Sounds of SAND #60 Spiritual Warriors: Lama Rod Owens
Aug 28, 2025
Lama Rod Owens, a Black Buddhist Southern Queen and Harvard Divinity graduate, discusses radical self-care and compassion in a world facing turmoil. He emphasizes the necessity of personal healing to drive societal change, particularly in light of global conflicts. The conversation touches on the concept of 'new saints' who work altruistically within their communities, and the power of representation in spiritual writing. Finally, Owens highlights the transformative role of prayer in fostering connection and nurturing resilience.
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Self-Care Enables Effective Action
- Take care of yourself so you can help others effectively and avoid becoming part of the crisis.
- Prioritize resourcing (sleep, trauma work) so your presence reduces harm rather than amplifies it.
Compassion Demands Courage
- Fierce compassion means feeling suffering and being compelled to disrupt it, even toward those who hurt you.
- True compassion combines deep caring with the courage to act against harm.
Learn Before You Act
- Educate yourself about conflicts and listen to voices on the ground before acting.
- Use available media to compare narratives and make informed choices about how to be beneficial.
