All tremble at violence.
All fear death.
Seeing others as being like yourself.
Do not kill or cause others to kill. - Dhammadpade 129, tr. Fronsdal


The Buddha’s path of awakening relies on the moral force of non-harming, friendliness (mettā), and wise view. Only with these can we uproot the ancient patterns of hatred and fear that poison our hearts and destroy our communities.
“All tremble at violence;
All fear death.
Seeing others as being like oneself,
Do not kill or cause others to kill.”
In this verse from the Dhammapada, we are asked literally to see others. To see them as being like ourselves, who tremble at violence, who fear death. Who love their families, who struggle, who play, who long for freedom.
Racist violence not only destroys the lives of individuals and communities, it reminds us that the profound delusion of white supremacy still haunts our country.
Hateful ideologies like white supremacy rely on the belief that there is a fundamental difference in human nature between people of varying backgrounds and appearances. Recognizing that differences between people in their heritage, history, and color are very real conditions for oppression underscores the Buddha’s insight that the fear of such difference is at the heart of violence. When we see others as fully human, more like ourselves, and connect with our own vulnerability, how can we tolerate this kind of harm?
As the trial of the officer who killed George Floyd comes to an end, we extend our hearts to all those who bear the weight and ongoing oppression of white supremacy, and to Mr. Floyd’s family and community specifically. May the grief and rage of all those standing up for a world without racialized violence be an unstoppable force for change. And may all of our actions contribute to the healing of this deep wound in our social body - Spirit Rock Meditation Center