Buddhism is said to offer the way out of suffering, but what if you just have to lament to stay sane and remember you are a nobly born human being?
COVID-19 has taken so many lives in such a short time, it makes one want to holler as Marvin Gaye and Meshell Ndegeocello sang. Police gunning down unarmed Black and Brown people makes one want to shout, shout it all out as Tears for Fears sang. What about those tears — for fear?
Terrorist attacks on governmental buildings with the intent to kidnap and murder, leaving people severely injured and dead, serves a purpose — to make the target (and witnesses) live in fear, but we have our practices to help us live with the real emotions of being in grief and fear, and using those emotions to cultivate wisdom and courage.
We welcome all Buddhist practitioners of any identities to join us in this at-home retreat. We will meet in the morning, afternoon (optional) and evening as a way of opening up space to be authentic, utilizing mindfulness practices, truthful and wise speech, and lovingkindness towards ourselves. We will talk about real feelings, and ways to think creatively about forming appropriate responses to live into nobility. We will also reflect on what African-American Buddhist lesbians in the Insight tradition have taught us about cultivating Remarkable Relational Resilience.
As we work to become a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse community, we invite feedback/suggestions you may have regarding ways that we can make participation in the program more accessible and welcoming; please email us at contact@buddhistinquiry.org.
Online Retreat: This retreat will be hosted on the Zoom video conferencing platform and closed captions are available. Our intention is to build sangha and provide meaningful virtual interactions with each other and with teachers in our online retreats. When registering for an online retreat, please plan to attend as many sessions as possible.
The schedule of Zoom meetings for this retreat (shown in US Eastern Time) is as follows:
Sunday, April 25
7:00 – 9:00 pm Opening Session
Monday, April 26 – Friday, April 30
8:00 – 8:45 am Morning Session
1:00 – 2:00 pm Afternoon Session (optional)
8:00 – 9:00 pm Evening Session
Saturday, May 1
8:00 – 10:00 am Closing Session
Please check the time of the group meetings in your timezone here, and please note that sessions will not be recorded.
Registration fees for online retreats are nonrefundable after the retreat start date. Cancellations prior to the start date of the retreat will incur a $25 admin fee. Thank you for your understanding.
Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Th.D. is a Community Dharma Leader, chaplain, pastoral counselor, and co-Founder of Center of the Heart. She is the co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation and Freedom, and Object Relations, Buddhism, and Relationality in Womanist Practical Theology. Ayo has contributed to Buddhadharma and Lion's Roar.