Podcast appearances and mentions of pamela ayo yetunde

Dharma talk given by Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde, May 18, 2025. Music by Barefoot Bran Music.

In this profound episode of Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo, we are joined by Dr. Pamela Ayo Yutende, JD, PhD—author, pastoral counselor, and co-editor of Black and Buddhist. Ayo shares her unique insights on integrating mindfulness with ethical leadership and social justice. Drawing from her Buddhist practice and professional experiences, Ayo dispels myths about mindfulness being separate from activism, showing how mindfulness-based ethics can empower individuals to foster equality, compassion, and healing. Together, Sean and Ayo explore how mindfulness practitioners can engage in justice-oriented practices while staying true to the principles of awareness and social balance. This episode is an invitation to cultivate an ethical posture that embraces both personal growth and collective healing. Timestamps [00:01:00] Introduction [00:03:00] The Journey to Advocacy: How Ayo's experiences with the Brethren Volunteer Service and anti-apartheid activism shaped her justice orientation. [00:10:00] Mindfulness as an Ethical Practice: Exploring the roots of mindfulness in Buddhist ethics and its application in modern leadership. [00:15:00] Justice Through Compassion: Why mindfulness encourages compassion for all sentient beings, human and non-human. [00:20:00] Lessons from Leadership Ethics: A Buddhist perspective on compassionate governance, avoiding greed, and addressing poverty. [00:30:00] Redistribution and Generosity: The role of generosity in ethical leadership and social transformation. [00:40:00] The Power of Awareness: How mindfulness counters narratives of separation and conflict to build unity and truth. Connect with Pamela Ayo Yetunde Website: Buddhist Justice Reporter Books: Casting Indra's Net, Black and Buddhist

As we continue to explore the experiences of Black women from several religious backgrounds, this week I’m in dialogue with Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde, who shares her journey of becoming a practicing Buddhist. Dr. Yetunde is a pastoral counselor and the author of several books, including "Casting Indra's Net" and the forthcoming "Dearly Beloved: Prince, Spirituality, and This Thing Called Life." During our conversation today, we explore some of the basic principles of Buddhism, how Buddhism as a philosophy can inform our practice of other religions, and the significance of mindfulness activities such as yoga and meditation within Buddhism. About the Podcast The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. Resources & Announcements Grab your copy of Sisterhood Heals. Where to Find Dr. Yetunde Website LinkedIn Instagram Stay Connected Is there a topic you'd like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory. Take the info from the podcast to the next level by joining us in the Therapy for Black Girls Sister Circle community.therapyforblackgirls.com Grab your copy of our guided affirmation and other TBG Merch at therapyforblackgirls.com/shop. The hashtag for the podcast is #TBGinSession. Make sure to follow us on social media: Twitter: @therapy4bgirls Instagram: @therapyforblackgirls Facebook: @therapyforblackgirls Our Production Team Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Maya Cole Howard Senior Producer: Ellice Ellis Producer: Tyree Rush Associate Producer: Zariah TaylorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde is a visionary Pastoral Counselor, author, and Community Dharma Leader with a Doctorate in Theology and a passion for community care. Dr. Yetunde provides a unique approach to healing our perspectives, blending spirituality, psychology, and social justice to create some practical insights we can use in everyday life to strengthen ourselves, and the bonds within our communities. *Chapters* 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 02:44 – Interdependence 09:30 – Find Compassion Towards Yourself 15:26 – Break 17:41 – Grace 23:29 – How to Be Resilient 28:00 – Tips for Conflict Resolution with Others 34:00 – Recognize Your Limiting Beliefs 39:00 – Origin of Original Courage 45:59 – Who Should You Give Your Attention To? 52:12 – Closing

On fostering spiritual kinship and community, a plea to stay in the fold of love and civility, and recipes to fortify the truth of our interbeing. (3:40) - Facing grief and loss as a chaplain. (10:21) -Buddhist retreats for intergenerational healing. (18:55) -Narcissism and the Buddhist Path to Authenticity. (25:11) - Intergenerational wisdom and mindfulness. (31:25) - Buddhist teachings and meditation practice. (37:03) -Ethics, gratitude, and relationships. Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde is a pastoral counselor, writer, instructor and speaker. She did her post-doctoral work at Harvard Divinity School, earned a Doctor of Theology in Pastoral Counseling from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, earned her M.A. in Culture and Spirituality from Holy Names University in Oakland, CA, and her law degree from Indiana University of Law. She is a Community Dharma Leader certified by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. Her articles appear in Buddhadharma, Lion's Roar, Journal of Buddhist-Christian Studies, Religions and Feminist Theology. She is an interfaith pan-Buddhist practitioner. Ayo is the author of three books: Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community (2023, Shambhala Publications). Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race Resilience, Transformation and Freedom co-edited with Cheryl A. Giles (2020, Shambhala Publications). Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, U.S. Law, and Womanist Theology for Transgender Spiritual Care (2020, Palgrave Macmillan).  

