have to ripen at a certain time in a certain way. For all of the others, there is a chance to mitigate and mollify them, to store up tremendous amounts of merit now while there's still the chance -- while we can still get to hear or read the Enlightened Teachings, have access to the mostly unknown Workings of Karma (a law, regularity or, better said, a "norm" and compelling tendency of the universe).

Readers may accuse us of going easy on her , and we are. There's no reason for us to join the chorus of condemnation. Nor should anyone cheer on or speak in praise of revenge, painful punishments, killing in retribution or such horrors. Things are not made better by more killings. The murderer is likely to ruin herself with regret and many, many consequences, in this life and lives to come.

Socially, how could we blame her anyway. Does one decry a slave who strikes back at a cruel slave driver? With the sexism of this society, it's hardly a surprise that sometimes women have had enough and go to extremes to put a stop to it.

 

Mother charged with killing 4 of her kids and their father

Alleged family KILLER, Isabel Martinez (AP)

LOGANVILLE, Georgia (AP) - Four young children and their father were found slain in a home outside Atlanta early Thursday, and police say the mother -- now charged with their deaths -- was the one who called 911 to report the killings.

(July 07, 2017) The five were apparently stabbed to death. A fifth child, a girl, survived and was hospitalized with injuries described as serious, police said. The woman was detained by police after the bodies were found inside the home in Loganville, Gwinnett County police Cpl. Michele Pihera told reporters at the scene. Police later charged 33-year-old Isabel Martinez with five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault.

Oops! Mara gets the better of some people.

"She was quickly taken into custody and right now she's at Gwinnett County Police Headquarters being interviewed," Pihera said. Police have not said whether she was injured and said a motive wasn't immediately known.

"Right now we believe we have everybody involved in this crime," Pihera said, adding that she does not want people in the community to think that a dangerous person is at large. Pihera confirmed that the 911 call came from an adult woman who was inside the home. Pihera says police believe the suspect made that call.

Pihera said the caller was speaking Spanish, which initially made it difficult for 911 operators to communicate with her. The county sheriff's office said Martinez is being held for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement but didn't provide further details.

Early indications are that a knife was used to attack the five, though a medical examiner will make the final determination about the cause of death, Pihera said. The hospitalized girl was still alive Thursday afternoon, police said in a brief update on the case. ... More