How do we see the world, especially and social world, from the perspective of awakening--with, we might say, "dharma eyes"? We explore this question in a time of great turmoil and concern in the world, particularly in the U.S. We start with several passages coming from an awakened mind and heart, including a passage from the Metta Sutta--how would one then look at the larger world? We explore how the Buddha himself looked at the world and social structures, particularly in terms of caste and gender. From our practice seeing greed, hatred, and delusion in ourselves, we learn how to see these qualities in others, and in the world. From our ethical training, we learn how to see when we are not following the ethical guidelines and when others are not, including on a larger social level. We also see how we can understand some of the larger social issues, particularly related to the climate crisis, racism, and gender, in terms of greed (especially), hatred, and delusion. We close, in this context, first with a pointing to ways of responding, using Joanna Macy's model of three ways that the "Great Turning" occurs, and then with a poem.

Guided meditation on the breath; peace of mind as a natural state. Dhamma talk on the disruptive and mysterious figure of the 'dark sage' with reference to three people in the suttas: Nālaka, Asito Devala, Ambaṭṭha. Discussion of this archetype, racism in the suttas, the three figures and their attempts to problematise caste.

On this 54th anniversary of the killing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the 55th anniversary of his talk, "Beyond Vietnam," at the Riverside Church in New York, we explore the nature of Buddhist practice to transform racism, in the context of examining the nature of awakening in the contemporary world. We start by asking whether we may be undergoing a kind of "Fourth Turning," in which there is emerging an expanded contemporary sense of awakening, which includes the transformation of forms greed, hatred, and delusion not explicitly identified in the traditional understanding of awakening. Answering the question affirmatively, we point to two broad areas of ignorance, related to psychological material, and to social conditioning and institutions. On this basis, we then use the traditional Buddhist framework of training in wisdom, meditation, and ethics (and action) to give a preliminary account of a Buddhist approach to transforming racism. From a wisdom perspective, we look particularly at the Buddha's response to the caste system, and his sense of caste divisions as arbitrary (and empty) constructions, followed by looking closely at the constructions of whiteness, blackness, and race in the colonies in the 17th century, linked with greed and the strategy of divide-and-conquer, which have been central to maintaining racism since then. We then look more briefly at the nature of meditative and ethical training in the transformation of racism. A discussion period follows the talk.

We are in a time of great transition. The climate crisis, the pandemic, war, injustice, racism: they're all pressing on us to live in a different way. And if you live with a peaceful heart, the point is not to let your heart get hardened. Don't turn your gaze away. But see another possibility—see with the great heart of compassion. My teacher Ajahn Chah said, "We human beings are constantly in combat, at war to escape the fact of being so limited by so many circumstances we cannot control. But instead of escaping, we continue to create suffering, waging war with evil, waging war with good, waging war with what is too small, waging war with what is too big, waging war with what is too short or too long, or right or wrong, courageously carrying on the battle. It's time to stop the war. " The sociobiologist Edward O. Wilson said, "The real problem of humanity is the following: we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology." The first response is tend the wounds, feed the hungry, and stand up for peace in whatever way you can. But there is also an inner response needed. We know where war starts—it starts in the human heart. We must make the heart a zone of peace. Set your compass to your highest intention. Something in us knows there is another way.

A year after the massive demonstrations in the US following the killing of George Floyd, we reflect on different aspects of the integration of Buddhist practice and transforming racism, identifying nine key themes.

How to relate to afflictive states; thoughts of unwholesome acts arise in meditation; how can I feel safety in my brown body when there is external racism; is the movement of citta saṇkhāra the same as cetana; feels like body grows bigger while meditating; body cells are asking for more oxygen; how to direct energy to peripheral parts of body; remaining with awareness mind while noticing absence of ‘I’; self-consciousness, fear making a mistake and being judged; affected by family’s trauma like citta is haunted.

