Dharma Topics

Prior to each Thursday evening gathering in Silver Spring for meditation and Dharma sharing we send out an announcement of the topic. The announcement is includes a short essay that focuses on a way of bringing mindfulness into our lives, families, work, and society. Below are topics that we've discussed in the past.

The archive goes from 2004 to the present. You can search by one or more key words, such as: Compassion Training (no quotes), or by phrases, such as: “emotional and spiritual healing” (with quotes). If you would like to receive our weekly announcement, please click on the bar to the right.

Mindfulness and Racial Justice

Facilitated by: Mitchell Ratner| in: Dharma Topics

Discussion Date: Thu, Jul 02, 2020

Silver Spring, Maryland Community Online on Thursday Evening, July 2, 7:00 to 8:45 pm Open to All Online on Friday Evening, July 3, 7:00 to 8:45pm

Dear Still Water Friends,

On June 19th, Thay Phap Dung, a senior monastic Dharma teacher, posted on the Plum Village website some reflections on Racial Justice entitled “Engaging Together for Change: An Invitation.” In the first paragraph of the 3,000-word article Phap Dung noted that “racial justice and systemic inequalities” are intimately interconnected with other monumental challenges, including the pandemic, the climate and ecological crises, poverty, and the “imbalance of power and militarization of our world.” Underlying all these challenges is a “fundamental human crisis, the spiritual crisis.” I understand this crisis as having to do with how we... Continued