Spring Ango 2022 Beyond Fear of Differences Commitments

Unlearning Racism, Healing Oppression

Our bodhisattva path of liberation happens within the world of differences, where racialized inequities continue to impact all of our lives and threaten the well-being of our communities and our planet.

Exploring how we identify racially is part of our bodhisattva vow—to free all beings from suffering—and we do this together. Depending on how each of us identify, our ango work might be some mixture of education and reparation, or healing and safety. These offerings include a range of affinity discussion and reading groups. You may also be already involved in other activities that fulfill this commitment (for LGBTQIA+ offerings, see Affinity Groups).  If you have further questions about this aspect of ango practice, feel free to reach out to the Training Office.

For sangha members who identify as Black, Indigenous, Asian or as People of Culture/Color:

**Special Retreat: Saturday, March 12, 10am-3pm, at ZCNYC Fire Lotus Temple and Online—We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Being, Feeling, Healing and Thriving—A BIAPoC Retreat with Eduardo Gonzalez and Michelle Luc.

**CURRENTLY ON HIATUS**BIAPoC Sangha Practice Group (for those who identify as Black, Indigenous, Asian or Person of Color): A meeting of sangha members who identify as BIAPoC with occasional guest speakers. You can contact the group coordinators via biapoc@dharma.net.

Monday evenings, bimonthly, BIAPoC Book Group (for those who identify as Black, Indigenous, Asian or Person of Color): The meetings are a mixture of chapter discussions and body-centered practices with rotating facilitation. We are currently reading Lama Rod Owens’ Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger. For more information, contact ajay.chandra@gmail.com or eikomalqui@gmail.com

Mondays, alternate weeks, 6:30-7:45 pm (Starting March 28), BIAPOC Hara-Centered Body Practice, with Mayumi Ishino. Register here.

Tuesdays,  first week each month (except for 3/8), 7–9 pm, Asian Sangha Gathering: A space for those of Asian heritage to empower and heal one another. Monthly group that meets the first Tuesday of each month for anyone who identifies as Asian or is of Asian descent to come together in solidarity. Register here. You can contact the group coordinators via asg@dharma.net.

Sundays March 27 & May 1, 1 – 2:30 pm & 3-4 pm  People of African Descent (PAD) Sangha Group & Book Study

  • The PAD Book Group will meet in conjunction with online, donation-basis, lectures given by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel on her book “The Shamanic Bones of Zen” on March 27th and May 1st from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EST. Click here to register for Zenju’s talks. For more information or to join, please contact wells.robin@gmail.com.
  • The PAD Sangha Practice Group will meet right after the PAD book group at 3 p.m. EST to provide a supportive environment for African-American and other African-descended dharma practitioners.

You can also contact the group coordinators with any questions via biapoc@dharma.net.

For sangha members who identify as white or hold white privilege—

Please engage in one or more of these offerings:

1) “What is Whiteness? Sangha Affinity Groups” These groups are for those who identify as white as part of an ongoing inquiry—based in Dharma practice—into Whiteness and its many biases and blind spots. 

  • Option #1—If you are already in one, please continue with your What is Whiteness group. If not and would like to begin, here are two other options:
  • Option #2New WIW Groups Forming—Mn. Gokan and others will provide an orientation for new groups, each with a facilitator coach to help guide the process. Sign up to be notified of dates here.
  • Option #3—You are welcome to join the open ZCNYC What is Whiteness group, an on-going, consensus-based group meeting every 3rd Sunday, 1-2:30pm. Contact Dojaku or Yunen to get connected.

2) Self-guided or group study focusing on unlearning racism and healing oppression. Please plan for a three-month study.

3) Attend the Sangha Forum, Shining a Light on Microaggressions, April 20, 2022, 6:30-8:30 pm. Register here.
*If you are new to this work, consider familiarizing yourself with the terms which identify “whiteness” as a historically constructed category designed for a system of rights and privileges denied to Indigenous people of the Americas, Black Africans (enslaved and freed) and immigrants from other nations. This system became culturally embedded in American history and is found throughout our social and economic structures. It is not the same as “being a racist,” but rather asks that white-embodied people become aware of how these systems of oppression permeate our lives, so that we can un-do the harm they cause. You can find some reading materials at our work-in-progress Resource Page, here. Please be encouraged to contact the training office with any questions via zmmtrain@dharma.net.
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