In this dharma talk and discussion Norman Fischer presents his just-out book “When You Greet Me I Bow: Notes and Reflections from a Life in Zen,” a collection of thirty years of his Dharma essays, with his own contemporary reflections. Covering topics as wide-ranging as what is a Zen teacher, racism and Buddhism, politics and religion, women in Zen, and the dialogic nature of Zen practice, the book is a broad look at the Buddhist movement in the West, its challenges and changes over the decades. Norman reads a bit, talks a bit, and opens for conversation and exploration.

Dharma Talk

During this half-day, we will gather as a community of white people to investigate the impacts of racism and white supremacy culture in our hearts, minds, and communities. The Buddha’s teachings form a liberatory framework that helps us to explore racial conditioning. Using the Buddhist teachings, we will gain insight into how conditioning causes suffering both individually and collectively. With curiosity, compassion, and humility, we will learn together to uproot the delusions of separation and to nurture communities that foster liberation for all beings.

True belonging — a sense of connection, freedom, and joy — is possible in any moment, in any circumstance, for anyone. However, true belonging is not a destination; it is the process of continually reconnecting to the present moment, including everything happening in our lives and in our world. In this current moment, we may be feeling the belonging of interconnection: Everyone in the world is in the same rough waters of a global pandemic. Every American is tied to the history of slavery and anti-Black racism. But we also may feel the separateness of varying circumstances: We have differing "boats" to traverse these waters. We may have benefited or been oppressed by systems of institutionalized white supremacy. We belong to it all. Our practice teaches us to recognize our differences while never letting go of our inherent interconnection.

We explore the nature of ethical commitment and how our commitment not to harm also implies, following some of the teachings and actions of the Buddha and of other teachers, such as Thich Nhat Hanh, a commitment not to let others harm (or kill). On this basis, we then outline a number of possible ways to act to address the harm of racism, clarifying an important aspect of such action--that our actions to address harm as much as possible not cause further harm themselves. We end by remembering that we need perspectives and capacities, inner and outer, that help us to be engaged for the "long haul."

In this second talk in the series, we first review the main "wisdom" perspectives presented last week, that give us some orientation toward understanding and transforming racism. Then we explore the second area of training: meditation and inner work, identifying four main themes and practices, the first three of which are supported significantly by working in small groups: (1) understanding and working with "implicit bias"; (2) cultivating mindfulness of our racial conditioning and the experiences which arise in investigating race and racism; (3) heart practices like compassion and empathy; and (4) the importance of continuing to access, as best we can, deeper experiences of our being.

In this first talk in a three-part series, we work with the traditional model of a threefold training in wisdom, meditation, and ethics, beginning with identifying three perspectives that can guide our understanding and practice. The first is to remember the Buddha's rejection of the caste system and its core claims, and the welcoming of all, from any caste or from no caste, into his community. The second is to understand how greed, hatred, and delusion, the transformation of which is at the center of our practice, are not just individual but also institutional and systemic in nature. The third is to see how race, in terms of blackness and whiteness, is a social construction without biological reality, appearing in history at a certain point a little over three centuries ago (we look in some detail at how whiteness appeared in colonial Virginia at the end of the 17th century); it is a construction very clearly connected with divide-and-conquer strategies by the wealthy elite, which then has terrible consequences.

Traditional Buddhist training occurs through development in wisdom, ethics, and meditation. We use this model to help us to understand Buddhist practice that aims to transform racism. We start by reviewing briefly the first three perspectives offered in the previous week, which fall under training in wisdom. Then we look at how ethical practice and in particular the practice of non-harming can be the basis for action, based on an understanding of ethical practice as guiding both one's personal behavior and one's responses to harm in one's communities and society. Lastly, we explore meditative training and how in particular mindfulness and compassion play central roles in the transformation of racism.

This talk explores the dynamics of Racism and bringing our practice of the Dharma to these dynamics.

The Buddha spoke of hiri and ottappa (Shame and Dread) as "The Guardians of the World." These are considered two wholesome states as they can prevent us from engaging in unskillful actions. But guilt and shame associated with internalized racism can paralyze us or put up walls of resistance. This is especially true if we take those feelings personally and blame ourselves for the cultural conditioning we're shaped by. How can we work skillfully with those natural and understandable reactions?

