Engaged Buddhism
Responding with clarity and compassion during challenging times.
Actions, Resources and The Dharma of Engaged Buddhism
Updated Regularly with New Listings at the Top___________________________
**Listings with two asterisks are upcoming events of
the Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition**
**November 25, 5 pm - 6 pm, Faith Vigil, Old Courtyard Square, Santa Rosa
November 1 and 2, 11am–9pm, Día de los Muertos, Old Courthouse Square
Join us for two days filled with music, culture, tradition, food, and community. Come celebrate with us as we honor and remember our loved ones and keep our traditions alive. Bring your family and friends and be part of this beautiful celebration!
Singing Resistance mobilizes people to take action through song to protect what we love, while building a culture based in belonging and solidarity. We are an essential and growing part of a mass movement to defeat authoritarianism in the US.
In Support of No Collaboration with ICE
Reverend Chris Fortin with the Sanctuary Coalition Interfaith Leaders “A Zero Collaboration Policy with ICE needs to be enacted for the well-being and protection of our vulnerable neighbors. Please look and listen deeply, and let the Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff know that if they are to act in our name, it must be with wisdom and compassion that cares for us all.” Read the entire piece HERE.
DONATE to the Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition (5013c).
CA U.S. Senators | Support Democratic Ideals
Senator Alex Padilla: DC phone: 202.224.3553 | SF phone: 415.981.9369
Senator Adam Schiff: DC phone: 202.224.3841United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
CA U.S. Representatives
Representative Mike Thompson: Congressional District 4 | 707.542.7182
Representative Jared Huffman: Congressional District 2 | 415.258.9657Sonoma County Supervisors, Phone: (707) 565-2241
District 1: Rebecca Hermosilla, district1@sonoma-county.org
District 2: David Rabbitt, district2@sonoma-county.org
District 3: Chris Coursey, district3@sonomacounty.gov
District 4: James Gore, district4@sonomacounty.gov
District 5: Lynda Hopkins, district5@sonomacounty.govInformation from Debi and Beth about the Immigration Family Accompaniment ProgramStanding in Solidarity with Palestinian Buddhist Peace Activist Mohsen Mahdawi during the Ongoing Violation of His First Amendment Rights (2026)
ACTIONS
RESOURCES
The Racial and Social Justice as Dharma Practice Group is committed to study, intimate investigation and conversation, and embodied bodhisattva practice to actualize personal and collective freedom for all beings. There will be openings in January 2027. Let Crhis know if you are interested. There is a 6 month commitment.
To Starve a Whale: Letter from a Hot Planet by Rebecca Soltnit
What is the United States of America now? by Rebecca Soltnit
Hear Chris speak at the Caminato March protesting immigration enforcement. Chris starts about 2 minutes into the story. And here are wonderful pictures of the event.
Buddhistdoor View: Beyond the Dichotomy of Political Engagement and Detachment
From Ben Connelly: MARCH is sending delegations to Texas to build connections, to care for our stolen neighbors, and to block the federal pipeline of people from Minnesota to Texas detention centers.
Meditations in an Emergency by Rebecca Soltnit
Raizes Collective is an organization based in Santa Rosa which launched in 2015. Our mission is to mobilize and empower the community through arts, culture, and environmental education.
Letters to An American: a newsletter written by history professor, Heather Cox Richardson, about today’s political landscape that explores what it means, and what it has meant, to be an American.
Jewish Voice for Peace: they are organizing a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews into solidarity with the Palestinian freedom struggle, guided by a vision of justice, equality, and dignity for all people.
North Bay Rapid Response Network (NBRRN): The network provides a 24-hour hotline - 707.800.4544 - to immigrants facing a raid by federal immigration agents.
Sonoma County Secure Families Collaborative: The backbone organization to a network of 8 partners who provide pro-bono legal services, social services, and mental health support.
350.org: Focused on climate, this is a movement made up of ordinary people taking action in several ways, from quick online action to deep organizing and campaign leadership.
Third Act: Harnessing generational power to safeguard climate and democracy.
Gaza Children’s Fund: An information and funding site to help the children of Gaza.
THE DHARMA OF ENGAGED BUDDHISM
From the Walk for Peace Monks at The Lincoln Memorial on February 10, 2025
Today is going to be my peaceful day
May every nation live in safety, civility, and dignity - free from fear, chaos, and unnecessary suffering
May every person be heard, respected, and protected regardless of their race, background, their faith, and the language that they speak.
May fear be replaced with understanding, and may misunderstanding never again become a reason for violence
May hatred be transformed into compassion so pain is met with care instead of blame
May peace exist not only in words and speeches but in laws, policies, communities, and daily life
May true strength be measured not by control, force, or weapon but by how we protect one another - especially our children and the vulnerable
May progress always walk together with morality and may growth never be built on human suffering
May dialogue be chosen over confrontation and listening over judgement in families, societies, and nations
May people find peace within their own hearts so that the world no longer needs violence to survive
May the path to peace require no enemies - only human beings returning to morality, to responsibility and to one another
Today is going to be my peaceful day
The Buddhist Coalition for Democracy: The Bodhisattva Path in Action: How Buddhism, Politics, and Social Engagement Serve Democracy
Hoka Chris Fortin — Dharma Talk at Green Gulch Farm on Sept 21, 2025 — an investigation of how to embody and bring our practice into the world in these difficult times. How do we—individually and as one—not turn away, but bear witness and respond to the suffering of the world with clear-hearted wisdom and compassion as we awaken together to our True Nature and shared humanity.
Love and Compassion in Meditation and Action by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi.
