2020 has been an eventful year. This talk invites us to bring equanimity to the ups and downs that we are experiencing individually and collectively as we transition into the new year.
In this talk I share poems carved into the walls of the Angel Island Detention Center, the Ellis Island of the West. These poems speak to the historical suffering and experience of Chinese immigrants in the early 20th Century. I introduce the RAIN practice as a tool to address suffering in the moment.
We explore various mind states that arose pre-election, post-election, and after the presidential race was called. We explore how holding compassionate space for our experiences allow us to recognize the divisiveness within, providing an opportunity to heal our internal divisions.
What can Buddhism offer us in these difficult and divided political times about how to relate to others? The talk explores the intricacies of the “Acrobat” sutta which advises how mindfulness can protect others and how loving kindness can protect ourselves, applying the teaching to issues including COVID and 2020 election politics.
