[Unedited] angel Kyodo williams with Krista Tippett

Zen Practice

Rev. angel Kyodo Williams shares profound insights into Zen practice, emphasizing its role in personal identity and social actions. She explains that sitting in meditation initially confronts us with a chaotic mix of thoughts and emotions, revealing the multiplicity of our existence 1. This practice allows us to discern our true voice amidst the noise, fostering clarity and presence 2.

Sitting lets us just, first of all, recognize that we are this massive collection of thoughts and experiences and sensations that are moving at the speed of light.

--- Rev. angel Kyodo Williams

This process of sitting and pausing is not about inaction but a different kind of movement, one that helps us sort through inherited and external influences 2.

   

Social Healing

In discussing spiritual and social healing, Rev. angel Kyodo Williams highlights the necessity of inner work for societal transformation. She argues that reclaiming the human spirit is essential for dismantling systems of oppression like capitalism and patriarchy 3. This inner work, often neglected, is crucial to prevent the hardening of society, which allows for the perpetuation of injustice 4.

We cannot have a healed society, we cannot have change, we cannot have justice if we do not reclaim and repair the human spirit.

--- Rev. angel Kyodo Williams

Williams also emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort as a path to healing, urging individuals to cultivate sensitivity to suffering rather than turning away 5.