This is a call toward Palestinian liberation and for Jewish safety. A call for Jewish safety is a call for Palestinian liberation. One cannot exist without the other. Further, we affirm that all people are safest when we recognize each others’ humanity and loudly proclaim one another’s inherent rights to freedom. All people are safest when we reject the rigid separations that ideologies of oppression coerce us into.

 

We  join Palestinians, Jews, Israelis, and people around the world who are working towards peace in the world by calling for an immediate ceasefire.

 

May we call upon the beautiful wisdom, compassion, and generosity in our tradition, opening our hearts, minds and souls to the suffering in Palestine, Israel and beyond.

 

As practitioners, we vow to uphold the Buddhist precepts, our foundational ethical guidelines. The first precept states, “We do not kill.  We sustain life.” We are grateful for the clarity of our founder in the US, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, who once stated, “There will always be war, but we must always work to oppose it.” 

 

In this call for a ceasefire, we implicitly acknowledge the suffering of all beings in all places — in our temple, in the city of New Orleans, and in the countless conflicts around the world. We are committed to the ongoing effort of decreasing violence in ourselves and in the world, and we welcome all to join us in this work.

 

Mid City Zen Board of Directors

December 22, 2023