STATEMENT
The recent reports about acts of terror and harassment directed toward the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities, along with the ongoing work of the Black Lives Matter movement, bring to the forefront of our awareness the painful reality of the many forms of racism throughout the country. These include entrenched structures of systemic racism as well as continued acts of violence and harassment toward all People of Color, including Black and Indigenous peoples.
The leadership of Vajra Vidya Portland reaffirms our stand against all expressions of racism, beginning with the racial, cultural, and class disparities in our own community, which the Covid-19 pandemic has made disturbingly apparent.
As practitioners of the Mahayana dharma, we aspire to save all sentient beings from suffering. In this regard, we invite the members and friends of the VVP community to join us in rousing the heart of our bodhisattva commitment as we ask ourselves, “What am I going to do from here on to be actively antiracist?”
We continue to explore ways for our sangha to examine and practice with this complex and important question, as well as what VVP can do as an organization.
May we all have the courage to look deeply into our own hearts and minds.
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.