We open up five perspectives, the first three of which have more to do with understanding and the last two of which have more to do with practice and action. The five perspectives are: (1) remembering the Buddha's elimination of caste within his community; (2) understanding how greed, hatred (including racism), and delusion are not just personal but are also institutionalized; (3) understanding through looking at US history how race is a construction (with terrible consequences)-- both initially in the 17th century and later, commonly linked with divide-and-conquer strategies by those with economic and political power; (4) how our ethical practice calls us not just not to harm in our personal actions, but also not to let harm be done by others; and (5) the identification of different dimensions of transformative practice. The talk is followed by discussion.

We will continue our exploration of Racial Justice and White Privilege with Deb Kerr. who led us in a rich discussion last week. Deb is a core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center where she is a co-founder of EBMC and has served on the EBMC Board. Deb will offer teachings on how educating ourselves about race relates to and is an extension of dharma practice and how it connects the dots to the larger picture of systemic change.

When change and unrest foment around us, we must guard the mind and protect it from disruptive emotions such as fear or anger that may lead us to speak or act unskillfully. In this pandemic of moral decay and heightened fear, seeing how we are not in control, we care both for ourselves and others, morally and spiritually. To bring reform or healing in the world, we speak or act from an inner quiet, not boiling with anger or resentment, but from a heart tempered with patience, compassion, wisdom and peace. A talk given online during Covid-19 and global anti-racism protests.

Anti-Black racism is the core wound of American culture, and we each have a role to play in fighting racism, a medicine to bring to these times. This talk explores how we can offer an honest and courageous presence to key domains of this suffering. We then look at affirming that Black lives truly matter with our dedicated and wise action.

We each have the capacity for true compassion—including all beings in our heart. This requires facing the ways we create separation, holding our inner life with great kindness, and learning to recognize the vulnerability in others. This talk includes a reflection allowing us to bring these teachings to a situation in our own life where we would like to live from our full potential for love and wisdom.

The world’s heart is on fire, and race is at its core. The bitter racial seeds from past beliefs and actions are blooming all around us, reflecting not only a division of the races that is rooted in ignorance and hate, but also, and more sorely, a division of the heart. Racism is a heart disease. How we think and respond is at the core of racial suffering and racial healing. If we cannot think clearly and respond wisely, we will continue to damage the world’s heart. In this talk, my hope is to ignite your imagination and help you discover your voice in the song of racial healing, and how we could live in this world if every one of us aimed our energy toward awakening, non-harming, generosity, and kinship—a world with race but without racism. It all begins with an examination of our habits of harm.

Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Afternoon Session final day

Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. 3rd Day, morning session

Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Second day, morning

Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Friday afternoon, first day

Today’s world is filled with challenging issues that often push us to our emotional boundaries. With complex issues that include environmental challenges like climate change, social injustices, racism, terrorism and other forms of moral distress, life can often feel overwhelming. Yet there’s hope as well as a proven path to help us cope with and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and determination. Friday Morning, first session

What forgiveness means, Why it's valuable, And how to go about considering it. At end of talk discussion racism and reconciliation on the collective level

Our environmental crisis is generated by an obsession with ownership and individualism that obscures the truth of our inter-dependence within a web of life. In a world divided by inequity, racism, and wars, Dharma practice shatters the illusion of dualistic consciousness, offering a new paradigm. This mini-retreat explores the process which generates divisiveness: papanca or conceptual proliferation in service of delusion. The ending of papanca reveals the unshakeable depth and the undivided nature of reality at the heart of all circumstances, revolutionizing our way of being and living — both personally and globally. The retreat, for contemplatives and activists, is framed within depth teachings of emptiness and merciful compassion embodied by Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, who is a metaphor for our deepest, mysterious heart. It includes Dharma teachings, meditation and inquiry sessions, qi-gong, group process, psycho-spiritual exploration, and the cultivation of inner skills for activists. Besides applying the liberating practices and teaching of mindfulness and insight meditation, we will use chanting and ceremony.

