In this episode, I have the great pleasure of conversing with Rev. angel Kyodo williams, whom I met in 2014 while I was working at the Brooklyn Zen Center. Rev. angel shares her unique spiritual journey through various religious influences leading to her interest in Buddhism—which was sparked when she saw an enso at a bookstore when she was a teenager. We delve into personal authenticity, meditation, and the value of internal wisdom over external validation. Rev. angel critiques the institutionalization of religions, including Buddhism, emphasizing liberation and self-discovery. Listeners are invited to explore Zen’s transformative power, mindful practices, and the importance of authentic self-practice. Rev. angel advocates for an individualized approach to spirituality, stressing genuine connections and emphasizes the importance of profound internal experiences over external religious doctrine.
00:00 Introduction to Rev Angel Kyodo Williams
01:09 Early Religious Experiences
03:22 Questioning and Skepticism
08:04 Discovering Buddhism
11:46 First Encounter with Zen
17:30 Meditation and Personal Growth
21:28 The Transformative Power of Buddhism
23:52 Distinguishing Core Teachings from Cultural Practices
25:06 Nation Building and Institutional Critique
27:46 Liberation and Core Practices
30:14 Personal Practice and Cultural Overlays
32:59 The Importance of Individual Practice
36:37 Challenges of Modern Practice
40:41 Cultural Context and Interpretation
50:44 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks
Called “the most intriguing African-American Buddhist” by Library Journal, Rev. angel Kyodo Williams Sensei, is an author, maverick spiritual teacher, master trainer, and founder of Center for Transformative Change. She has been bridging the worlds of personal transformation and justice since the publication of her critically acclaimed book, Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace. Her book was hailed as “an act of love” by Pulitzer-Prize winner Alice Walker and “a classic” by Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield. Her second book, Radical Dharma, explores racial injustice as a barrier to collective awakening.
Ordained as a Zen priest, Rev. angel is a Sensei and the second black woman recognized as a teacher in her lineage. She is a social visionary that applies wisdom teachings and practice to social issues. She sees Transformative Social Change as America’s next great movement. She is an early shaper and leading voice in that work and coined the name for the field.
For more than 15 years, Rev. angel has deeply invested her time and energy to put into practice her unwavering belief that the key to transforming society is transforming our inner lives. She has developed comprehensive systems for illuminating both practical personal change and the profoundly liberating potential of mindfulness, yoga, and somatic practices coupled with wisdom teachings. Calling for a paradigm shift that “changes the way change is done,” Rev. angel envisions the building of a presence-centered social justice movement as the foundation for personal freedom, a just society, and the healing of divisions of race, class, faith, and politic.
Share this post