The Unseen World is Trying to Liberate Us: Lama Rod Owens
Episode 34
Lama Rod Owens is a Buddhist minister, author, activist, yoga instructor and authorized Lama, or Buddhist teacher.
Lama Rod Owens is a Buddhist minister, author, activist, yoga instructor and authorized Lama, or Buddhist teacher, in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is a co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation. Owens is the co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Has been published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and offers talks, retreats and workshops in more than seven countries.
In, Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger (June 2020), Lama Rod shares his personal journey with rage—how, at a young age, he internalized the belief that his anger was dangerous. “I have seen over and over again,” he tells us, “that anger can get me killed. I know that this is how I have survived in a Black queer body in America. My fear of death and policing has translated into a self-policing of my anger to such an extent that if it weren’t for my meditation practice, I wouldn’t know how to find my anger.”
Owens frames his approach within accessible Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice, offering meditation exercises throughout the book to help readers recognize, honor and tap into their anger. Many practices focus on self-preservation and self-care. In a time when the politics of anger—who gets to be angry, how, when and at whom— infuse every institutional and cultural sphere, Owens offers a radical re- envisioning of a deeply timely topic. Love and Rage will resonate with many: young adults, activists, political organizers, Buddhists, POC, those living in marginalized bodies and anyone who wants to metabolize or harness their anger for change.
IG: @lamarodofficial
Link to website: Lamarod.com