Teaching us to relax back into being held by spaciousness, Lama Rod Owens discusses the forces that help us remember real love, awakened freedom, and who we truly are. 

In this episode of the Indie Spiritualist Podcast, Chris and Lama Rod explore:

• The practice and embodiment of real love as revolutionary
• Transcending violence and harm and the yearning for all to be free
• Holding brokenheartedness with a lot of care and viewing it as a teaching 
• Continued practice even as an awakened being 
• Returning to a space of fluidity and openness
• Riding the middle line between form and emptiness 
• Cultivating a stronger relationship with Earth, even in an urban environment 
• Mystical breakthroughs and navigating mental health through the lens of spirituality 
• Getting distracted by euphoria / believing we are hyper-special instead of taking spiritual experiences as an opportunity to connect more deeply with humanity 
• Meditative experiences that can be found in daily life and in our pre-existing hobbies
• Allowing space for Western medicine when it is needed 
• Untangling the notion that we have to like something or someone in order to love 
• Returning agency back to community and the enduring spiritual traditions that will aid in our survival  

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp & Dharma Seed:

Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

Join Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das’ band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTI

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 to show 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. Check out Lama Rod’s most recent publication, The New Saints, and his podcast on the Be Here Now Network, The Spirit Underground.

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“Is it taking you out of this moment, out of relationship with others around you? Are you having thoughts of being special and extraordinary? Is it helping you to be more human, or is it leading you towards this idealized state that seems to take you out of the messiness of humanity? I think that the real spiritual breakthrough brings us deeper into the experience of being human, of empathy." – Lama Rod Owens

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