In this live recording from The Eternal Song Seven Day Premier broadcast, hosts Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo engage in a deep discussion with guests Francis Weller, a psychotherapist and soul activist, and Orland Bishop, a spiritual teacher and founder of ShadeTree Foundation. Exploring themes such as indigenous wisdom, the impact of colonialism, communal grieving, and the necessity of reconnecting with ancestral roots. The dialogue also covers the significance of embracing grief as a communal and necessary process for healing and transformation, and reflects on what it means to enter a 'long dark' period — a time of significant societal and personal upheaval. We Explored grief as a sacred threshold, not a pathology, remembering the soul’s place in a world of fragmentation and reclaiming reverence, slowness, and deep belonging in troubled times.

The Eternal Song film series and All-Access Pass

Francis Weller

ShadeTree Multicultural Foundation (Orland Bishop)

Topics

Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

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 The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors and 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.

Topics:

In this episode we present excerpts from the recent conversation (June 2024) as part of SAND’s “Conversations on Palestine” around the premiere of the film Where Olive Trees Weep hosted by the directors of the film and co-founders of SAND, Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo.

You can watch this full conversation and 22 others. SAND has created a program with leading historians, spiritual teachers, trauma therapists, poets and performers to complement the themes explored in the film and provide a larger historical, cultural and social context to the plight of the Palestinian people.

In this powerful interfaith gathering, renowned spiritual leaders from Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist traditions came together to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom, equality, and human dignity.

These esteemed visionaries modeled the powerful unity that can blossom when we recognize our shared humanity and inherent dignity. Their clarion call for peace with justice in Palestine stands as an inspiration for us all to embody the highest ethical and moral principles of our diverse spiritual traditions.

Guests:

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, one of the first women to become a rabbi in Jewish history, is a pioneer Jewish feminist, human rights activist, writer, visual artist, ceremonialist, community educator and master storyteller.  Lynn has been a congregational rabbi since the fall of 1973, and founded the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM, in 1980. She engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles.  Currently, Lynn sits on the Rabbinic Council of Jewish Voice for Peace and is board chair of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. Rabbi Lynn is the author of several books, including Peace Primer II, She Who Dwells Within: A Feminist Vision of Renewed Judaism, World Beyond Borders Passover Haggadah and Trail Guide to the Torah of Nonviolence. Rabbi Lynn is a Shomeret Shalom, a practitioner of the Torah of nonviolence.

Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, founder of Ligmincha International, is a rare master of the Bön Dzogchen tradition in the West. After completing an 11-year course at Menri Monastery in India, where he earned his Geshe degree, he established Ligmincha in 1992 to preserve and introduce Tibetan Bön Buddhist teachings to the West.  Fluent in English, Rinpoche is beloved for his clear, insightful teaching style that makes Tibetan practices accessible. He's highly respected across the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and Asia, with centers in the Americas, Europe, and India. Author of 10 books, including "Wonders of the Natural Mind" and "The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep," Rinpoche shares the profound wisdom of Bön Dzogchen.

Rev. Deborah Lee, Executive Director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity since 2018, brings over 30 years of experience in faith-based social justice. Her expertise spans popular education, community organizing, and advocacy, focusing on issues like race, gender, economic justice, LGBTQ inclusion, and immigrant rights.  Under her leadership, the organization has doubled in size and impact. They've closed detention centers, prevented deportations, supported immigrant youth, and established Sanctuary congregations. Notably, they're working to divest from carceral systems and invest in thriving communities. Rev. Lee envisions a world without harm, where every person is considered sacred across bars and borders.

Pir Zia Inayat Khan, Ph.D., is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice. He is author of Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; and Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest. He is editor of Caravan of Souls: An Introduction to the Sufi Path of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France.

Topics:

Resources:

We Will Not Look Away: A Vigil for Grief, Kinship, & Refusal in the Face of Genocide

A Community Gathering with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Ashira Darwish, Rae Abileah & Friends

Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.

Alixa García is a Colombian born, globally-raised, multi-disciplinary artist, activist, and cultural activator whose work is imbued in ritual, spirit, and deep reverence for our Great Mother, Great Lover, our Earth. She is an award-winning activist, poet, and filmmaker. She is also a professional writer, visual artist, musician, and facilitator. Her work has been published by Whit Press, AK Press, Hatchett, & Daraja Press.

Instagram and Linktree

Alixa’s upcoming course on A Course on the Imaginal: Cultivating the Visionary Self

Mentioned in the Episode the late artist and performer Tigre Bailando

Topics: 
 

Today on the show, we welcome Scott Kiloby and Toshi Matsunaga, authors of Awake But Sick, to explore the hidden emotional pain that can persist even after profound spiritual awakening. Their work challenges the common myths of nonduality and mindfulness, offering a deeper path through emotional repression, physical illness, and the illusion of immediate freedom. In this conversation, we explore the gap between awakening and true healing, the dangers of spiritual bypassing, and how to reconnect with the body’s wisdom to find lasting peace.

Links 

Kiloby.com

Nondualship with Toshi Matsunaga

Nonduality & KI Monthly Meeting with Toshi

Awake But Sick

Emotional Repression Test Inquiry

Topics

00:00 Introduction to Guests and Their Work

01:34 Scott and Toshi's Journey to Collaboration

02:31 Understanding Kiloby Inquiries (KI)

03:12 The Dimensions of Spiritual Practice

04:54 Addressing Spiritual Bypassing

08:48 The Connection Between Awakening and Suffering

12:26 The Role of Repressed Emotions

15:28 Integrating Non-Dual Teachings with Modern Psychosis

25:49 The Iceberg Metaphor and Emotional Repression

29:13 The Role of Spiritual Practices in Repression

31:35 Identifying Patterns of Avoidance and Spiritual Bypassing

32:49 Signs of Repression in Meditation and Spiritual Practices

36:31 Understanding and Addressing Anger Repression

46:54 The Importance of Community in Spiritual Work

52:20 Connecting with the Speakers and Their Work

Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen is a Historian of Religion, Ph.d from Uppsala University in Sweden. His research into Afro-diasporic strategies for maintaining animist reality in the modern world has lead him towards reading North European cultural history from the perspective of rejected animist knowledge and practice. The objective is to recover Euro-traditioanl forms of landconnectedness ecological knowledge and kinship with the greater community of beings. Rune has lived in a number of countries in Europe, Africa North- and South America and presently runs the platform “Nordic Animism”.

Links:

Topics

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:49 Rune's Background and Nordic Animism
03:13 Understanding Nordic Animism
07:34 Decolonization and Animism
11:45 Animism in Daily Life
21:49 Relational Practices and Cultural Renewal
37:10 Animism and Modern Challenges
47:51 Resources and Upcoming Projects
50:17 Conclusion and Farewell

Join Rune for the free global premiere of The Eternal Song and a 7-day online gathering centered on Indigenous voices—part of the online SAND event, happening June 3–9.

Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Wendy Elisheva Somerson (wes) is a non-binary Jewish somatic healer, writer, visual artist, and activist who helped found the Seattle chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. They facilitate Ruach, body-based Jewish healing groups held in an anti-Zionist, anti-racist, and feminist framework. As part of a movement of anti-Zionist Jews, they support Jewish healing from historical trauma and promote a liberatory future for Judaism and Jewishness beyond Zionism that includes a free Palestine. Today on the show we discuss their new book An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing: Somatic Practices to Heal Historical Wounds, Unlearn Oppression, and Create a Liberated World to Come.

https://wendysomerson.net/

Topics

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:09 Discussing the Book: An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing
01:36 Genocide in Palestine: Context and Impact
04:07 Zionism and Jewish Historical Trauma
06:07 Embodied Jewish Healing: Concepts and Practices
09:26 Technology and Disembodiment
10:32 Anti-Zionism as a Path to Healing
16:12 Spiritual and Ethical Responsibilities
26:42 Activism and Jewish Faith
30:05 Resources and Community for Anti-Zionism
31:46 Somatic Healing Practices
36:58 Hope and Solidarity for the Future
40:07 Conclusion and Farewell

Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Join SAND June 3–9 for the FREE global film premiere of The Eternal Song and the 7-day online gathering with Indigenous voices

Join SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo in conversation with Aboriginal elders and authors Uncle Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon for a powerful SAND Community Gathering (2023), “The Dreaming Path,” where they explored some of the profound Aboriginal teachings.

Connect with Uncle Paul Gordon and dozens of other Indigenous speakers at the 7-Day The Eternal Song Gathering hosted live by SAND June 3-9 2025.

