HOOD RIVER, Ore. (KOIN) — Kozen Sampson is a Buddhist monk who was returning home from a visit to an acupuncturist on Feb. 29 when he stopped along a side road to walk his dogs.
Instead, the 66-year-old monk was attacked by a man who remains at large in what police say may be a hate crime.
“I just pulled over on a side road because I have dogs and I just wanted them to experience a new environment for their obedience training,” Sampson told KOIN 6 News. His attacker came out of nowhere, “yelled at me and kicked the door” of his car.
The car door smacked into his face and left a gash.
“As he did that, he said ‘F-bomb Muslims,’ and so I’m going to assume he was angry at Muslims for some reason. Apparently,” the monk said, “I looked like a Muslim.”
Police said Sampson was dressed in a brown robe at the time.
But Kozen Sampson is not angry.
“I’m glad it was me and not an actual Muslim because, can you imagine living your life walking around and people saying, ‘Are they going to hate me? Are they going to yell at me? Are they going to assault me?'”
He said his attacker is filled with so much turmoil he has to hurt someone. Sampson has a simple message for that man.
“All I really have for him is just, ‘You’re completely forgiven. I hope you find peace and I hope you find a way to deal with this internal stuff so that we don’t have to hurt anymore.'”
He also channeled his deeply held beliefs.
“The Buddha tells us all of our suffering comes from anger, desire and ignorance.”
Sampson, who lives and works at Trout Lake Abbey and volunteers at Providence Hospice of the Gorge, is physically alright and is “actually very grateful this happened.” The reason is worldly.
“I’m OK, I’m recovering. I’m an old fat monk and I’m going to be OK,” he said. “But there are a lot of people in our society who are not OK and what I’m asking is for everyone to use this as a chance to look in our own hearts, let go of these prejudices, let go of this ‘different is scary,’ let go of ‘they’re not as good as us.'”
The word of the attack has spread around the world and he said he’s received messages of love and support from Vietnam, Korea, Japan and San Francisco.
“Either we’re all God’s children,” Buddhist Monk Kozen Sampson said, “or none of us are. That has to be the big message in all this.”
A vigil to promote peace is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at 202 State Street in Hood River.
—–Police have not identified any suspects.Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Hood River Police Department at 541.387.5257.
