Facing the obstacles on a spiritual path, Lama Rod Owens, David Nichtern, and Michael Kammers, discuss the seven sorrows of the new saint.

In this episode, David, Michael and Lama Rod chat about:

• Realizing that liberation is driven by uncomfortable contradictions
• The seven great sorrows of the new saint
• Leaving people behind on a spiritual journey
• Offering space to paradoxes in order to find clarity
• Support on the Boddhisatva path
• Focusing our energy on ourselves
• Prayer as an imperative part of spiritual work
• Being relevant and speaking the language of the times
• Teachers who inspired and helped Lama Rod
• Being yourself and using your own qualities to help others
• Commitment to a reduction of violence
• Getting active in getting free

“The whole project of The New Saints was to delve into the frustrations of paradox, of contradictions. One of the things that deepens our suffering is our attempt to make everything make sense. That’s how we get trapped in delusion, trying to make it make sense when instead we are trying to transcend it.” – Lama Rod Owens

About Lama Rod Owens:

Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive.