2.08 Reclaiming Care
Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized Lama (Buddhist Teacher) in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Rod is the co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Lama Rod is visiting teacher with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme), a visiting teacher with Natural Dharma Fellowship and the Brooklyn Zen Center. Lama Rod has been a faculty member for the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s professional education program in mindfulness for educators and has served as a guest faculty member for the school’s course Mindfulness for Educators.
He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School where he focused on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. He is a co-author of Radical Dharma, Talking Race, Love, and Liberation, which explores race in the context of American Buddhist communities. Lama Rod is a founding teacher for the Awaken meditation app that offers meditations and contemplations focused on social change. He has been published and featured in several publications including Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Spirit Magazine.
He has offered talks, retreats, and workshops in over 7 countries for many organizations including Gaia House Retreat Center, Goldsmiths University, London Insight, and Tibet House Barcelona.
He has offered talks at several major universities including Yale University, Harvard University, Brown University, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, New York University, Tufts University, University of Vermont, and Boston College. He has presented at several important conferences including the American Academy of Religion, Summitt, the Harvard Divinity School Black Religions Conference, the Harvard Divinity School Buddhism and Race Conference, and Netroots. Lama Rod facilitates undoing patriarchy workshops for male-identified practitioners in Brooklyn and Boston. Lama Rod’s book, Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, was released in 2020, and he is currently working on his next book.
In this powerful episode we discussed:
Boundaries
Self-Care
Martyrdom
Becoming an Elder
Change
God is Change
Love
Anger as Revolutionary
Rage
Movement Building
How we Cannot Drag People Toward Freedom
Agency and Freedom
How we are Always Held
Ancestors
The Afterlife
Connect with Lama Rod Owens on his website or on Instagram @lamarodofficial
Podcast music by Charles Kurtz