Book talk with Lama Rod Owens

Nalanda Institute’s Contemplative Psychotherapy Program in San Francisco is honored to welcome visiting faculty member Lama Rod Owens, dharma teacher, author, activist, and authorized Lama in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. In this talk, he shares his latest book, Love and Rage: The Path to Liberation Through Anger, and explores how to practice the healing arts of Buddhist psychology during this time of social, racial, and political upheaval.

Love and Rage: The Path to Liberation Through Anger was published in June 2020, to critical acclaim for its prophetic truth, timing and honesty, and wisdom, in dealing with the multiplicity of challenges this generation is waking up to.

In the book, Lama Rod explores with grace and candor the power and uses of anger. In Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger, he shares his personal journey with rage—how, at a young age, he internalized the belief that his anger was dangerous.

“I have seen over and over again,” he tells us, “that anger can get me killed. I know that this is how I have survived in a Black queer body in America. My fear of death and policing has translated into a self-policing of my anger to such an extent that if it weren’t for my meditation practice, I wouldn’t know how to find my anger.”

Owens frames his approach within accessible Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice, offering meditation exercises throughout the book to help readers recognize, honor and tap into their anger. Many practices focus on self-preservation and self-care. In a time when the politics of anger—who gets to be angry, how, when, and at whom— infuse every institutional and cultural sphere, Owens offers a radical reenvisioning of a deeply timely topic. Love and Rage will resonate with many: young adults, activists, political organizers, Buddhists, POC, those living in marginalized bodies, and anyone who wants to metabolize or harness their anger for change.

Lama Rod Owens

Lama Rod Owens is considered one of the leaders of his generation of Buddhist teachers. He holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is a co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation. Owens is the co-founder of Bhumisparsha, a Buddhist tantric practice and study community. Has been published in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle and The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and offers talks, retreats, and workshops in more than seven countries.

If you are interested to learn more about Nalanda Institute’s Contemplative Psychotherapy Program in San Francisco, contact Fiona Brandon fiona@nalandainstitute.org.

Faculty: Lama Rod Owens

Schedule: Saturday, February 6 from 3:00-4:30pm PT / 6:00–7:30 ET

Tuition: Free.

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Location: Online via Zoom

Registration: Register here