~We at SEBC affirm our commitment to inclusivity and living in harmony. Our values are based on Buddhist ethics, including nonviolence and reverence for life.
~We recognize root causes of suffering as greed, hatred, and delusion – both personal and collective/institutionalized. We aim to transform suffering through generosity, lovingkindness, and wisdom.
~We support: holding actions to prevent further harm; rebuilding structures and systems to sustain life; and shifting consciousness to recognize our interconnection (“The Great Turning”). Also known as: Block, Build, Be.
~We invite your participation, perspectives, and solidarity. May we stand stronger as Beloved Community. One Dharma.
Organizations:
- North American Buddhist Alliance (NABA) – Buddhists for Racial Justice, “Two ‘Calls’ – One Goal” and “Publications.”
- ARISE Sangha (Awakening through Race, Intersectionality, and Social Equity) “is a community of mindfulness practitioners and monastics who come together to heal the wounds of racial injustice and social inequity, beginning with looking deeply within ourselves and using the energy of compassion, understanding, and love in action.”
- Order of Interbeing – founded by Thich Nhat Hanh
- “In Search of the Enemy of Man” – “A letter to the Rev. Martin Luther King from Thich Nhat Hanh, sent on June 1, 1965.”
- Barre Center for Buddhist Studies:
Foundational books:
- Black & Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation & Freedom (2020) edited by Pamela Ayo Yetunde & Cheryl A. Giles
- The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness (2019) by Rhonda V. Magee
- Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out (2018) by Ruth King
- Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community (2017) by Larry Yang
- The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World (2006) by Donald Rothberg
- The New Social Face of Buddhism: A Call to Action (2003) by Ken Jones
Talks:
- Buddhism and Race Speaker Series archive – sponsored by Harvard Buddhist Community
- Videos of previous events from Buddhists Across Traditions, “a UK BPOC/BAME-centered collective (with white allies and currently white-led organisations) uniting Buddhist/Mindfulness groups in service of racial justice, social equity and healing.”
Online articles:
- “Making the Invisible Visible: Healing Racism in Our Buddhist Communities” (2000) – “first collection of PoC stories in the Dharma” (Yang, 2017).
- “Your Liberation is on the Line” by Rev. angel Kyodo williams
- “Confronting Racism wth Mindfulness” by Bhikkhu Analayo
- “Living Our Histories, Shaping Our Futures: Buddhist Practice and Anti-Racist Education for White People” by Jessica Locke
- “Power & Heart: Black and Buddhist in America” – “[T]wo panels of leading Buddhist teachers took questions about what it means to be a black Buddhist in America today.”
- “A Buddhist Cop’s Approach to Justice” – “While written in 2017, Maples’ perspective and questions are just as relevant today, if not more so.”
- “Racial Justice Is Everyone’s Work” – “We invite our readers to engage in the mindful interrogation of biases and fears surrounding acts of racism, police brutality, and protest.
“What is socially engaged Buddhism? It is Dharma practice that flows from the understanding of the complete yet complicated interdependence of all life. It is the practice of the Bodhisattva vow to save all beings. It is to know that the liberation of ourselves and the liberation of others are inseparable. It is to transform ourselves as we transform all our relationships and our larger society. It is work at times from the inside out and at times from the outside in, depending on the needs and conditions. It is to see the world through the eye of Dharma and to respond empathically and actively with compassion.” –Donald Rothberg and Alan Senauke