We are living in a nation that is deeply fragmented along lines of political affiliation and ideology, race, class, religion, immigration status, and more. For the last few years, it seems that our government is at a standstill, with the divides so sharply defined that it is impossible to move forward. There have been very few attempts to bridge the divides; but, in our experience and in the research we have seen, a collective capacity to bridge the divides seems to be the only viable path to a sustainable future for our species. Our point of view is that recognizing, centering, investing in, and trusting in our common humanity, as the basis for community, is the essence of love.
Is this the way it needs to be, with conflicting sides, winners and losers in a zero-sum game, or is there another way forward? When others’ beliefs and opinions differ from our own, it can be challenging to listen and be curious as to why people believe what they do. Yet, when we are able to truly hear each other, we can begin to see our common humanity and shared needs. But how do we do this? What are some of the perspectives and strategies we can use to bridge differences and connect with our common humanity? How can we overcome our resistance to extending compassion to others, even those we think of as threats or as enemies? What are the limits to bridging differences and extending compassion? Are there times that we shouldn’t try to bridge, or extend our compassion?
In this episode of the Unlocking True Happiness podcast, we delve into these questions, discussing the opportunities and challenges of broadening our compassion and bridging differences.
Tenzin Chogkyi (she/her/hers) is a teacher of workshops and programs that bridge the worlds of Buddhist thought, contemplative practice, mental and emotional cultivation, and the latest research in the field of positive psychology.
Tenzin is especially interested in bringing the wisdom of Buddhism into modern culture and into alignment with modern cultural values such as racial and gender justice and environmental awareness. She feels strongly that a genuine and meaningful spiritual path includes not only personal transformation, but social and cultural transformation as well. She has been exploring the presentation of traditional teachings using modern pedagogical methods such as experiential exercises, dialogue and small group interaction.
Tenzin is a certified teacher of Compassion Cultivation Training, a secular compassion training program developed at Stanford University. She also teaches the Cultivating Emotional Balance program, a secular program using contemplative techniques drawn from Buddhism for managing emotions, developed at His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s request.
Greg Morris (pronouns: any) is a student and practitioner of bhakti yoga and Advaita Vedanta, as well as a student and devotee of the Tao Te Ching and the four gospels of the New Testament. A lifelong peace advocate and bridge-builder with childhood grounding in Unitarianism, Greg offers their spiritual practice as the foundation of their work as a teacher, as a coach, and as a management consultant specializing in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Greg is grateful to be the recipient and beneficiary of several healing modalities, most notably Rosen Method (Marion Rosen, Robert Harry Rovin), Transformational Bodywork (Stephen Allario, Fred Mitouer), Holistic Sexuality (Marina Romero), Interpersonal Dynamics (David Bradford), and psychotherapy. Greg is a certified teacher of Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT™), a secular program developed by Stanford University’s Department of Neurosurgery under the guidance of Geshe Thupten Jinpa and at the request of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Mathew Divaris is a student of Buddhism who is deeply inspired by Tenzin's multidisciplinary approach of bringing the teachings to our troubled times in truly relevant, actionable ways. When not helping out with the Unlocking True Happiness project, Mathew works as a marketing consultant.
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