The Integration of the Negative with Kaira Jewel Lingo and Adam Bucko

How can we stay open to, and perhaps even become curious about, our rough edges?

Today we delve further into the themes of Richard Rohr's book, 'Eager to Love,' focusing on the integration of the negative and the spirituality of imperfection. We're joined by very special guests Adam Bucko and Kaira Jewel Lingo, who share personal stories of their encounters with St. Francis and discuss the value of suffering, the Bodhisattva path, and the importance of accepting one's imperfections as a means to spiritual growth. Both share stories about the importance of feedback within community settings, as well as the integration of external practices with internal spiritual journeys. The conversation concludes with practical advice on how to approach life's challenges with joy and acceptance, noting that we're all on the road together, and everything belongs.

Kaira Jewel Lingo is a Dharma teacher with a lifelong interest in spirituality and social justice. Her work continues the Engaged Buddhism developed by Thich Nhat Hanh, and she draws inspiration from her parents’ lives of service and her dad’s work with Martin Luther King, Jr. After living as an ordained nun for 15 years in Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastic community, Kaira Jewel now teaches internationally in the Zen lineage and the Vipassana tradition, as well as in secular mindfulness, at the intersection of racial, climate and social justice with a focus on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and activists, as well as artists, educators, families, and youth. Based in New York, she offers spiritual mentoring to groups and is author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons in Moving through Change, Loss and Disruption and co-author of Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy and Liberation.

Adam Bucko is an Episcopal priest, teacher of contemplative spirituality, spiritual director, and activist. Born and raised in Poland under a totalitarian regime, his early exposure to spiritual activism deeply shaped his life's orientation. A committed voice in the renewal of Christian contemplation and new monasticism, he authored Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation and co-authored Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation and The New Monasticism: An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative Living. Currently, he directs The Center for Spiritual Imagination in New York, dedicated to democratizing monastic spirituality and teaching contemplative prayer in response to the cries of the poor and the earth. He also serves as a priest at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York. 

Together, Kaira and Adam lead The Beloved Community for Engaged Spirituality, inspired by the social vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Thich Nhat Hanh, and the Buddhist-Christian teachings of Engaged Contemplation.  

Hosted by CAC Staff: Mike Petrow, and Paul Swanson

Resources:

• A PDF of the transcript for this episode can be found here.
• Grab a copy of Eager to Love here.
• To learn more about Kaira Jewel Lingo, visit her website here.
• Learn more about Adam Bucko, here.
• To find out more about Adam and Kaira's monastary, visit here.