In these times of challenge and heightened uncertainty, we invite and welcome every person seeking refuge in the ancient teachings of wisdom and compassion to practice with our Sangha. The Mountains & Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism stands firmly against hatred and violence in all its forms.

Click here to read our Inclusion Statement.

About BFoD
In the summer of 2017,  there was an urgent call to action made from sangha members of color to Mountains and Rivers Order leadership to address lingering diversity and equity gaps in the Order. These problem areas—as outlined by the sangha members of color—were identified as lack of teacher diversity, dharma talk content, challenges while participating in intensive retreats and residences, mentorship, and interactions with white sangha members at both Zen Mountain Monastery and Fire Lotus Temple that left some sangha members of color with feelings of hurt and invisibility due to their social identities.

This call to action was promptly and open-heartedly acknowledged by Shugen Roshi and other monastics. And in October of 2017, a group of monastics, and lay sangha members who identify as white and persons of color gathered at Zen Mountain Monastery for the first time together to begin the initial work (under the guidance of professional facilitators) to transform our sangha so that is more inclusive and welcoming of all—regardless of how we are positioned in the larger society based on our varied social identities.

This Beyond Fear of Differences (BFOD) group—which became a wider extension of Beyond Fear of Differences work that had begun on a smaller scale a few years prior—continues working to critically assess the Order’s practices and to build a framework in which the entire sangha can participate in fostering transformation and growth.

Quick Link to Online Resources

Sangha Practice Groups

10 Values Guiding our Beyond Fear of Differences Work

1. Trust—Cultivating and earning a confidence that we are working toward our mutual well-being and liberation (Listen to a talk by Shugen Roshi on this Value)
2. Equity—To create just outcomes, we recognize that different treatment—including reparations—is sometimes required because of historical oppression and our varying positions in contemporary society. (Listen to a talk by Shugen Roshi on this Value)
3. Courage—The ability to step forward, be vulnerable, tolerate discomfort, and hold space for new ideas. (Listen to Part 1 and Part 2 of Shugen Roshi’s talks on this Value)
4. Accountability—The Sangha—teachers, seniors, monastics, Board, students, Councils, practitioners—are mutually responsible for upholding these values and communicating with each other. (Listen to a talk by Shugen Roshi on this Value)
5. Humility—Recognition of the depth of our own conditioning and the vastness of the path. (Listen to a talk by Shugen Roshi on this Value)
6. Reverence—A deep respect for each other’s humanity and identities, and the transformative power of the Buddhadharma.
7. Generosity—The willingness to embrace all our experiences of sangha with openness and appreciation; also the willingness to give and take in feedback on the impact of our actions as part of our dharma training.
8. Whole Person Framework—In our study and liberation of the self, we recognize that because our social identities are not experienced in isolation, they cannot be examined in isolation.
9. Cultural Fluency—Knowing that we live in a white supremacist culture and that our views are conditioned by power and privilege, we commit to our ongoing learning and understanding of each other’s cultural and ethnic identities.
10. Authenticity—Truly being connected with our emotions, expressions, and experience.If you have questions, or resources you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you:

If you have questions, or resources you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you: bfod@mro.org

Here are some other related resources:

• Gender Inclusivity and Pronouns
• Read our statements from June 2020 in response to the ongoing murder of Black people in our country
• Shugen Roshi’s Spring 2019 Ango Opening Talk
• ZMM BFoD Sangha Forum Livestream video
• ZCNYC BFoD Forum audio
• Tanya Bonner’s Diversity Proposal
• Resources for learning more about these issues, including online classes

Read The History of BFoD: An Annotated Timeline of the Beyond Fear of Differences (BFoD) Initiative. The BFoD Planning Group created this document in preparation for the Sangha Forum that happened at Zen Mountain Monastery on Sunday, March 3, 2019.

Beyond Fear of Differences Planning Group (2018)