At this tumultuous time, with civil unrest gripping the nation, with anxiety and suffering due to the pandemic taking their toll, everyone at Tzu Chi USA extends prayers and support in a spirit of universal human kinship.

Our hearts are filled with profound sorrow about the senseless death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Communities across the United States are in pain and demanding change. The resulting protests express that at the core, all human beings understand the meaning and importance of equality.

As a Buddhist organization, Tzu Chi promotes compassion, harmony, loving-kindness, and self-awareness, and these qualities are of vital significance right now. More than ever, humanity is called to live and act according to the principle of treating others as we want to be treated, a maxim that appears in many world religions.

Our founder, Dharma Master Cheng Yen, is deeply concerned about everyone’s safety, and urges us all to “stay calm and always be mindful.” She also reminds us to carefully consider the impact of our actions on others, from our family, extending to our communities, country, and society at large.

Her heartfelt advice is that we “live piously and righteously with discipline and care.” And, she invites us to join together and “pray for all minds to be purified,” sincerely asking, “may society be peaceful, and may there be no disasters in this world.”