Our environmental crisis is generated by an obsession with ownership and individualism that obscures the truth of our inter-dependence within a web of life. In a world divided by inequity, racism, and wars, Dharma practice shatters the illusion of dualistic consciousness, offering a new paradigm. This mini-retreat explores the process which generates divisiveness: papanca or conceptual proliferation in service of delusion. The ending of papanca reveals the unshakeable depth and the undivided nature of reality at the heart of all circumstances, revolutionizing our way of being and living — both personally and globally. The retreat, for contemplatives and activists, is framed within depth teachings of emptiness and merciful compassion embodied by Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, who is a metaphor for our deepest, mysterious heart. It includes Dharma teachings, meditation and inquiry sessions, qi-gong, group process, psycho-spiritual exploration, and the cultivation of inner skills for activists. Besides applying the liberating practices and teaching of mindfulness and insight meditation, we will use chanting and ceremony.

Our environmental crisis is generated by an obsession with ownership and individualism that obscures the truth of our inter-dependence within a web of life. In a world divided by inequity, racism, and wars, Dharma practice shatters the illusion of dualistic consciousness, offering a new paradigm. This mini-retreat explores the process which generates divisiveness: papanca or conceptual proliferation in service of delusion. The ending of papanca reveals the unshakeable depth and the undivided nature of reality at the heart of all circumstances, revolutionizing our way of being and living — both personally and globally. The retreat, for contemplatives and activists, is framed within depth teachings of emptiness and merciful compassion embodied by Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, who is a metaphor for our deepest, mysterious heart. It includes Dharma teachings, meditation and inquiry sessions, qi-gong, group process, psycho-spiritual exploration, and the cultivation of inner skills for activists. Besides applying the liberating practices and teaching of mindfulness and insight meditation, we will use chanting and ceremony.

Our environmental crisis is generated by an obsession with ownership and individualism that obscures the truth of our inter-dependence within a web of life. In a world divided by inequity, racism, and wars, Dharma practice shatters the illusion of dualistic consciousness, offering a new paradigm. This mini-retreat explores the process which generates divisiveness: papanca or conceptual proliferation in service of delusion. The ending of papanca reveals the unshakeable depth and the undivided nature of reality at the heart of all circumstances, revolutionizing our way of being and living — both personally and globally. Copies of Thanissara's book, Time To Stand Up, An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth, will be available for purchase and can be signed by the author.

A talk given with Pamela Weiss at SFInsight after the 'Undoing Racism' training at Spirit Rock.

Martin Luther King’s term, “Beloved Community,” points to our potential for living together with love, justice and respect. This talk explores the often hidden expressions of racism that fuel separation and violence, and pathways toward healing and freeing our collective hearts.

The path in brief, a tour of other realms, practicing to support the erosion of racism and Islamohobia in our society

We continue to explore race and racism and how we respond to these through our practice. We focus on (1) the challenges of responding to collective suffering, (2) exploring the ignorance related to race and social conditioning on many levels, and (3) working with the various emotions and thoughts that arise in exploring race and racism.

We examine, in the context of contemporary concerns about racism, how we relate teachings about suffering, compassion, transforming ignorance, courage, and skillful action to our responses to racism. We also look briefly at the history of race and racism, and suggest ways of responding to racism individually, relationally, and collectively.

During the closing transition days of IMS's Three-Month Retreat, there were some group discussions about IMS's diversity initiatives. Bonnie Duran led a group for people of color (POC) meditators, and Joseph Goldstein spoke to and led a discussion with the non-POC group. His intention was to provide an introduction to the work IMS is undertaking in undoing racism and other diversity issues, and to describe his own personal exploration in this area.

This talk is about Dukkha and the end of Dukkha. It address colonization and racism as types of Dukkha experienced by POC

Today the three 'roots of evil' have become institutionalized: our economic system is institutionalized greed, our militarism and racism is institutionalized ill will, and the media institutionalized delusion.

The eloquent words of Martin Luther King, Jr. are woven through an exploration of subtle forms of privilege and racism.