“Call me naive, but I still believe in the power of love.”   During NYZC's recent Contemplative Care Retreat, guest dharma teacher Pamela Ayo Yetunde shares a dharma talk focusing on love, a medicine for hatred. The understanding of Buddhist love Ayo offers here contrasts views of love that are delusional, clinging, co-dependent, possessive and […] The post Consciousness-Altering Love | Pamela Ayo Yetunde appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

In her latest book, Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community, activist, counselor, and Buddhist teacher Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde shares ways of creating kinship and community through the metaphor of Indra's Net—a universal net in which all beings reflect each other like jewels. In this episode, Ayo is joined by somatic and transpersonal psychotherapist Deanna Jimenez for a heartfelt conversation that is both a call and a primer for community-oriented models of well-being in our age of polarization and turmoil. This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 3rd, 2023. We had some technical issues during this event that have resulted in audio quality that is lower than our usual standard, but we felt it was important to share this conversation regardless. You can also watch it on the CIIS Public Programs YouTube channel. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms. We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health care and support, here are some resources to find immediate help and future healing: -Visit 988lifeline.org or text, call, or chat with The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 from anywhere in the U.S. to be connected immediately with a trained counselor. Please note that 988 staff are required to take all action necessary to secure the safety of a caller and initiate emergency response with or without the caller's consent if they are unwilling or unable to take action on their own behalf. -Visit thrivelifeline.org or text “THRIVE” to begin a conversation with a THRIVE Lifeline crisis responder 24/7/365, from anywhere: +1.313.662.8209. This confidential text line is available for individuals 18+ and is staffed by people in STEMM with marginalized identities. -Visit translifeline.org or call (877) 565-8860 in the U.S. or (877) 330-6366 in Canada to learn more and contact Trans Lifeline, who provides trans peer support divested from police. -Visit ciis.edu/ciis-in-the-world/counseling-clinics to learn more and schedule counseling sessions at one of our centers. -Find information about additional global helplines at befrienders.org.

Major religious traditions call on their adherents to respond to the causes of suffering, those who suffer, and the prevention of suffering. The ways we respond and serve can take many forms including activism and holding political office. How does spiritual practice support the difficult work of speaking truth to power as well as being in positions of power without losing focus on the relief of suffering? In this book talk and conversation, Lori E. Lightfoot, Esq., 56th Mayor of Chicago, and Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., Th.D., author of Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community, reflected on the role of political officeholders and public theologians in the divisive social contexts we live in today. This event was live-streamed on the HDS Youtube channel, and took place October 24, 2023. Bios Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago Law School. She was an Assistant United States Attorney who also served in other governmental positions with the Chicago Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management and later, Lightfoot was a law partner at Mayer Brown. Lightfoot served as the 56th Mayor of Chicago. She was the second woman, first African-American female and first openly gay person to ever serve as Mayor. Her tenure ran from May 2019—May 2023. Mayor Lightfoot is a 2023 Senior Leadership Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health where she is teaching a course on leadership and key discussion-making in public health. Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., Th.D., is a pastoral counselor in private practice, Community Dharma Leader, human rights advocate, and the author of Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinships and Community. Along with HDS's Dr. Cheryl A. Giles, Ayo co-edited Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation and Freedom. This anthology led to Dr. Charles Stang, director of the Center for the Study of World Religions, hosting a powerful program about being Black and Buddhist. Ayo is also an associate editor with Lion's Roar and Buddhadharma and has hosted many of their podcast interviews. You can visit Ayo's website (https://www.pamelaayoyetunde.com:) for more information, including how to purchase the book. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu/academics/ministry-studies/buddhist-ministry-initiative A transcript is forthcoming.

