18 March 2019

The Christchurch Diamond Sangha Zen community is deeply shocked and dismayed at the violence perpetrated by ignorance and hatred against loving families who have come together to open their hearts to the miracle of life on a Friday afternoon in a beautiful city. At that moment children, mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers were slain by a gunman as if in an act of sport.

We stand for religious tolerance and freedom to meet and experience the miracle of life through whatever religious or non-religious frame that inspires compassion. No religion has exclusive rights to kindness, and kindness is not restricted to religion. And so, we walk our path of kindness hand in hand with people of other religious faiths and also with those who choose no religious context for their efforts to alleviate suffering.

We do not tolerate hatred, nor its expression in violence, nor its access to tools of mass violence. We as a religious group will join with others - and especially other religious groups to support more stringent gun control, more education about religious tolerance, more compassion to alleviate suffering, more understanding of the common threads that bind us as a global community, and compassionate yet assertive resistance to hatred, ignorance, and greed in any circle of leadership.

Our own practice focuses on transforming hatred into love, ignorance into wisdom, and greed into generosity. All religions and all cultures share the common language of silence. In this silence we are not separate. And we express this universal connection in thoughts, words, actions, and livelihoods of kindness and generosity. We extend these to you as our Muslim sisters and brothers. We welcome the opportunity to explore and share what we have in common, to walk a diverse yet common path together. We begin by offering practical support right here, right now. Please tell us what you need most.

We respect you, we value you, we support you.

With the universal love that binds us all, forever your friends,

ends

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