01/27/2026
“All is burning. And what is the all that is burning?”
— The Buddha
Dear Friends, Family, and Sangha Members,
Many of us are feeling anger, grief, and outrage as we witness the recent immigration crackdown in the United States.
Both immigrants and non-immigrants have been affected. People have been harmed physically, mentally, and emotionally. In some cases, lives have been lost.
People have been deported—torn from their families, communities, and the lives they built through years of peaceful and meaningful contribution.
In moments like these, I return to the guidance of our teacher, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, who reminds us simply and powerfully: “Don’t lose your mind.”
In Buddhism, anger is one of the three poisons that generate suffering. It harms first and foremost the one who holds it. Anger is like poisoning your own water and hoping someone else gets sick.
A mind consumed by anger cannot serve a suffering world. The question is: How do we respond without adding more hatred, fear, or confusion to what is already burning?
Below are some antidotes to consider—practices that help us avoid poisoning ourselves and instead respond with clarity and compassion.
Let the emphasis always be on relieving suffering, not punishing enemies.
1) Start with the mind
Pray, meditate, or chant for both the oppressed and the oppressor. Both are caught in suffering. Both need our care.
This inner work is not passive. It is the ethical ground from which wise action grows.
Without it, even our efforts to help can unintentionally deepen harm. With it, healing becomes possible.
2) Practice bearing witness without turning away
Buddhism values seeing clearly.
• Stay informed without falling into doom-scrolling
• Allow grief to arise without shutting down
• Let discomfort soften the heart rather than harden it
• If demonstrating in person, do so peacefully
Bearing witness is not neutrality—it is presence.
*If the weight of witnessing becomes too much, it is okay to pause or limit your exposure. Care for yourself—but do not suppress or deny what is happening.
3) Take compassionate action
Support organizations offering legal aid, mutual aid, and humanitarian assistance to immigrants.
Donate to food banks in regions where fear has made basic necessities inaccessible.
4) Speak with care
Before speaking or posting, Buddhism invites us to ask: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? Is it timely?
Share your thoughts with family, friends, or online communities in ways that open possibilities rather than merely vent frustration.
• Speak truthfully
• Avoid dehumanizing language
• Do not inflame fear or hatred
• Address the humanity of those affected
Peaceful demonstration and compassionate speech can be forms of mental or psychological protection and healing.
5) Remember interdependence and impermanence
• Harm to one group conditions harm to others
• Systems arise from all sentient beings’ causes and conditions
• This, too, will change
Finally, when anger begins to rise, you may find it helpful to recite this prayer:
May those living in fear be protected.
May families remain whole.
May those causing harm awaken to compassion.
May my actions—small as they are—reduce suffering.
Sincerely,
Mordy Levine
President
Jigme Lingpa Center
