I have always heard about the benefits of being grateful, but I honestly never experienced them until recently. Let me tell you about my life prior to gratitude. I would always be in a fussy mood about little things going wrong or at least not the way I wanted them to...
Who needs the Negro? What does the Negro want? I grew up hearing these types of questions. I don’t recall my parents losing sleep over them; they were busy placing food on the table so that I could eat. Black intellectuals have always wrestled with the riddle of how...
The paramis or paramitas are qualities that help us develop and reach true happiness, our highest potential. They are often translated as “perfections,” as they are the perfections of character necessary for enlightenment. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh called them...
Pamela Ayo Yetunde: How do you understand the particularities of Black people’s suffering in the United States? Jean Marie Robbins: I understand them as an intentional device to maintain an enslavement mentality, in order for the people on top and in power to do as...
Lion’s Roar: What drew you to Buddhist practice? Bryant Terry: Daily sitting practice helped me feel more connected to something greater than myself. In 2005, I spent a week at Deer Park, Thich Nhat Hanh’s monastery in Escondido, California. The woman who is now my...
I’ve had many experiences that have left me wanting to create meditation spaces for myself and others. I recall, as a child, seeing my grandmother sit in a chair next to a small table with pictures of my dad, aunts, and uncle, along with a bible. In that space, she’d...
Intersectional Black activists have been part of and at the forefront of many liberation movements. From Black Lives Matter to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Black activism has addressed issues such as Black mental health, trans...
In the family of care and concern, sympathy, empathy, and compassion are kin. Like relatives, these virtues may grow alongside each other, offering their unique perspectives on and responses to the human condition. While the three attributes are connected, it’s...
I am so excited about this issue that it’s impossible to be still, even after years of practice! Nevertheless, I will joyfully reflect on the ebony jewel box of an issue that you have just received. In 2014, while earning my doctorate in pastoral counseling, I began...
Dr. Kamilah Majied’s Joyfully Just: Black Wisdom and Buddhist Insights for Liberated Living (Sounds True) invites us to exercise playful curiosity. The book’s expansive embrace of contemplative practices supports wellness and justice for people from all spiritual...