Engaged, Not Entangled: Walking Through the Fire

In this episode of This Machine Kills Fascists, Dorian Wallace reflects on the emotional and spiritual toll of liberation work in environments shaped by trauma, violence, and systemic harm. Reading from his Substack essay Engaged, Not Entangled, he explores the personal cost of witnessing suffering—from hospice to prison programs—and shares how Buddhist-inspired practices help him stay rooted. Dorian explains the difference between being engaged (sustainable, boundaried presence) and being entangled (overwhelmed and consumed by pain).He highlights the Five Remembrances, the 14 Precepts of Engaged Buddhism, and the Bodhisattva Path as tools for spiritual resilience. The episode concludes with a call to cultivate collective care, spiritual grounding, and principled action as antidotes to burnout and fascism.Check out my new video “Hasta Siempre” Dorian’s Mode is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit doriansmode.substack.com/subscribe