Just as Sakyamuni Buddha, thousands of years ago, spoke out against the caste system, we at Dharma Drum Vancouver Centre decry all violence, racism and unjust treatment of individuals, and all systems that preserve power, privilege and opportunity for the few. Unfortunately, we see many examples of such injustices in our society, including:
– violence against Asian people,
– oppression of indigenous peoples,
– systemic racism towards BIPOC peoples,
– unjust treatment of LGBTQ individuals, and
– entrenched biases against women
We see the root of these injustices stemming from the three poisons─greed, hatred and ignorance that are deeply seeded in our minds. Our commitment at Dharma Drum Vancouver is to uproot, in ourselves, the seeds of these three poisons to end our suffering, and to help others to end their suffering as well. This is how we can contribute to the well-being of our society today, and to the people who will follow us.
We believe that diversity and acceptance are cornerstones of wisdom and compassion. Dharma Drum Vancouver is a safe place of peace and inclusion, where all are respected and honoured. In this place of respect and peace we seek wisdom and compassion, and practice using them to inform our thoughts, speech and actions. We believe that our actions, however small, are all significant in shaping the reality we experience. Through cultivating a compassionate heart of genuine acceptance and a wise mind that sees the commonality of all humanity, each of us in our day-to-day lives can aim to build a more peaceful and accepting world.
Below are some useful resources that we can use to report the crime, protect and educate ourselves:
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Guide for bystander intervention
https://www.ihollaback.org/app/uploads/2016/11/Show-Up_CUPxHollaback.pdf#inbox/_blank -
Call it out: a 30-minute education eCourse on racial discrimination and human right protection by Ontario Human Rights Commission
http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/learning/elearning/call-it-out#inbox/_blank - Report a hate crime.
- 1) To make a report, call the non-emergency number for your local police department, or visit your local police department to make a report in person. Find your local police department or RCMP detachment here.( https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/policing-in-bc/bc-police-forces)
- 2) The Elimin8hate reporting centre collects data on incidents of racism, hate and violence experienced by the Asian diaspora in Canada.
https://www.elimin8hate.org/fileareport - 3) Report Hate Crimes in BC
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/multiculturalism-anti-racism/anti-racism/reporthatecrime