Dr. Pamelo Ayo Yetunde demonstrates why we are right to look for answers to our modern problems in timeless wisdom, some of it thousands of years old. She brings together her insights from the world's greatest wisdom traditions, philosophies, and religions to help others find peace-of-mind, timeless truths, and clarity amid the often daunting chaos in our times. -- TIMESTAMPS -- 00:00 Intro & Welcome 02:03 Interdependence 07:02 Preserving the Dignity of Others 09:36 How We Bring Compassion Into Our Everyday Lives 14:52 Break 17:55 Grace 23:59 Being Resilient in the Face of Negative Noise 36:11 Limiting Beliefs 39:32 Original Courage 45:06 Leadership 51:39 What Do You Wish People Knew? 53:04Closing

Pamela Ayo Yetunde, J.D., M.A., Th.D., did her post-doctoral work at Harvard Divinity School, earned a Doctor of Theology in Pastoral Counseling from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, earned her M.A. in Culture and Spirituality from Holy Names University in Oakland, CA and her law degree from Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington.  She is a Community Dharma Leader certified by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA.   She is a pastoral counselor and the author of the new book Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community, co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation and Freedom and principal co-founder of Buddhist Justice Reporter (www.buddhistjustice.com). Ayo is working on a novella/film project called "Birdsong".    You can learn more about Pamela Ayo Yetunde J.D., M.A., Th.D., at: www.pamelaayoyetunde.com. Center of the Heart: www.centeroftheheart.org     Subscribe to Dr. Lotte's Newsletter Here   Visit Dr. Lotte's Website

In today's world, is it possible to get to a place of social harmony? Tune in for a discussion with Pamela Ayo Yetunde, JD, ThD, on her new #book Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community. #MomentsWithMarianne airs LIVE every Tuesday at 3pm PT/6pm ET, and every Friday at 10am PT/1pm ET, in the Southern California area on KMET 1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate! Pamela Ayo Yetunde, JD, ThD, is a Community Dharma Leader in the Insight Meditation tradition. She teaches pastoral care and counseling and has taught at University of the West, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, and Upaya Institute and Zen Center. Ayo has written for Buddhadharma, Lion's Roar, Religions, and Buddhist-Christian Studies. She is the author of Object Relations, Buddhism and Relationality in Womanist Practical Theology. https://www.pamelaayoyetunde.comFor more show information visit: www.MariannePestana.com#bookclub #readinglist #books #bookish #author #authorinterview #KMET1490AM #radioshow #booklover #mustread #reading #bookstagram #wellness #wellbeing #community #Harmony #healing #society #PamelaAyoYetunde #Shambhala #enlightenment #innerpeace #goldenrule #weareone #connected

Pamela Ayo Yetunde has worked as an activist, lay Buddhist leader, chaplain, pastoral counselor, practical theologian, and teacher. In each of these roles, she has witnessed how our humanity has been distorted and how distraction and delusion keep us from our true purpose of caring for one another. Drawing from Buddhist and Christian teachings on mutuality and liberation, Yetunde believes that we need a compassion revolution to counter the rising tides of oppression and exploitation. In her new book, "Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community," she explores how contemplative practices can help us adopt one another as kin. In this episode of Life As It Is, Tricycle's editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, and co-host Sharon Salzberg sit down with Yetunde to talk about how we can become caregivers to our community, what she has learned from Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of mutuality, and how rituals can support us in cultivating community and connection.

How can we, as individuals, contribute to the repair of the world and ourselves in this polarized time? Pamela Ayo Yetunde, author of Casting Indra's Net, shares how we can do the necessary inner work to live as spiritual kin, caring for each other amidst global crisis and suffering.

Through the metaphor of Indra's Net, Lion's Roar's associate editor Pamela Ayo Yetunde calls for a “compassion revolution” in her new book, Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community. She talks with fellow LR editor Noel Alumit about the deep challenges that lead to violence, and how we can heal from them together.

Insight Meditation teacher Phoenix Soleil talks to Pamela Ayo Yetunde about dealing with racism, and how metta practice can help get you through.

Fear can lead us to do regretful, hateful, and even violent things. Lion's Roar & NYZC's new online course Medicine for Fear is inspired by Zen teacher Eihei Dogen's essential instructions for awakening. The course, featuring Sensei Koshin and Sensei Chodo, as well as Mushim Ikeda, Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Kodo Nishimura, and Mirabai Bush, offers […] The post Fear and Knowing How to Be Satisfied | Koshin Paley Ellison appeared first on New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

Fear can lead us to do regretful, hateful, and even violent things. Lion's Roar's new online course Medicine for Fear, inspired by Zen teacher Eihei Dogen's essential instructions for awakening, offers a way to minimize fear's impact on us—featuring Koshin Paley Ellison and Chodo Robert Campbell of New York Zen Center, as well as Mushim Ikeda, Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Kodo Nishimura, and Mirabai Bush. In this clip from Medicine for Fear, Koshin talks about the problem of never feeling like you have enough.

