You Don't Ask to Be Born as a Human

Joanna Macy, Ph.D, author & teacher, is a scholar of Buddhism, systems thinking, and deep ecology. A respected voice in movements for peace, justice, and ecology, she interweaves her scholarship with learnings from six decades of activism. Her wide-ranging work addresses psychological and spiritual issues of the nuclear age, the cultivation of ecological awareness, and the fruitful resonance between Buddhist thought and postmodern science. The many dimensions of this work are explored in her thirteen books, which include three volumes of poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke with translation and commentary.

She addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:

• Choosing “to be starkly present in this moment and now” is a radical act
• “Don't be afraid of your sorrow or grief or rage. Treasure them. They come from your caring.”
• These emotions “will nurture in you a fierce clarity for what can be done”
• “There's so much joy and courage… in finding a purpose”

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Complete Show Notes