On Friday, September 15, 2017, more than 110 Buddhist teachers from more than a dozen countries united to call upon Buddhist leaders in Myanmar to help stop "systematic violence and abuse directed against hundreds of thousands of our Muslim sisters and brothers in Myanmar’s Rakhine state."

Letter: Lion's Roar: Buddhist Wisdom for Our Time has brought to our attention a letter from Buddhist teachers and practitioners who are "greatly disturbed by what many in the world see as slander and distortion of the Buddha’s teachings." We are moved by and grateful for their powerful message. They draw a stark contrast betweeen compassionate Buddhist teachings and the murder, beatings, starvation, rape, and now exile being inflicted upon the Rohingya, whose homes are being systematically torched behind them as they flee.

And so we pray this news ...

We lift our voices to You who are a Wish-fulfilling Jewel, in profound sorrow over the suffering of our Rohingya sisters and brothers and in gratitude for all who are taking a stance of conscience against perpetrating genocide. It is at times like these that we come to fully appreciate how blessed we are to have received the teachings of wise beings throughout the ages that point the way to dispelling the miseries of the world.

May all who are taking a stance be given fresh strength to continue. May we remember, along with the courageous signatories of this call to action, that "the rain of Buddha’s compassion falls on all beings equally." And may our deeds reflect this understanding, both in bringing sorely needed aid to refugees and in continuing to urge the government and military of Myanmar to have a change of heart.

This we pray in the name of Mercy.

Amen.


Next Post: A Non-verbal Prayer for Taming a Hurricane