The Way of Tenderness

Posted on 05 January 2017 by Earthlyn Manuel

What does liberation mean when I have incarnated in a particular body, with a particular shape, color, and sex In The Way of Tenderness, Zen priest Zenju Earthlyn Manuel brings Buddhist philosophies of emptiness and appearance to bear on race, sexuality, and gender, using wisdom forged through personal experience and practice to rethink problems of identity and privilege Manuel brings her own experiences as a lesbian black woman into conversation with Buddhism to square our ultimately empty nature with superficial perspectives of everyday life Her hard won insights reveal that dry wisdom alone is not sufficient to heal the wounds of the marginalized an effective practice must embrace the tenderness found where conventional reality and emptiness intersect Only warmth and compassion can cure hatred and heal the damage it wreaks within us This is a book that will teach us all. Download The Way of Tenderness – kino-fada.fr An important, relevant, and elegant read for anyone interested in intersectional spirituality Manuel speaks from the heart and from lived experience, providing ways for understanding the multiplicity of oneness and the importance...This book by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is essential reading for all Buddhists Essential.It is an honest account which examines the injustices of racism, sexism and gender based oppression from the standpoint of a Buddhist who has experienced each throughout her life I believe that all sanghas need to read this book in order to truly examine what it means to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment Many personal a...Zenju Earthlyn Manuel s The Way of Tenderness is a deeply personal meditation on the liberative potential of embracing individual experience and embodied human life Traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings of liberation and compassion, uni...I m largely unfamiliar with Buddhism and its contemporary practice, which I think made engaging thoroughly with this book difficult for me Still, I got a lot out of the author s approach to understanding anti oppression through Buddhist philosophy, particularly the later sections on embodiment.Because of the author s academic voice, I found this a difficult read, which is unfortunate as I think her message is vital heartfelt The language just puts it at a remove for me, I had to spend too much time trying to figure out what she...I ve never read anything like this contemplation of the intersection of race, sexuality, gender, faith and Buddhist thought I d read a section and think to myself yeah, I get that Ten minutesdigesting and I d tell myself NOPE didn t get that Maybe I just don t have enough exposure to Eastern philosophy and faith teachings Either way, I really dug how the author came back to the trinity of race sexuality gender and refused to separate them, and I understood her to be arguing against I ve never read anything like this contemplation of the intersection of race, sexuality, gender, faith and Buddhist thought I d read a section and think to myself yeah, I g...Absolutely phenomenal book I only wish I read it sooner So powerful, so moving, and so helpful for those engaging with Western Buddhism as a non white person I m not sure how much I can say, or need to say here The core of the book, which I think is something that non white practitioners cannot avoid as much as Buddhist communities may tend to avoid it , is how we might reconcile the Buddha s teachings on non self with the importance of our identities to who we are in this country and in Absolutely phenomenal book I only wish I read it sooner So powerful, so moving, and so helpful for those engaging with Western Buddhism as a non white person I m ...Zenju Earthlyn Manuel has helped me tap into a place where I can acknowledge my own and others pain, our beauty and strength in suffering through life, and to speak from a tender place Ignorance, self annihilation, and silence to our diverse society is what weighs us down It s not until we open ourselves up to honest dialogue about our differences as human beings can we come to feel and understand the way of tenderness Hope I didn t miss the point, but I think that her words are enlightening Zenju Earthlyn Manuel has helped me tap into a place where I can acknowledge my own and others pain, our beauty and strength in suffering through life, and to speak from a tender place Ignorance, self annihilation, a...Beautiful.Identity and the body are real They are sites where freedom can be discussed and uncovered Whatever freedom means.

05 January 2017

Earthlyn Manuel