To live more fully in alignment with our values
An update + March's Rad Reads
Hi friends,
This week’s newsletter will be short and sweet. I’ve been working on an essay exploring the racial rearticulation of the dharma in convert Buddhism and its connection to colonialism. I had hoped to have it ready for publication today, but it’s not quite there yet. Given the importance of the topic, I want to take the time to do it justice.
About three weeks ago I shared that we took our toddler out of school, and I’m still reorienting my energy and time around this new reality. I feel really good about our decision—Bo is happier, we’re learning how to better support him, but it’s still been a big shift. When I was pregnant, a midwife told me that everyone thinks labor is about pushing but it’s really about letting go. And oh my goodness, my friends, that not only rang true when I brought Bo into the world, but it’s a lesson that continues to resonate with me in parenting and as I start this business.
The cool part of this change is that it’s offering me and Dylan the space to really reflect on the kind of life we want to build for our family. It’s allowing us to look back on our own educational experiences and consider what worked and what didn’t. More than anything, it’s giving us the opportunity to ask: How can we live more fully in alignment with our values? We’re exploring the possibility of unschooling (I’m grateful to radical moms like
and for modeling this) so I’m reorienting some aspects of this newsletter.
Free subscribers will continue to receive 1-2 pieces a month: a standard newsletter email with reflections, updates, and resources (like this one), and if I have the capacity one more long-form essay or a podcast episode.
Otherwise, I’ll be focused on the paid subscriber offerings through the Radical Change Community: the monthly book club, workshops, and weekly meditation gatherings (which will begin in April). I also plan to spend more time recording self-study video and audio courses that can exist on my website. This is partially practical (my time is more limited and this is how I make a living) but it also allows me to focus on building high quality educational content to reach more people.
As always, if you’re unable to afford a subscription, please email me and I’ll share a couple of ways to join. If you’re curious why I reluctantly put any of my work behind a paywall, you can take a peek at my masters thesis on capitalism and the ethics of making a living for Buddhist authority figures. There’s an essay adaptation of this that, in due time, will hopefully find a home via this newsletter.
Thank you for your care and attention. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share a radically engaged dharma with you.
You can find March’s rad reads below along with a few reminders.
xx
Adriana
Engaged Dharma Book Club
Sunday, March 30th 3:00-5:00pm ET
The Next American Revolution by Grace Lee Boggs
Grace Lee Boggs, a legendary figure in the struggle for justice in America, shrewdly assesses the current crisis—political, economical, and environmental—and shows how to create the radical social change we need to confront new realities. What can we learn from her life and legacy? I’ll be sending the Zoom link to register next week.
, a rad community organizer, meditation teacher, and dear friend, will be co-facilitating the discussion.
Weekly Meditation Gatherings
Mondays 9:00-9:45am ET
Starting in April, I'll be sharing a monthly video talk and recorded audio meditation, focusing on a specific aspect of Buddhist meditation practice. This will be sent during the first week of each month. We'll then come together every Monday at 9 a.m. for a weekly gathering to practice that particular form. I'll also be sending an "example" version of this to all subscribers in the coming days.
Watch any of the recent replays
If you’re curious about the types of workshop and book club discussions you can participate in with an upgraded subscription, you can take a peek below.
March’s rad reads
Articles, resources, and offerings I've encountered over the past month at the intersection of engaged Buddhism and radical social change
Thich Nhat Hanh As a Spiritual Radical with Sr. True Vow and Br. Phap Luu | Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 7:30-9pm ET
If you enjoyed the section on Thich Nhat Hanh in my Introduction to Socially Engaged Buddhism Workshop, this is a great opportunity to dive deeper.
#TeslaTakedown Mass Call | Wednesday, March 19th 8:30pm ET
A tangible Zoom call and action to attend this week. Virtually attend with some friends! Make some popcorn! Take down Musk and make it fun!
Genocide and the Precepts Gathering | Sunday, March 23rd 3-4:15pm ET
A virtual meeting for Zen practitioners to discuss the Precepts and Bodhisattva vows in the context of the genocide against Palestinians.
A Buddhist Coalition for Democracy
A non-sectarian group of Buddhists is forming in response to the current fascist regime; they just started meetings. To join their email list, you can message buddhistcoalitionfordemocracy@gmail.com.
Resistance to Trump is everywhere — inside the first 50 days of mass protest by Rivera Sun
”From mass refusals to boycotts to walkouts, regular Americans are bravely pushing back against the administration. Their actions are diverse and multiplying — and already having an impact.”
Mahmoud Khalil and the Repression That Was, Is, and Will Be by Kelly Hayes
I appreciated Kelly’s write-up on Mahmoud’s horrifying disappearance from Columbia and how it offers “some relevant histories that people might not be aware of, while also emphasizing what's new and terrifying about this case.”
Infographic on Authoritarian Power by Scot Nakagawa
I’m learning so much from Scot’s newsletter The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook. If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of information out there and are looking for a clearly written, to the point educational newsletter on what in the world is happening to our country, give his most recent pieces a read.
Lent and the End of Violence: No More Enemies, Not Even Ourselves by Adam Bucko
“The practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are not about controlling ourselves or training for some kind of spiritual peak performance. They are not about mastering the self through sheer discipline or willpower. Instead, they are practices that help us develop endurance for the deeper work of transformation.”
Oooh I am so reading this thesis and looking forward to the next piece on colonialism!
Unschooling mom here just popping into your comments to support your curiosity and courage in exploring this with your kiddo. I know you have resources already, but if you ever want to talk about it, feel free to DM me.