Death and decay are inherent in the cycles of life. In these soft bodies, we have made an enormous project of insulating ourselves in a way that is in part backfiring at the global level. As we enter a period of collective imperilment, might we be re-acquainted with the raw vulnerability of life? What might Buddhist wisdom and practices offer as we come to terms with the need for protection?
One Earth Sangha director Kristin Barker led this investigation into precarity and the potential gifts at the other end of it on July 23, 2023. You can find the recording of this event below.
Kristin Barker is co-founder and director of One Earth Sangha whose mission is to cultivate a Buddhist response to ecological crises. She is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leader program and now teaches with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington (DC). As a co-founder of White Awake, Kristin has been supporting white people since 2011 with a Dharma approach to uprooting racism in ourselves and in our world. With a background in software engineering as well as environmental management, she has worked at several international environmental organizations. She is a GreenFaith Fellow and serves on the advisory board of Project Inside Out. Kristin was born and raised in northern New Mexico and currently lives in Washington DC, traditional lands of the Piscataway peoples.
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One Earth Sangha and our featured speakers offer these explorations on a donation basis, with no required registration fee. We invite you to participate in the tradition of offering dana, or generosity. Your support makes these gatherings possible, and any amount offered is greatly appreciated.
Recording
Inquiries for Group Discussion
- How do I relate to vulnerability, generally and with regard to ecocrises?
- What happens when I affirm vulnerability? What do I notice in my body, heart, mind?
- What responses might be possible if I welcome and make friends with precarity?
Additional Resources
- The Five Remembrances mentioned by Kristin in the exploration are as follows:
- I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
- I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape having ill health.
- I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
- All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
- My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.
- This article in Lion’s Roar examines the Five Remembrances in greater depth: Buddhism’s “Five Remembrances” Are Wake-Up Calls for Us All
- The recording of Kristin’s July 2022 EcoDharma Exploration can be found here: Triple Bypass, Triple Blessing: Investigating the Intersection of Ecology, Dharma and Justice
- Discover more of Kristin’s EcoDharma here