Sister Clear Grace is a black, non-binary monastic traveling across the country to lean in to the collective experience of the United States. The traveling nunk speaks with Lion's Roar's associate editor Pamela Ayo Yetunde about letting go of privilege, answering the call to become a monastic, and encounters on the road to liberation.

We reflect on the death of one of the greatest Buddhist teachers of our time, and preview the new issue of Lion's Roar magazine. Then makeup artist, monk, and author of This Monk Wears Heels, Kodo Nishimura tells Pamela Ayo Yetunde how even makeup and drag can be an expression of the dharma.

Wellbeing and social justice are one and the same, according to neuroscientist Dr. Sará King. Pamela Ayo Yetunde asks about The Science of Social Justice, her illustrative Systems-Based Awareness Map, and the implications of the framework that has the power to change how you understand yourself, your community, and even political events such as the January 6 insurrection.

What does it mean to be black and Buddhist, and what does that have to do with Life Wisdom? This episode of Life Wisdom features the dynamic work of Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Pastoral Counsellor, Co-Founder of Centre of the Heart, Buddhist Justice Reporter and co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be black and Buddhist, and what does that have to do with Life Wisdom? This episode of Life Wisdom features the dynamic work of Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Pastoral Counsellor, Co-Founder of Centre of the Heart, Buddhist Justice Reporter and co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

What does it mean to be black and Buddhist, and what does that have to do with Life Wisdom? This episode of Life Wisdom features the dynamic work of Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Pastoral Counsellor, Co-Founder of Centre of the Heart, Buddhist Justice Reporter and co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/spiritual-practice-and-mindfulness

What does it mean to be black and Buddhist, and what does that have to do with Life Wisdom? This episode of Life Wisdom features the dynamic work of Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Pastoral Counsellor, Co-Founder of Centre of the Heart, Buddhist Justice Reporter and co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What does it mean to be black and Buddhist, and what does that have to do with Life Wisdom? This episode of Life Wisdom features the dynamic work of Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Pastoral Counsellor, Co-Founder of Centre of the Heart, Buddhist Justice Reporter and co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Recently, the Awake Network and Shambhala Publications hosted a free online event, “The Black and Buddhist Summit,” that attracted over 10 thousand participants. We share Jarvis's fireside chat, talking about race, transformation and the experience of being Black while Buddhist on death row. We also meet, Pamela Ayo Yetunde, author of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Healing. If you'd like to support Jarvis Masters's cause, please considering signing a petition on his behalf at www.freejarvis.org  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Other podcast summaries if you're on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/5-min-summariesOr in other apps: search 'podcast summaries'.Original episode link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?i=1000522878925Written Summary: https://www.owltail.com/summaries/6Wqdd-349-Meditation-is-Not-Just-a-Solo-Endeavor

Other podcast summaries if you're on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/5-min-summariesOr in other apps: search 'podcast summaries'.Original episode link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ten-percent-happier-with-dan-harris/id1087147821?i=1000522878925Written Summary: https://www.owltail.com/summaries/6Wqdd-349-Meditation-is-Not-Just-a-Solo-Endeavor

There’s a meditation pitfall that’s pretty easy to fall into. In fact, I’ve fallen into it many times. It’s this idea, which we can hold consciously or subconsciously, that meditation is a solo endeavor. “I’m doing it to reduce my stress, or boost my focus, or... make myself ten percent happier.” All of that is fine. It’s actually great. But in my experience, the deeper you go into this thing, the more you see that the self is less stable and more porous than you previously imagined. And you also see that it’s really impossible to be happy in a vacuum; your happiness depends on the well-being of the people around you. We’re going to explore this notion of meditation as a team sport today with Pamela Ayo Yetunde. She’s the co-editor of Black & Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation & Freedom, which just won the Nautilus book award. She’s got a law degree from Indiana University and a theology degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. She also founded something called Buddhist Justice Reporter: The George Floyd Trials, which you will hear her discuss in this conversation. This is the first of two conversations we’re posting this week to mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. In this chat with Ayo, which is the name she prefers to be addressed by, we cover: a concept she calls "shock protection"; living nobly in a time of ignobility; how we can move toward civility; various interpretations of the Buddhist concept of no-self, including viewing no self as inter-dependence; and how white people in particular can maintain their focus on issues of race, even when we have the option of looking away. Also, one order of business: We're offering 40% off the price of a year-long subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app until June 1st. Visit https://www.tenpercent.com/may to sign up today. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pamela-ayo-yetunde-349

