The Dharma of Spiritual Abolition:
Dialogue & Practice Guided by the Heart Sutra
A 3-Part Talk with Lama Rod Owens
3 Sundays from 1:00 - 3:00 pm ET:
August 27th, September 3rd, September 10th
“I don’t want people to be punished for the harm they cause me or others. I want people to be free from the suffering they experience and the suffering they cause others.” ~ Lama Rod Owens
Spiritual abolitionism is more than a critique of power and how social systems work to grant and deny people resources that they need to survive. Spiritual abolitionism means that our entire ecology must be liberated. The Heart Sutra is one of the tools available to us in this work of liberation.
The Heart Sutra teaches that all phenomena are just expressions of the essence — this includes the sacred duality between form and emptiness. The Heart Sutra is nothing but a contradiction. Therefore, sacred duality is a contradiction because ultimately, there is no duality as there are no phenomena.
Dualities generate a tension that, through practice, we can ride back into the essence. The tension keeps us activated, which in turn keeps us from sinking into a lull or numbness from which it is difficult to break out. Using dualities like this expresses another theme of the Heart Sutra, which is the potential of liberation through contradictions.
We will explore how we can embody and live out these contradictions in our daily lives, in service to our collective liberation for ourselves, others, and the unseen ecologies of ancestors and descendants. We have to do the labor to get ourselves free, and that is the same labor we offer to our collectives.
Join Lama Rod for this series of talks about how we might abolish anything that prevents us from being in direct, honest, and compassionate relationships first with ourselves and then the communities we belong to.
Registration Options
(select the tuition below that best matches your ability to pay)
In this 3-part series, Lama Rod will explore these themes:
Week 1: What is Spiritual Abolition?
Abolition is a fluid, ephemeral word that demands that I stop basing my dream of a liberated future on the preservation of the “good” qualities of present systems and enter the real struggle of imagining brand-new ways of being in relationship with myself and my communities.
Week 2: The Contradiction of the Heart Sutra
We can rest our awareness of phenomena, which is the expression of form, and then from that resting expand outward into space, which is an expression of emptiness. Sacred duality is a contradiction because ultimately, there is no duality as there are no phenomena. However, until we awaken fully, duality must be skillfully used and related to in order to return to the realization of the essence.
Week 3: Activating Spiritual Abolitionism through the Tension of Contradiction
Spiritual abolition is dreaming and then beginning to live beyond the violent indoctrination of the binary that enables people to express dominance over others. We want people to be free from the suffering they experience and the suffering they cause others. In the context of spiritual abolition, the best way to ensure this is through accountability based on an awakened care ethic.
The Dharma of Spiritual Abolition series includes:
- Weekly Live Dialogue & Practice Sessions with Lama Rod
- Video Recordings and Written Transcripts of each live talk
- Access to a private community platform
- Awakened care, vulnerability, clarity, and joy
Registration Options
(select the tuition below that best matches your ability to pay)
Course FAQs:
When are the live sessions?
Live sessions are on Sundays from 1pm-3pm ET / 3pm-5pm GMT.
3 Sundays from 1:00 - 3:00 pm ET: August 27th, September 3rd, September 10th
What if I can't attend the live sessions?
All live sessions will be recorded and posted on the course platform for you to watch later.
Is there a refund policy?
Refunds are available prior to the start of the series on August 27th, 2023, less a $50 admin fee. Once the course has begun we are not able to issue refunds.
Is there financial assistance available?
Through the support of those who give at the Pay it Forward level, we have a limited amount of scholarships available. Email [email protected] if you are in need of financial assistance. If you are able to contribute to our ability to offer scholarships, your generosity by choosing the Pay it Forward supports our ability to offer more financial support.
Is this course open to all?
Yes, this course is open to all levels of experience. Those who have experienced Lama Rod's teachings in the past may find it easier to sink into the dialogue, but everyone is welcome to engage with a trust that they will get what they need as integration and understanding comes over time for all of us.
How long will the course materials be available once I register?
All course modules will be available indefinitely.
About the Teacher
Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care.
A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod activates the intersections of his identity to create a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Applauded for his mastery in balancing weighty topics with a sense of lightness, the Queen has been featured by various national and international news outlets.
Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself.
