Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, an ordained Zen priest and author, shares her wisdom on navigating chaos and uncertainty in life. She discusses the transformative power of disruption, emphasizing that embracing change can lead to personal growth. Zenju introduces the concept of a ‘sip of silence’ and explores the idea of 'death as a doorway to tenderness,' urging listeners to embrace vulnerability. She highlights the simplicity of love as a means to address life's challenges while challenging conventional notions of tenderness.
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insights INSIGHT
Value of Disruption
Disruptions are valuable because they facilitate change and transformation, often through difficult experiences.
Embrace disruptions as opportunities for growth, rather than resisting them.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Sitting with Chaos
Start with short meditation sessions (1-2 minutes) to find stillness amidst chaos.
Focus on your breath and observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Embracing the Unknown
Embrace the unknown and focus on continuous discovery rather than seeking fixed answers.
Approach each moment with fresh perspective, even with familiar people or ideas.
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In 'Tell Me Something About Buddhism', Zenju Earthlyn Manuel offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to Buddhism. The book is structured as a series of questions and answers, making it easy for curious beginners to understand the core teachings, practices, and principles of Buddhism. With a foreword by Thich Nhat Hanh, the book includes poetry and illustrations by the author, enhancing the reader's experience and understanding of Buddhist concepts.
Sanctuary
A Meditation on Home, Homelessness, and Belonging
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
This book examines the interface between inner and outer sanctuary, highlighting how they affect one another. Drawing from her life as a Zen Buddhist priest and her ancestors' experiences as slaves in Louisiana, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel explores the tension between oppression and finding home within one's heart. The book uses intimate personal stories and deep reflection to guide readers in cultivating a spiritual path, especially in challenging times. It emphasizes the importance of acknowledging both physical and spiritual homelessness and finding refuge in a world filled with oppression and disconnection.
The way of tenderness
Awakening Through Race, Sexuality, and Gender
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
In 'The Way of Tenderness', Zen priest Zenju Earthlyn Manuel integrates her experiences as a lesbian black woman with Buddhist teachings to address issues of identity and privilege. The book emphasizes that dry wisdom alone is insufficient to heal the wounds of the marginalized and advocates for a practice that embraces tenderness, warmth, and compassion to cure hatred and heal damage. It rethinks the intersection of conventional reality and emptiness, making race, gender, and sexuality sites for spiritual awakening rather than illusions to be transcended.
The Deepest Place
Suffering and the Formation of Hope
Curt Thompson
In "The Deepest Place," Curt Thompson explores the profound connection between suffering and the formation of hope. He delves into interpersonal neurobiology, demonstrating how our relationships shape our brains and influence our capacity for hope. The book offers practical strategies for cultivating durable hope, emphasizing the importance of community and vulnerability. Thompson challenges readers to confront their deepest wounds and discover the transformative power of love and connection. Ultimately, the book provides a roadmap for navigating life's challenges and finding lasting hope.
The Shamanic Bones of Zen
Revealing the Ancestral Spirit and Mystical Heart of a Sacred Tradition
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
Paula Arai
Conceived at the crossroads of Buddhism and indigenous earth-based practice, The Shamanic Bones of Zen delves into the deep human traditions of transformation through meditation, ceremony, ritual, dreams, and spiritual connection to one’s ancestry. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel draws on her personal journey with the black church, African, Caribbean, and Native American ceremonial practices, and with Nichiren and Zen Buddhism to build a compelling case for discovering and cultivating the shamanic elements in Buddhism. The book guides readers in Zen practice, including ritual, preparing sanctuaries, engaging in chanting practices, and deepening embodiment with ceremony.
Very few of us relish chaos and disruption, but they are facts of life, given the nonnegotiable nature of change. In this episode with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, we’re going to talk about how to tune into the value of disruption, and learn how to sit with the chaos.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is an ordained Zen priest, holds a Ph.D., and worked for decades as a social science researcher and development director for non-profit organizations. She is also a prolific author.
In this conversation we’ll explore: what to do with the unknown and not having any answers; the power of a “sip of silence” (her term); what she means by the phrase “death as a doorway to tenderness;” how she defines tenderness - a word that can easily get bogged down in sloppy sentimentality; and what she meant when she wrote “I'm not advocating love as an answer to all of the ills of the world. Then again, it is just that simple to be love.”
Content Warning: There are brief mentions of assault; spiritual, sexual, and substance abuse; and racism, including a recent incident Zenju experienced herself.
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