San Francisco Zen Center joins with others throughout the country to deplore the cruel practice of separating families seeking asylum at our borders.

We strongly support this statement—posted in an article by Sam Littlefair on the Lion’s Roar web site—from the Soto Zen Buddhist Association (SZBA) which has been signed by many of our leaders and teachers. The SZBA is also urging people to sign the petition which now has more than 2000 supporters.

Planned events:

• The SF Interfaith Council, of which SFZC is a member, has organized a vigil at Grace Cathedral on Thursday, June 21, 6:15 pm.
• There is a rally planned for Saturday, June 23 in San Francisco at the Justin Herman Plaza.
• SFZC sangha members are organizing a sangha presence for a San Diego rally on Saturday, June 23.

Tricycle published an article on June 20—”Buddhist Leaders Condemn Child Separation at US-Mexico Border” by Eliza Rockefeller and Matthew Abrahams—that includes statements from several Buddhist teachers, including our Central Abbess, Eijun Linda Cutts. Linda’s statement, which appears at the end of the article, reads:

The cruel separation of families is reprehensible, especially the act of forcibly taking children—of all ages—from their parents. The total lack of compassion and understanding of the suffering of these people, and the consequences of these actions, are truly astounding. The Metta Sutra says our practice is to cherish all living things “just as a mother at the risk of her life watches over and protects her only child” This callous policy creates harmful conditions for untold people and is rightly viewed by the world as ignorant and shameful.