Francisco Toro from the Persuasion recently wrote a personal story by sharing his experience with a Buddhist monk in Japan while exploring the concept of mizuko-kuyo, a Buddhist ritual to mourn unborn children. Toro reveals his own family's silence about his brother, who would have been born with severe complications but was never brought into the world due to the illegal nature of abortion in Venezuela. He visits the monk, Yasui-san, intending to discuss mizuko-kuyo in the context of the abortion debate in the United States. However, Yasui-san surprises him by focusing on the grief and salvation of unseen children's souls rather than engaging in a political debate.

Toro witnesses Yasui-san's compassionate ritual, which involves chanting and releasing flower petals to create a path for the unseen child's soul to ascend to heaven. The ritual offers solace to grieving mothers who see their mizuko in dreams, reassuring them that their children miss them and want to be held. The author reflects on the stark contrast between the Western taboo against grieving aborted children and the compassionate approach of mizuko-kuyo in Japan.

Yasui-san emphasizes that while considering abortion a sin, he would never judge a grieving mother, as her pain and guilt are already deeply felt. His role is to help mothers and their children find healing and liberation from the weight of their grief. The author contemplates how a ritual like mizuko-kuyo could have positively impacted the lives of women who have had abortions in the West, providing a space for mourning and reassurance.

Toro concludes by sharing a story from Yasui-san about an elderly woman who, after more than 50 years, sought a mizuko-kuyo for her unseen child. The ceremony gave her a sense of healing and closure, as she was assured that her baby would ascend to heaven and they would be reunited.

This personal encounter with Yasui-san and his compassionate approach to mizuko-kuyo prompts the author to reflect on the potential for healing and understanding that could be found by embracing a more empathetic and nuanced perspective on abortion.

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