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Exploring the Essential Features of “Kate Johnson, Dawn Haney & Katie Loncke – U Mad? Wisdom for Rageful Times”
U Mad? Wisdom for Rageful Times
“Just like our organs, our anger is part of us. When we are angry, we have to go back to ourselves and take good care of our anger. We cannot say, ‘Go away, anger, I don’t want you.’ When you have a stomachache, you don’t say, ‘I don’t want you stomach, go away.’ No, you take care of it.
In the same way, we have to embrace and take good care of our anger.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh
Does anger have you tied up in knots? As a spiritually-minded activist, you still aren’t alone in finding anger challenging.
Anger is a very human feeling. It identifies injustice against yourself and others, offering a sharp sword of clarity. Black lesbian feminist Audre Lorde lays down how women (and we can expand this to people of all oppressed or marginalized genders) channel anger into action:
Every woman has a well-stocked arsenal of anger potentially useful against those oppressions, personal and institutional, which brought that anger into being. Focused with precision it can become a powerful source of energy serving progress and change. And when I speak of change, I do not mean a simple switch of positions or a temporary lessening of tensions, nor the ability to smile or feel good. I am speaking of a basic and radical alteration in those assumptions underlining our lives.
Yet anger isn’t everything. If it’s your only fuel to action, you’ll be quick to lose steam. And you’ve heard that the Buddha isn’t a cheerleader for anger. In some traditions, he even admonishes his most devoted students to train anger completely out of their hearts:
Monks, even if bandits were to carve you up savagely, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, he among you who let his heart get angered even at that would not be doing my bidding. Even then you should train yourselves: ‘Our minds will be unaffected and we will say no evil words.’ — Kakacupama Sutta
In BPF’s most popular online course, you’ll have a chance to grapple alongside others with these questions and more:
- Can I calm my anger and still fight for justice?
- How do I work alongside people bursting with rage?
- How do I work with those who shame me for being angry?
- What fuels my activism beyond anger?
- Is anger as bad as the Buddha says?
- Is anger as useful as the activists say?
- What practices can help me transform rage into wisdom?
- What practices will cultivate my capacity to work with others?
- When, if ever, can I punch Nazis?
Benefits For Your Practice and Activism
We all have habits around anger. Some of us avoid it at all costs. Others embrace righteous rage as essential self defense. Trauma and anger (its presence, or conspicuous absence) often intertwine.
When you take this 7-week online series, you’ll find:
- Wise reflections from dharma teachers who care deeply about social justice
- Techniques for working with rage, trauma, and betrayal
- Exploration guides to discover your own relationship to anger
- Tools to evaluate when rage is more skillful or less skillful for you
- Community support from like-minded wisdom seekers
- Opportunities to build your skills at allyship and solidarity
- Ability to face rage-making realities with more compassion, balance, and action
- Increased capacity to work with others toward liberation — including difficult people
Enjoy Wisdom from Guest Teachers including:
Rev. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is an author and ordained Zen priest who combines Buddhism, intuitive knowing and indigenous wisdom in a path of liberation. She is author of many wonderful books including The Way of Tenderness: Awakening through Race, Sexuality and Gender, available in paperback and as an audio book.
Rebecca Li is a Dharma heir and teacher in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen. She attended her first intensive retreat with Chan Master Sheng Yen in 1996 and began serving as his interpreter in 1998 and started teacher training with him in 1999. She is also a sociology professor at The College of New Jersey.
Ruth King is an Insight meditation teacher, emotional wisdom author, and consultant. Ruth teaches at Insight communities nationwide, including on the Dedicated Practitioners Program at Spirit Rock and as the founder of Mindful Members Practice Community in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her next book,Mindful of Race, will be published in Spring 2018.
How the Online Program Works
Interviews with Teachers
You’ll hear from wise teachers 30-60 minute video or audio interviews — Buddhist teachers and political activists who are attuned to the experiences of communities targeted by hate. All videos and audio recordings come with full transcripts.
Practice Ideas and Insightful Readings
You’ll get practice suggestions for working with rage, trauma, and betrayal, as well as some of our favorite Buddhist and political readings to scale up your dharma & activist wisdom.
Recorded Community Conversations
During the original run of the course, we conducted three live video chat sessions to help people connect with other spiritually-minded activist who share some common experiences around anger. While we won’t be able to offer these live video sessions again, recordings of the original sessions will be offered for your inspiration.
Course Curriculum
Welcome!
10 Tips for Getting the Most out of this Course (4:40)
Lama Rod Owens on Love, Liberation & the Uses of Anger
Teacher Interview: Lama Rod Owens with Kate Johnson (52:02)
Practice: Tonglen (8:39)
Discussion Questions & Supplemental Readings
Rebecca Li on Finding Compassion without Losing Accountability
Teacher Interview: Rebecca Li with Kate Johnson (42:51)
Discussion Questions & Supplemental Readings
Open Discussion: Rebecca Li
Ruth King on Overcoming the Sting of Betrayal in Social Justice Alliances
Teacher Interview: Ruth King with Katie Loncke (32:36)
Discussion Questions & Supplemental Readings
Remember to Practice
Open Discussion: Ruth King
Dr. Rev. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel on Stillness and Sanctuary While Embracing Anger’s Fire
Teacher Interview: Rev. Zenju with Katie Loncke (60:17)
Discussion Questions & Supplemental Readings
Practice in Action: “Beyond Vietnam,” Beyond the Moment — and 3 reasons why Buddhists should care
Open Discussion: Dr. Rev. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
Pablo Das on Trauma, Anger, and Freedom
Teacher Interview: Pablo Das with Kate Johnson (41:13)
Practice: MINC (11:24)
Discussion Questions & Supplemental Readings
Open Discussion: Pablo Das
Larry Yang on Uniting Anger and Integrity as a Source of Courage
Teacher Interview: Larry Yang with Kate Johnson (26:21)
Discussion Questions & Supplemental Readings
Open Discussion: Larry Yang
Venerable Prenz Sa-Ngoun on Buddhist Anger and Mindful Resistance
Teacher Interview: Venerable Prenz Sa-Ngoun with Katie Loncke (32:54)
Discussion Questions & Supplemental Readings
Open Discussion: Venerable Prenz Sa-Ngoun
Call Recordings
Call #1 recording & transcript (57:06)
Call #2 recording & transcript (92:59)
Call #3 recording & transcript (90:44)
Please see the full list of alternative group-buy courses available here: https://lunacourse.com/shop/