Compassion toward ourselves, toward others who are different from us, who have had different experiences. And eventually we can develop a compassionate community. And when we begin to understand our own suffering, we can begin understand that of others as well. Where does the guilt come from? In what ways do we (perhaps unknowingly, perhaps not) perpetuate the system of white supremacy and oppression? How can we stop doing these things? Can we try to see how people without our privilege experience the system differently? When we search within ourselves (through meditation or whatever, this book doesn't actually discuss meditation much) and find these sources of suffering, come to terms with them, that's the beginning of our liberation from the suffering. The book suggests we work on our own selves, seek to understand our own sufferings. But what we can do as a result of this privilege is act. We're like "but it's not my fault, I can't help it!" Which is true. When we first learn about how we have benefited from white supremacy in our culture, when we start to empathize with the daily challenges people of color face, we feel guilty, we get upset. (I am white btw.) White people gotta get in on anti-racism activism, and the place to start is with our own selves. There's a big message for white people here that I resonate with. This book was still approachable to me (and there's a glossary in the back) and I could relate to it. I'm not Buddhist, I'm no scholar, I went to a few Dharma classes in Seattle about 10 years ago and I read on and off and I meditate on and off (but mainly off). When we understand our own suffering, we can connect with that of others. ![]() The three Black Queer Buddhist authors of this book present the idea that the steps toward eliminating racism in our culture involve a deeper understanding of ourselves. In a society where profit rules, people's value is determined by the color of their skin, and many voices including queer voices are silenced, Radical Dharma recasts the concepts of engaged spirituality, social transformation, inclusiveness, and healing. They forge a path toward reconciliation and self-liberation that rests on radical honesty, a common ground where we can drop our need for perfection and propriety and speak as souls. Their illuminating argument goes beyond a demand for the equality and inclusion of diverse populations to advancing a new dharma that deconstructs rather than amplifies systems of suffering and prepares us to weigh the shortcomings not only of our own minds but also of our communities. Offering their own histories and experiences as illustrations of the types of challenges facing dharma practitioners and teachers who are different from those of the past five decades, they ask how teachings that transcend color, class, and caste are hindered by discrimination and the dynamics of power, shame, and ignorance. ![]() angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah represent a new voice in American Buddhism. ![]() With national attention focused on the recent killings of unarmed black citizens and the response of the Black-centered liberation groups such as Black Lives Matter, "Radical Dharma" demonstrates how social transformation and personal, spiritual liberation must be articulated and inextricably linked. Bridging the world of spirit and activism, they urge a compassionate response to the systemic, state-sanctioned violence and oppression that has persisted against Black people since the slave era. ![]() The authors traveled around the country to spark an open conversation that brings together the Black prophetic tradition and the wisdom of the Dharma. Igniting a long-overdue dialogue about how the legacy of racial injustice and white supremacy plays out in society at large and Buddhist communities in particular, this urgent call to action outlines a new dharma that takes into account the ways that racism and privilege prevent our collective awakening.
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