Episode 19: How to Deal with Change - Lessons from a Buddhist nun
Episode 19 of M3CS’s Contemplative Science Podcast saw Kaira Jewel Lingo come on to the show to share the Buddhist philosophies of impermanence and equanimity, and how these can help in our personal and communal lives.
For the full podcast, check out the episode here.
In this episode, we cover...
Kaira’s experience from fifteen years living as a Buddhist nun.
Why freedom will prevail if our actions are in the name of truth, wisdom and love.
The potential of genuine acceptance in our uphill battle with the climate crisis.
Kaira Jewel Lingo is an author and Buddhist teacher who holds a BA and MA in Anthropology and Social Sciences from Stanford University. A former Buddhist nun of fifteen years, Kaira’s teachings integrate mindfulness and meditation with social justice.
Here are some of the key insights from the conversation...
Kaira’s monastic experience taught her that suffering was a learning opportunity.
”I learned, I think more than anything in that time, that suffering and difficulties didn't have to be seen as a problem. They could really be seen as something to practice with and to grow with. And of course, I wouldn't make my life more difficult than it needed to be, but when it was difficult, this attitude of: Okay, I have gone through difficulties before, I have found my way through, I've seen many other people make their way through difficulties gracefully... So I am willing. So let me be with it. Let me soften in the face of it and learn what I can from this moment.”
Reconciling ourselves with the notion of change will help us cope in times of distress.
”When we are shocked, then we go into paralysis, right? And we can't move and can't respond. But if we've been removing the veils from our eyes, on a regular basis, then when things fall apart, we're like: Okay yeah, this is part of the picture. Let me move in and be as helpful, as constructive in this deconstructing environment as I can.”
We should use our imagination to envisage community-led values, not capitalist.
”What would it mean to develop community structures where we could barter, where we could exchange needed tasks and support? Those things are happening. There are communities that do their own currency all over the world. Those things are happening now. Why don't we use our imagination to start thinking about how we can build in those ways of shoring ourselves up, as the structures of our society begin to break down?”
The best place to find Kaira Jewel Lingo is here.
See you next week!
