First Sunday Independence Day Democracy Observance
BCD is hosting a First Sunday Democracy Observance on July 5th at 11:00 a.m. ET. The event was initiated by member Morris Doshin Sullivan Sensei in conjunction with other Buddhist and interfaith organizations. The Zoom event will commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence at a time when our democracy is under threat and our people are being subjected to violent oppression by authoritarians.
Sensei Morris is a Zen priest in the White Plum lineage, chair of the Bright Dawn leadership council, and founding teacher for Volusia Buddhist Fellowship. He will lead the service, joined by Seth Zuihō Segall, Zen priest at Pamsula Zen of Westchester and BCD Coordinating Committee member. There will be additional speakers and recorded chanting performed by members of the First Parish of Watertown.
The observance will be based on the Zen Peacemakers Three Tenets: Not Knowing, Bearing Witness, and Taking Action and will include:
- Reflections from the speakers.
- Group recitation of the Metta Sutta, the Metta Prayer, the Gate of Sweet Nectar, and Feeding the Hungry Spirits.
- Bearing witness to those who have died at the hands of the country’s anti-democratic regime by meditating on their names.
There will be opportunities to share and reflect following the formal service.
To attend the service, click here.
Meeting ID: 868 5876 3648
Passcode: 354918
The event is free. Please consider supporting one or more of the participating organizations:
Buddhist Coalition for Democracy
Contact Morris Sullivan for more information.
