Statement on Non-Harming

Clouds in Water Zen Center is committed to dismantling white supremacy, racism and other forms of oppression, both externally and internally, as a means to relieve the suffering of all beings and end cycles of trauma and abuse.

We understand that whiteness has been constructed historically through the domination and subordination of Black, Indigenous, and people of color and that white-bodied people benefit from the structures, systems, and ideologies of white supremacy and contribute to harm when they operate out of white frameworks. We recognize that white supremacy, systemic racism, the legacies of colonialism and slavery, and the ongoing genocide of Indigenous peoples, have resulted in untold suffering for the majority of those in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. We further recognize that homophobia, transphobia, ageism, classism and other abuses of power and privilege have harmed and continue to harm many people in our community and the world.

Clouds in Water values stillness, silence, and zazen, and also understands that silence can be violence. Clouds in Water seeks to create a protective container and a welcoming environment for spiritual awakening and healing to take place in the whole of its sangha (community), which includes practitioners, staff, board members, and teachers. Clouds is committed to ending ignorance around race, sexism, and other forms of oppression, through conversations, restorative circles, and skill building.

We are committed to learning how our own identities, histories, and social positions shape our experiences and understandings of these dynamics. We hold ourselves responsible for unpacking and undoing our complicities in upholding these legacies through explicit and internalized forms of white supremacy. Clouds seeks to create a vibrant community of engagement and inclusion. We are committed to transmitting safety and harmony to all beings, so that the heart of great wisdom and compassion can be realized.

The Ethics and Reconciliation (EAR) Committee and a subgroup of the Clouds in Water Board of Directors co-created this statement. This statement expands upon our Core Values. It is a step that the EAR committee and Board are taking to begin a process of revising our Ethical Guidelines so that they may address not only repair after harm has happened but also prevention of harm. Prevention of harm includes consideration of the systemic nature of harm.

Pronouns Practice at Clouds in Water

You may notice at Clouds in Water that the teachers and many of the participants list their pronouns along with their name on Zoom, or on their name badges when in person. We do this because respecting a person’s pronouns goes hand-in-hand with the practice of refraining from harmful speech, and creating a harmonious sangha in which we all feel seen, included, and understood.

Creating an inclusive sangha – and world – is part of our practice. We recognize that some people might not be in a place where they feel comfortable letting everyone know their pronouns, and that's fine. While sharing your own pronouns is optional, using other people's stated pronouns has a profound and cumulative impact on the wellbeing of our gender-expansive, trans and non-binary sangha members, and on the wellbeing of the sangha as a whole.

-Some of this language was drawn from the Zen Mountain Monastery website and we gratefully acknowledge their permission to make use of it in our sangha.