The Awaken Podcast - Buddhist Teachings, Social Justice, and Today's World

This episode gives an overview of some of the things that WildSeed did in 2020 as well as dipping into some upcoming projects like community visioning and radical money pools. We hope you enjoy this peek into the past, present, and future of the WildSeed Society.

This episode wraps up our discussion of WildSeed Society design principles #9-#12, which all relate to transformation and (R)evolution. As always, it's a wide-ranging discussion touching on things like color revolutions, the emotional truths underlying the so-called "free rider problem", and the challenges we face when giving people permission to re-imagine their relationships outside of scarcity logic and exploitation.

This episode dives deep into WildSeed Society design principles #5-#8 which focus on "being through interdependence" and community building. Along the way we touch on things like poly-rhythm and moving together like music, the inherent wisdom about community in many indigenous cultures, and why moralization doesn't work when thinking about Wakanda and Black Panther.

There are 12 design principles that hold the WildSeed Society together - this episode focuses on the first 4:

1. Reconnecting the spiritual, social and scientific [R]evolutions of our time to each other and to everyday life with love and rigor
2. Utilizing differential logic: naming and building on many ways of knowing and many sources of knowledge. Where everyone is an authority on their relative truth and no one is an authority on absolute truth.
3. Witnessing ourselves, each other and the world faithfully--with intellectual empathy--in light of deep and complex historical context.
4. Acknowledging tradition and grieving history while leaving what no longer serves all of us behind

In this episode, Aaron, Chany, and I talk about that age-old question: "What is the System?" - or as Aaron likes to put it, "The Terrain of Domination." As always, we're hoping this wide-ranging convo triggers more questions than answers. ;)

This Season will be all about the WildSeed Society, an awesome new project I'm honored to be a part of. You can find an intro to the project in Episode 1. This episode is about Liberation Logic, a framework on the interconnection between spiritual and political liberation.

Joining me this season will be Aaron Goggans and Chany Singh. Aaron (he/they) is one of the (if not the) main instigators of the WildSeed Society. Aaron is a visionary, writer, philosopher and organizer. Aaron works on building ecologies of liberation where the currently impossible becomes probable. Chany (she/her) is an administrative magician, co-creative team player who is newer to activism. She's here for the beginners out there to keep talk grounded and accessible.

This Season will be all about the WildSeed Society, an awesome new project I'm honored to be a part of. WildSeed is a still-being-birthed collective, but the best way to describe it is that it's a non-denominational church for activists - both in the sense of being a gathering space for those interested in building a more just, liberated, and joyful world to explore the deeper parts of our collective existence *and* as a hub for organizing and resource sharing amongst projects that make direct impact in the lives of our communities.

Joining me this season will be Aaron Goggans and Chany Singh. Aaron (he/they) is one of the (if not the) main instigators of the WildSeed Society. Aaron is a visionary, writer, philosopher and organizer. Aaron works on building ecologies of liberation where the currently impossible becomes probable. Chany (she/her) is an administrative magician, co-creative team player who is newer to activism. She's here for the beginners out there to keep talk grounded and accessible.

We'll have a number of conversations about WildSeed, exploring what it means to us and how we hope to bring it alive in the world. Please reach out with questions/comments/anything else.

In Summer 2016, Lama Rod and Greg led a retreat for men entitled "Undoing Patriarchy & Unveiling the Sacred Masculine". Over two days, they facilitated conversations with the 50 attendees about men, patriarchy, and masculinity from both the everyday and spiritual perspectives. Having been there, I (Ravi) was transformed by the experience and, to this day, consider it one of the turning points of my life. This conversation took place in 2018 and reflects on the inner work and the broader movement that has taken shape over the past few years. This episode was part of the original Awaken App conversations, recorded in 2018.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

Kosen Gregory Snyder is the Senior Director and Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies at Union Theological Seminary, where he oversees the Master of Divinity degree program in Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement as well as the Thích Nhất Hạnh Program for Engaged Buddhism. Professor Snyder is an ordained Zen Buddhist priest and dharma-transmitted teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He co-founded and is currently the senior resident priest at the Brooklyn Zen Center and Ancestral Heart Zen Monastery in Millerton, NY. He is one of the founders of the Buddhist Action Coalition, whose mission is to organize and inspire compassionate Buddhist initiatives in advancing social, economic, and environmental justice through advocacy and nonviolent direct action.

Where you can find Kosen:

https://utsnyc.edu/faculty/greg-snyder/

https://brooklynzen.org/about/head-teacher/

The title is just as spicy as the conversation. Or not, up to you. As Buddhist teachers and humans looking be awake as they move through the world, Lama Rod and Sebene continue a conversation that riveted an auditorium at NYU a few weeks prior, from sexual ethics to race to much more. This episode was part of the original Awaken App conversations, recorded in 2018.