There's a meditation pitfall that's pretty easy to fall into. In fact, I've fallen into it many times. It's this idea, which we can hold consciously or subconsciously, that meditation is a solo endeavor. “I'm doing it to reduce my stress, or boost my focus, or... make myself ten percent happier.” All of that is fine. It's actually great. But in my experience, the deeper you go into this thing, the more you see that the self is less stable and more porous than you previously imagined. And you also see that it's really impossible to be happy in a vacuum; your happiness depends on the well-being of the people around you. We're going to explore this notion of meditation as a team sport today with Pamela Ayo Yetunde. She's the co-editor of Black & Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation & Freedom, which just won the Nautilus book award. She's got a law degree from Indiana University and a theology degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. She also founded something called Buddhist Justice Reporter: The George Floyd Trials, which you will hear her discuss in this conversation. This is the first of two conversations we're posting this week to mark the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. In this chat with Ayo, which is the name she prefers to be addressed by, we cover: a concept she calls "shock protection"; living nobly in a time of ignobility; how we can move toward civility; various interpretations of the Buddhist concept of no-self, including viewing no self as inter-dependence; and how white people in particular can maintain their focus on issues of race, even when we have the option of looking away. Also, one order of business: We're offering 40% off the price of a year-long subscription to the Ten Percent Happier app until June 1st. Visit https://www.tenpercent.com/may to sign up today. Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pamela-ayo-yetunde-349

I used to think that being Buddhist was a similar experience for everyone; a sangha a retreat for all people. Today I share an interview by James Shahhen who talks with editors of the Anthology Black and Buddhist, Pamela Ayo Yetunde and Cheryl A. Giles Sponsors: Amazon.com - Shop Amazon using this link and a portion of what you spend will go back to the show. Become a Super-Fan of the Show Support ZEN commuter and get access to patron bonuses THANKS FOR LISTENING! Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page. Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them. Did you enjoy the podcast?

In the latest episode of Tricycle Talks, editor-in-chief James Shaheen sits down to talk with four contributors to Tricycle’s Summer issue out this May. First up are psychotherapist Mindy Newman and translator and musician Kaia Fischer. Together over the past year they have presented a series of teachings from a newly translated Tibetan sutra. Through their collaborative writing practice, Mindy and Kaia have been able to explore psychology and scriptural exegesis, Buddhist storytelling, and guru devotion in the Tibetan tradition.  Poet and short story writer Souvankham Thammavongsa is a rising star in the literary world. Born in a Lao refugee camp in Thailand and raised in Toronto, Thammavongsa is known for her nuanced reflections on immigrant and refugee experiences. In this episode, she joins us to talk about her family’s history, the power and limits of language, dislocation, and loss—themes woven throughout her short story How to Pronounce Knife, which appears in the current issue.  In his feature article, “The Land of Many Dharmas,” Kenneth Tanaka, a Jodo Shin Buddhist priest and professor emeritus of Buddhist Studies at Musashino University in Tokyo, discusses how, for the first time, Buddhists from virtually every tradition can be found living side by side in North American cities. He explores America as a site of unprecedented religious pluralism and asks what this means for the future, especially in light of the recent wave of anti-Asian violence. Also in this issue: Pamela Ayo Yetunde and Cheryl A. Giles—the editors of the anthology Black and Buddhist—discuss what the dharma and the experience of Black people in America can teach us about the nature of suffering and freedom; scholar Donald S. Lopez writes about how, for most of its history, Buddhist teachings have had little to offer social activism; and the photography of Burmese artist Nge Lay captures the collision of Myanmar’s past and present.

Dr Paul W Dyer The Host of Bridges Live Visits with Ayo. Pamela Ayo Yetunde is co-editor of Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation and Freedom. Ayo is a Community Dharma Leader, Zen student, chaplain, pastoral counselor, and professor. She has written for Buddhadharma, Lion's Roar, and Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and is the co-founder of Center of the Heart: www.centeroftheheart.org. Ayo, along with BIPOC Zen and Insight practitioners in the Twin Cities, founded Buddhist Justice Reporter: The George Floyd Trials: www.buddhistjustice.com.