Black Lives Matter. We grieve for the loss of lives of George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Eric Garner. Tamir Rice. Trayvon Martin. Sandra Bland. Oscar Grant. Philando Castile. Walter Scott. Terence Crutcher. Samuel Dubose. Michael Brown… and so many others… We stand in solidarity with our Black community who has been again subject to racism, pain, suffering and brutality. This happens as we grieve for the 100,000 people who have died of COVID-19 which has disproportionately affected communities of color.

We are committed to searching our hearts and minds, learning and educating so that racism and all forms of hate are cut at their root.

We are committed to fostering resilience and to providing education in the fundamental tools needed to create communities in which people of all races and ethnicities can live in safety and dignity including Black, Brown, Indigenous, Trans and Queer People:

Self-Awarenesss. Self-Regulation. Healing Trauma.

Empathy. Compassion.

Communication. Collaboration. Education. Altruistic Action.

Faith communities each respond in their own ways to times of tragedy. As a Buddhist community led by an indigenous woman of color, we regard diversity issues as core to understandings of the Buddhist philosophy of emptiness, compassion and interdependence. There are so many actions needed for the world to change, at Ngakpa Intl. we work together to contribute to that change through raising awareness, providing education and empowerment of all those we serve.

Read Pema Khandro’s Letter here: https://pemakhandro.com/black-lives-matter/

Resources:

By Remembering Our Sisters, We Challenge Police Violence Against Black Women and Legacies that Eclipse these Injustices. By the Association of Black Women Historians Click Here

Video: Dr. Robin DiAngelo discusses ‘White Fragility’

Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger by Lama Rod Owens

Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation by angel Kyodo Williams,

Lama Rod Owens and Jasmine Syedhullah

Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out by Ruth King

Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community by Larry Yang 

From BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation, by Keeanga-Yahmatta Taylor

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin Diangelo

How To Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide, by Crystal Fleming

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.