At AZC, all activities are available to people of every race, religion, nationality, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical ability. Rather than a passive acceptance, AZC considers inclusivity of all beings as a core practice. Inclusivity is embodied in the three refuges where the Buddha represents awakening to the unity of all beings, the Dharma represents diversity in the wisdom and compassion found in that awakening, and the Sangha represents the harmony that blooms from the wisdom and compassion. Practicing inclusivity and welcoming diversity can be a path to alleviating the suffering of others, sharing the Dharma and freeing our own hearts and minds of bias. As Suzuki-roshi notes, such understanding and action are “nothing special” and are revealed in practice as pure qualities emerging from our deeper self.