"Turning Poison Into Medicine": Contemplating Race, Meditation and Buddhism

In the spirit of pausing and challenging ideas of productivity, we took a several month hiatus from the podcast. Deep into teaching during the pandemic, we need a space to unwind, clear our minds and rest. We thank you so much for still engaging the podcast and for catching up with us right where we left off. In our previous episodes in Season 2, we have spent time discussing new books and projects that center the importance of contemplating race and the structures that hurt and harm our spirits. In this episode, we center what we read and meditated with throughout the summer and how it is informing our evolution in and beyond the classroom. We start discussing an essay by bell hooks entitled “building a community of love: bell hooks and Thich Nanh Hanh” and center how mindfulness and Buddhism have become vital avenues of cultivating peace, compassion and community building in our classrooms. We also reference our dear friend and avid listener of the podcast’, Dr. Anita Tijerina Revilla’s beautiful work  “Attempted Spirit Murder: Who Are Your Spirit Protectors and Your Spirit Restores?”. We also bring together Natalie Avalos’ essay “Land-Based Ethics and Settler Solidarity in a Time of Corona and Revolution” with David Sheff and Jarvis Jay Master’s The Buddhist on Death Row: How One Man Found Light in the Darkest Place,” and Pema Chödrön When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times. By combining our studies and engagement with Buddhism, racism and contemplation, we welcome you to a conversation where we discuss how we are trying to walk in the world with love and compassion even and most especially in intellectual/academic institutions where this is often not the norm.