Overview

This pioneering and pathbreaking book brings together the rich spirituality of Black literary giants with the profound spirituality of the Buddhist tradition. Never before have we been informed and transformed with this unprecedented encounter-and our catastrophic times require it! -Dr. Cornel West Black, queer, feminist, Buddhist- The Fire Inside casts a fresh new light on the radical literary legacies of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde Includes meditation exercises Black, queer, feminist, Buddhist- The Fire Inside casts a fresh new light on the radical literary legacies of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde Includes meditation exercises The Fire Inside explores the writings of Audre Lorde and James Baldwin through a Dharmic lens, revealing for the first time how two of America's greatest literary voices reflect-and expand-Buddhism's most timeless truths toward justice and liberation. Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad dives deeply into a dharma of liberation as lived by Baldwin and Lorde, offering timely lessons to help us each meet this moment. She explores the writers' enduring legacies to show that liberation depends not only on organizing and mass movements, but the generative power of inner well-being, authenticity, art, and embodiment. Each chapter shares how looking inward is the way forward, examining Baldwin and Lorde through key Buddhist principles- Suffering as a teacher- how Baldwin and Lorde investigated suffering in their own lives-and how expanded and disrupted interpretations of the Dharma Denial, impermanence, and death- on Baldwin's exploration of white supremacy and fear of death and Lorde's understanding of illness and inevitable change Ultimate and relative reality- how honoring race, gender, sexuality, and difference lies at the heart of Buddhist liberation Karma and not-self- how the doctrine of karma can be reclaimed to cultivate inner liberation and support activists working to dismantle oppression Anger and compassion- how we metabolize internalized rage, reject hatred, and embrace compassion toward transformation Erotic paths to enlightenment- on the power of sensuality and erotic energy; rejecting dominant heteronormativity; and attaining enlightenment through sexual union This book offers space for emerging conversations within spiritual communities-ones that don't shy away from difficult or uncomfortable truths; that center-and celebrate-Black, queer, radical thought; and that embrace the ways our inner lives, creative fire, sensuality, and expressions of love can ignite and sustain revolutionary liberation.

Full Product Details

9798889842583

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Compassionate and practical, Khonsari’s advice centers sustainable strategies for building nonprofits that will endure. Those looking to give back without burning out will be encouraged."" —Publishers Weekly ""... [A] blueprint for workplaces that prioritize humanity over hierarchy."" —EMILY GREEN, Pulizer Prize-Winninig Journalist ""Our movements for liberation and democracy have been waiting for a book like [this]."" —JENNA PETERS-GOLDEN, worker-owner and co-founder of AORTA Cooperative ""An indispensable resource for those ready to pioneer meaningful change in their workplaces."" —ZAHRA BILLOO, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area chapter (CAIR-SFBA) ""This book is the resource we all need—visionary, grounded, and urgently relevant."" —TIRIEN STEINBACH, former associate dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Stanford Law School ""[This] is not just a book—it’s a movement, a call to arms for organizations and leaders to embrace a more inclusive and compassionate future."" —NICOLE WIRES, director of the Nonprofit Democracy Network "" . . . a groundbreaking exploration of reimagined workplace paradigms shining a compelling light.…""—MAYRA PELAGIO, former executive director of Latinos United for a New America ""Let’s build workplaces where every worker can act on their deep yearnings to care for communities and the planet. The Future Is Collective shows us the way."" —JANELLE ORSI, founder of Sustainable Economies Law Center ""A must-read for anyone who believes in a world where work is driven by compassion and shared responsibility.""—AZADEH ZOHRABI, executive director of Berkeley Underground Scholars ""Through riveting case studies and compelling narratives, Khonsari guides us toward a new era of collaborative leadership. This book is a beacon for all those disillusioned by outdated workplace models.""—GAIL SILVERSTEIN, associate dean for experiential learning at UC Law San Francisco ""A seminal piece.""—CURTIS YANCY, director of philanthropy ""Khonsari's insights are not only transformative but also essential for any leader looking to shape the future of work.""—LORENA MELGAREJO, executive director of Faith In Action, Bay Area ""... this book shows us ways to establish sustainable and fulfilling workplaces governed by all involved.""—ANDREW I. SCHOENHOLTZ, JD, PhD, professor from Practice at Georgetown Law and faculty director of the Human Rights Institute and the Center for Applied Legal Studies ""Khonsari's book brings concrete ideas and practices, along with personal stories … for how we can shift our workplaces to empower workers ..."" —REK KWAWER, former director of operations and board member of NASCO ""This book is a powerful antidote to the cultures of power-hoarding, disenfranchisement, and marginalization that are all-too-common in our current Western industrialized society.” — RYAN MATLOW, clinical associate professor and director of community programs for the Early Life Stress and Resilience Program at Stanford School of Medicine

""I have followed and admired Rima Vesely-Flad’s work for years. She is tapping resources that all of us can access for greater hope and change."" —MICHELLE ALEXANDER, author of The New Jim Crow ""This groundbreaking work is a gift of love reminding us of how Black liberation struggle, like the dharma itself, has always been about everyone getting free."" —LAMA ROD OWENS, author of Love and Rage and The New Saints ""This is a read not to miss. . . . I find my own embers of wellness, justice, and harmony stoked with her joy of expression from the heart and mind on behalf of us all.” —LARRY WARD, Buddhist teacher, author, and cofounder of The Lotus Institute ""This book is a fire that both illuminates and refines, a call to engage with the truth of our times while drawing strength from ancestral wisdom."" —RUTH KING, author of Mindful of Race

Author Information

Rima Vesely-Flad, Ph.D. is a research affiliate at Princeton University and a Visiting Professor of Buddhism and Black Studies at Union Theological Seminary, NYC. She leads Buddhist teaching and meditation courses at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and former Director of the Inside Out Prison Education Program which is a partnership between the Swannanoa Correctional Institution for Women and Warren Wilson College. She is a Fulbright Scholar and Awardee in South Africa and Ghana. She is a contributing writer for Lion's Roar and other publications and the author of two academic books Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition- The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation and Racial Purity and Dangerous Bodies- Moral Pollution, Black Lives and the Struggle for Justice.

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