The Upside of Apocalypse | Lama Rod Owens

We’re now entering year three of the pandemic, and even though we’re in a very different stage of the game, there are still so many questions: Is it safe or ethical to return to “normal”? How do you deal with people who have different views on safety and vaccines? What do you do if you’re just bone tired of this whole mess?

Today’s guest is Lama Rod Owens, who was trained in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism, holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and is the author of the book Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger. Lama Rod has been kind enough to come on to the show during moments of crisis. I spoke with him shortly after the murder of George Floyd and also during the 2020 elections. As you’re about to hear, one of the core arguments he will make is that apocalypse (and he has a broad understanding of what that word means) can present an opportunity. 

This episode explores:

• The benefits of having an existing practice in times of heightened anxiety and uncertainty.
• Developing a direct, open relationship with fear.
• Working with regret.
• Why taking care of yourself is not selfish.
• Lama Rod’s take on social media and watching TV as a way to reset. 
• The obstacles to empathy. 
• A more expansive definition of the word violence. 
• A jarring New York Times article that posits that the recent rise in pedestrian deaths could be in part due to social erosion created by the pandemic.

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/lama-rod-owens-427