“Our stories are not myths or legends or fables, they aren’t about dreams either”
—Uncle Paul Callaghan

Topics

Abigail Rose Clarke is a somatic educator, writer, and creator of The Embodied Life Method. Her new book, Returning Home to Our Bodies: Reimagining the Relationship Between Our Bodies and the World, challenges the dominant narratives that treat our bodies as machines. Instead, she invites readers into a deeper relationship with the body as part of the living world. In this conversation, we explore embodiment as a political and spiritual practice, embodiment  as  a framework for systemic change, and how returning to the wisdom of the body can help us imagine and build a more just, interconnected future.

Topics

00:00 Introduction to Abigail Rose Clarke and Her Work
01:08 Abigail's Journey to Becoming a Writer
05:02 The Concept of Embodiment and Its Importance
07:45 The Interconnectedness of Body and World
13:49 The Radical Act of Returning Home to Our Bodies
19:11 Expanding the Definition of Somatics
26:24 Healthy Boundaries and Somatic Practices
28:50 Exploring Community and Boundaries
31:08 The Wellness Industry and Its Pitfalls
32:27 Embracing the Complexity of Human Emotions
33:52 The Body's Relationship with Pain and Healing
39:47 Language and Its Impact on Perception
46:54 Reframing Hope and Its Role in Our Lives
51:20 Upcoming Projects and Final Thoughts

Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

This episode is a live recording from a recent SAND Community Gathering (April 2025) facilitated by Jungwon Kim.

Join Buddhist scholars and activists Rev. Duncan Ryūken Williams, Ph.D. and Funie Hsu/Chhî, Ph.D. for an illuminating dialogue exploring the intersection of Buddhist practice and social transformation. This conversation weaves together Buddhism, remembrance, healing, and liberation, examining how the dharma offers both a path to personal awakening and Social-Spiritual Liberation. Our guests shared how Buddhist teachings help transform grief into connection, particularly in response to racially motivated violence against Asian American communities. The conversation challenged conventional Western Buddhist approaches to Secularization and Individual Awakening.

Duncan Ryuken Williams is a Professor of Religion and the Director of the Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture at the University of Southern California; previously, Chairman of Japanese Buddhism at UC Berkeley, Director of Berkeley’s Center for Japanese Studies, and Buddhist chaplain at Harvard University where he received his Ph.D. An ordained priest since 1993 in the Soto Zen tradition, he received Dharma transmission in 2024 at Kotakuji Temple, Japan. His latest book, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War, an LA Times bestseller,  won the 2022 Grawemeyer Religion Award. He also wrote The Other Side of Zen .

Funie Hsu/Chhî, Ph.D. is a transdisciplinary scholar from a working class, Taiwanese-American family, raised in a Taiwanese Humanistic Buddhist tradition. Her work melds American, Asian-American, Buddhist, and Taiwan Studies. Currently Associate Professor of American Studies at San Jose State University, she received a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Women, Gender, and Sexuality from UC Berkeley. Aspects of her work explore issues of language, education and colonialism. She is a co-organizer of May We Gather, a national Buddhist memorial ceremony for Asian American ancestors and a former Board Member of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship where she advocated for the recognition of Asian American heritage Buddhist communities in the organization and beyond.

Jungwon Kim is an award-winning writer and cultural worker. She is also a communications leader, organizational strategy consultant, and journalist who has dedicated her professional life to human rights and environmental advocacy. As Head of Creative & Editorial at the Rainforest Alliance, she directed a multimedia team of writers, videographers, and graphic designers. Earlier in her career, she served as the editor of Amnesty International USA’s human rights quarterly that featured the work of award-winning journalists and documentary photographers (circulation 300,000). She began her storytelling career as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and on-air correspondent for nationally syndicated public radio programs.

Topics

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:41 Introducing the Conversation Topic

01:36 Meet Jungwon Kim

03:20 Introducing the Guests: Funie Hsu/Chhî, and Duncan Ryuken Williams

06:30 Funie Hsu/Chhî’s Path to Buddhism

10:19 Duncan Ryuken Williams' Path to Buddhism

13:02 Buddhism as a Cultural Ecosystem

22:16 May We Gather: A Collective Healing Initiative

32:42 Decolonizing Buddhist Practice

37:07 Lessons from Japanese American Buddhists

44:48 Bridging the Gap in American Buddhism

58:02 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member