Discussing the systemic breakdowns in America, Lama Rod Owens and Spring Washam urge renewal through solidarity with marginalized cultures.
“It feels like if we’re always teetering on the brink of collapse is it even a healthy democracy, or is it even a democracy at all?” – Lama Rod Owens
This time on Spirit Underground, Spring and Lama Rod chat about:
- The systemic breakdowns happening in our country
- Balancing on a thread in this current election cycle
- Death / Renewal in nature as an example of what may need to occur in America
- Having deep solidarity with the cultures who have been dominated and occupied
- Letting go of expecting the world to be different than it is
- The human urge to be comfortable even at the cost of discomfort for other groups
- Colonization as an intense dissociation and disconnection from our hearts
- Becoming embodied and adjusting to our own cultural narratives
- Trauma, loss of memory, and control
- How the patriarchy has systemically limited the ability for deep emotional labor
- Fear of death as the root of all fear
- How crisis can give rise to collaboration and grace
- Considering the gifts we can offer to the world
“Everyone needs to be free. Everyone needs to have access to the resources they need to be well, safe, and happy. You don’t have to earn a right to be fed and housed and cared for and clothed. This isn’t about the nature of your character, this is about the fact that you are human living in culture and society, and as a society we should care for one another.” – Lama Rod Owens
About Lama Rod Owens:
Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive.
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About Spring Washam:
Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. She is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California where she was trained for over a decade.
In addition to being a teacher, she is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, a one-of-a-kind organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom in South America. Her writings and dharma teachings have appeared in many online journals and publications. She currently teaches meditation retreats and leads workshops, and classes worldwide.