Module 11
Prompts & Practices
1) Solidarity, anti-racism and spiritual friendship
How can we practice anti-racism in our friendships? as a form of spiritual friendship?
How do we spot and avoid white savior complex, aka friendship gone wrong?
What does ally-ship mean to you? Is another framework more helpful?
What are you willing to risk?
How might anti-racism become “a way of moving through the world”?
2) Stages of white awakening for organizations
Looking at these two maps, where is the Triratna Buddhist Community in your experience? What about your local situation? How would you redraw the map, if all?
Exclusive : An Exclusionary Institution
Passive: A "Club” Institution
Symbolic Change: A Compliance Organization
Identity Change: An Affirming Institution
Structural Change: A Transforming Institution
Fully Inclusive Anti-Racist Multicultural Organization in a Transformed Society
- © Crossroads Ministry
The Club
The Affirmative Action or ‘Token’ Organization
The Multicultural Organization
The Anti-Racist or Liberation Organization
- Dismantling Racism from the Western States Center
What would it mean to develop anti-racist spiritual friendship sangha-to-sangha? at a collective level? Are there targeted communities or historically marginalized communities local to you that the sangha can be in solidarity with? What are the pitfalls and the hopes of such initiatives? (ref. the optional reading from the resources)
How might this relate to Sangharashita’s teachings on the individual, the group and the spiritual community?
3) Learning from other sanghas on the journey
What do you draw from the examples of other sanghas? What is similar, relevant or different from the context of your sangha — locally or more broadly?
Are you drawn to the vision of an authentically multi-cultural Buddhist community? Why? Why not?
What is something radically doable that you can commit to in the efforts towards collective / organizational awakening?
