200 Buddhists seek karmic healing against anti-Asian hate at Antioch pilgrimage
By Ryan General
March 20, 2024
Hundreds of Buddhists convened in Antioch, California, in a bid to reconcile the city’s dark past with a vision for a more inclusive future.
Key points:
- On March 16, approximately 200 Buddhists from diverse traditions gathered in Antioch for the “May We Gather” pilgrimage, seeking to heal racial and religious wounds, reported the Associated Press.
- The event, held on the third anniversary of the Atlanta spa shooting targeting Asian Americans, involved attendees engaging in karmic healing ceremonies, offering prayers and memorial tablets for victims of hate and violence.
- Antioch’s history includes the mistreatment of early Chinese immigrants during the gold rush era, which was marked by sundown laws, racial discrimination and the burning of Chinatown.
The details:
- The pilgrimage took place at Antioch’s El Campanil Theatre, where participants offered chants and prayers at the altar of Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy and compassion. Four tablets resting at the altar bore the names of hate victims.
- The gathering included Buddhists from various countries, including China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Laos, Thailand, Tibet, India and Sri Lanka. Throughout the event, holy chants reverberated in multiple languages, including Pali, the ancient language closest to the one spoken by the Buddha himself.
- During the event, organizers drew parallels between the 19th-century treatment of Chinese immigrants and the recent surge in anti-Asian hate crimes. Duncan Williams, one of the event organizers, emphasized the importance of “a Buddhist response that draws on our teachings and practice” to heal racial trauma.
- Stop AAPI Hate co-founder Russell Jeung believes these Buddhist ceremonies help Asian Americans reclaim their traditions and heal from the “moral injury” caused by harmful rhetoric similar to Trump’s use of the term “Chinese virus.”
Tangent:
- Antioch was the first U.S. city to issue a formal apology for the mistreatment of early Chinese immigrant laborers.
- The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first law in U.S. history to restrict immigration specifically based on race.
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