White Awareness Practice at Clouds
Untangling White Karma Study Group
April 3rd to June 26th, 2024
Every other Wednesday, April 3 - June 26 (seven Wednesdays)
Facilitated by Rakurei Tom Bailey and Patricia DeBoer
Zoom Only
This study group offers the opportunity for white-bodied members of the sangha to study various texts addressing racial equity issues. We will emphasize deep listening, practicing body awareness, and being compassionate with each other as we engage in topics that are often difficult for white practitioners. Starting on Wednesday, April 3, the study group will begin reading Mindful of Race, by Ruth King.
"Ruth King brilliantly breaks down one of the most complex experiences of human suffering- racism and racial oppression- with the transformational life skills of mindfulness and Buddhist practice. . . . Ruth’s book is a must-read, must-practice, must-live experience." -Larry Yang, author of Awakening Together
The study group will meet via Zoom every other Wednesday, 7-8 pm, April 3 through June 26. (seven Wednesdays). It will be facilitated by Rakurei Tom Bailey and Patricia DeBoer, who are members of the White Awakening Group that meets regularly with Sosan to plan programs for white-bodied practitioners examining racism. Please purchase (or borrow) the book ahead of time. We have a few copies in the Clouds library. A syllabus will be sent to all participants before April 3rd.
Participation in the study group is free. Donations to Clouds are welcome.
You can register in two ways:
Through google forms OR you can register with dana through this registration link.
Practice and Council Groups
The White Awakening Group is committed to helping create a sangha at Clouds in Water where all who wish to practice the teachings and precepts of Zen Buddhism feel safe, welcome, and nurtured. The creation of the WAG responds to a call from LAB and BIPOC sangha members for white-bodied sangha members to more fully engage in the work of sangha transformation.
The group helps plan and promote programs and activities for white-bodied practitioners to examine racism in our society, and how the white mind is conditioned to support and maintain it. The WAG also supports the white Racial Awareness Groups that are centered at Clouds (see below). WAG operates as an advisory group to the Guiding Teacher, and its members are chosen at the discretion of the Guiding Teacher in consultation with current WAG members. For more information, contact our Guiding Teacher, Sosan, at: sosan@cloudsinwater.org.
These small groups of white-bodied people work together to awaken to their role in perpetuating systemic racism and find ways to dismantle it. The groups focus on developing the awareness necessary to see through our individual and collective delusions and conditioning around race and move toward personal and social transformation.
Contact RAGinfo@cloudsinwater.org for more information, or to find out how to join one of the groups.
Re-Patterning Whiteness
Clouds in Water x Don’t You Feel It Too?
Clouds is honored to collaborate with the incredible organization, Don’t You Feel It, Too?
This is a course we offer from time-time in person where we look at racism and white supremacy from an embodied, dharmic perspective. The course is facilated by Or Laura Levinson, the Artistic Director of Don’t You Feel It, Too?