If we were to simply walk past the fires of racism, sexism, and so on, because illusions of separation exist within them, we may well be walking past the widest gateways to enlightenment. …We're always thinking enlightenment is somewhere else, but it's through your body, it's through your life experience. And it’s a misinterpretation to suppose that attending to the fires of our existence cannot lead us to experience the waters of peace. Spiritual awakening arises from our ordinary lives, our everyday struggles with ourselves and each other. The lived experience is the gateway to freedom.
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
Guest Teacher
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, poet, artist, ordained Zen Buddhist priest/teacher and daughter of parents who migrated from rural Louisiana during WWII, is the author of several notable books integrating spiritual traditions, justice, and healing including Opening to Darkness, Shamanic Bones of Zen, The Way of Tenderness and Deepest Peace