About Lama Rod and Sebene...

Sebene Selassie is a teacher, author, and speaker who explores the themes of belonging and identity through meditation, creativity, and spirituality. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and raised in Washington, D.C, Seb has been drawn to explore the intersection of different cultures. Selassie, however, found meditation, and started practicing in high school. She was a self-professed "really bad dharma student," until she was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer at age 34, at which point she became "a really good dharma student." Selassie has now survived breast cancer three times and works as a meditation teacher, transformational coach, and community advocate in New York City.

Where to find Sebene Selassie online:

Website: https://www.sebeneselassie.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebeneselassie/

Books:

You Belong:  A Call for Connection / https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062940650

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

What's the point of mixing Buddhist and spiritual teachings with a social and political (and personal) lens of what's going on in ourselves and the world? Kosen Greg Snyder dives into why we should bother - and we're joined, at the very end, by our friend and Zen teacher Rev. angel Kyodo williams, who ends the episode with her take on the subject. This episode was part of the original Awaken App conversations, recorded in 2018.

Kosen Gregory Snyder is the Senior Director and Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies at Union Theological Seminary, where he oversees the Master of Divinity degree program in Buddhism and Interreligious Engagement as well as the Thích Nhất Hạnh Program for Engaged Buddhism. Professor Snyder is an ordained Zen Buddhist priest and dharma-transmitted teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He co-founded and is currently the senior resident priest at the Brooklyn Zen Center and Ancestral Heart Zen Monastery in Millerton, NY. He is one of the founders of the Buddhist Action Coalition, whose mission is to organize and inspire compassionate Buddhist initiatives in advancing social, economic, and environmental justice through advocacy and nonviolent direct action.

Where you can find Kosen:

https://utsnyc.edu/faculty/greg-snyder/

https://brooklynzen.org/about/head-teacher/

This conversations with Lama Rod Owens explores why he believes we're currently living through the apocalypse, what that means, and how to practice and live in such times. His characteristic spaciousness, clarity, and radical candor light the way for all of us. This episode was part of the original Awaken App conversations, recorded in 2018.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

"Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters." Zen teacher, activist, and author Rev. angel Kyodo william's quote looms large in our times. In this conversation, she shares more about what those words mean to her and illuminates the importance of both inner and outer work on the path of awakening. This episode was part of the original Awaken App conversations, recorded in 2018.

Rev. angel Kyodo williams is an author, maverick spiritual teacher, and founder of Transformative Change. She has been bridging the worlds of personal transformation and justice since the publication of her critically-acclaimed book, Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace.

Where to find Rev. angel Kyodo williams online:

Website: https://angelkyodowilliams.com/

Twitter: angel Kyodo williams (@ZenChangeAngel) / https://twitter.com/zenchangeangel

Facebook: Rev. angel Kyodo williams / https://www.facebook.com/zenchangeangel

Instagram: angel Kyodo williams (@zenchangeangel) / https://www.instagram.com/zenchangeangel/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ZenChangeAngel

Season 1 includes the conversations and practices from the Awaken App - some unpublished before now! We talk with Buddhist teachers Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Lama Rod Owens, Sebene Selassie, Kosen Greg Snyder, and more!

Lama Rod guides a meditation on embodying through our skin, exploring depth of the superficial.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

Finally, we go to the root of anger, the underlying energy and power of anger. Get ready, it can be a wild ride.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

What's under anger? There is a core pain that we can explore and attend to, and that's what we do in this practice.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

Diving deeper into anger, this practice guides us into the body to explore its embodied experience.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

As we explore anger, we begin with the mental experience - the thoughts and narratives around it.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

There is a lot to be angry about right now. In this album, Lama Rod explores anger and guides us into a healthy expression and even integration of it into our lives.

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, is co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation and co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Lama Rod's next book, Love & Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was recently released - get it anywhere books are sold!

Where to find Lama Rod Owens online:

Website: https://www.lamarod.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamarod1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamarod/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamarodowens/?hl=en

Books:

Love and Rage - The Path to Liberation Through Anger / https://bookshop.org/books/love-and-rage-the-path-of-liberation-through-anger-9781623174095/9781623174095

Radical Dharma - Talking Race, Love and Liberation / https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Dharma-Talking-Race-Liberation/dp/1623170982

The next 5 episodes will be mindfulness practices on exploring anger in the body, guided by Lama Rod Owens. The 6th will be another practice by him on feeling into the magic of the skin. Get comfy and happy practicing!

The Awaken Meditation App is still around, but I'll be focusing my energy on this podcast. The content and inquiry at the core of the project is the same - waking up in complexities of today's world. Enjoy!