Dear Beloved Asian American and Pacific Islander Community…

Posted on March 23, 2021

Dear Beloved Asian American and Pacific Islander Community,

As a community rooted in the ancient and living gifts of the Buddhadharma, members of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC stand, sit, and kneel with you in solidarity, compassion, and strength.

We deeply acknowledge the long history of anti-Asian racism in this country and the impact it has had over many generations. We strongly condemn the violent acts of hatred that occurred on March 16, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia as well as the historical, shameful use of anti-Asian rhetoric and sentiments that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and by racist, inflammatory language.

We grieve for the individuals whose lives were cut short, the families and friends who have lost loved ones, and the larger AAPI community that feels the pain of this tragedy in ways that others cannot. We hold you in compassion and love to grieve all those who have died and all those who lives have been shattered by hatred and violence. Our commitment to you is strong and unyielding.

We call on all of us to ally with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and to use what power we have to actively combat the sharp increase of anti-Asian violence, to stop hatred against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and to work to end the systems that support and encourage hatred and violence, especially white supremacy.

In sangha and in solidarity,

Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC

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If you are able, please join us this Thursday night, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. for a panel discussion with author Chenxing Han about her new book, Be the Refuge: A Celebration of Asian American Buddhist Voices.

Publisher’s Weekly writes, “In this impressive debut, [former] Buddhist chaplain Han offers an illuminating analysis of the intersection of race and privilege within American Buddhist communities.”