Session 7:
Materials

As a kind of self-defense, whiteness can disappear to itself. However, with some practice, we can start to get “the knack” for seeing the ways white privilege, white body supremacy and whiteness more generally continue to manifest and operate, both internally and externally. This requires curiosity, self-compassion and patience.

After our contemplation of the body last session, this session is dedicated to exploring the mind, with a particular focus on vedana, bias and delusion, as well as the reactivity that can arise when our racial conditioning or privilege are named. We look at some antidotes to help us to get free from this: mindfulness, reflection on causality, and the development of equanimity. These can lead us to respond more freely and creatively.

1) Hacking bias though mindfulness of vedana

Vedana is conditioned in a range of ways which can include conditioning by way of racial stereotypes. Bringing mindfulness to vedana can help interrupt this patterning — internally, interpersonally and institutionally. Despite our best efforts, bias can creep into every day experience.

Short Excerpt (2 pages) from “Vedana of Bias: Latent Likes and Dislikes Fueling Barriers to Human Connection” by Anurag Gupta. If you prefer a video over reading, feel free to skip this reading and watch instead the video by Vernā Myers linked below in the “Going Deeper” section.

2) White delusion and its anti-dotes

The difference between ignorance and delusion and 2 antidotes (reflecting on causality and developing equanimity):

Selection of excerpts/summary of an article by Emily McRae on White Delusion and Avidya (3 pages).

The antidote of practicing external-and-internal mindfulness:

Excerpt from “Confronting Racism with Mindfulness” by Bhikkhu Anālayo (2 pages)

3) From (white) reactivity to creativity

Flow chart summary by Russell Nadel of Robin DiAngelo’s concept of “white fragility.” You might look it over and see if you spot any habits of yours, and successes you have had in turning from reactivity to creativity.

4) Power, privilege and intersectionality

Contemplate this diagram. where are you on the map?
What dimensions are missing that are active in your life?

Resources to Go Deeper

For a rainy day!

Vedana of Bias: Latent Likes and Dislikes Fueling Barriers to Human Connection by Anurag Gupta (full article)

How to Overcome our Biases? Walk Boldly Toward them, by Vernā Myers (Ted Talk 20 min) . (She does not use language of vedana and the focus is US-centric but one can extrapolate)

Confronting Racism with Mindfulness by Bhikkhu Analayo (full article)

White Delusion and Avidyā: A Buddhist Approach to Understanding and Deconstructing White Ignorance by Emily McRae (full article)

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh

Video by Akilah Obviously on the concept of intersectionality through… pizza!

Some Books:

Awakening Together: the Spiritual Practcie of Inclusivity and Community, Larry Yang. In particular: chapter “Aware within and without,” p. 117 onwards

Mindful of Race, Ruth King

White Fragilty, by Robin DiAngelo

The Inner Work of Racial Justice, by Rhonda V. Magee