Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘In the West, we’re taught to lean heavily on the mind’s narrative, thinking it defines us and will give us answers to problems. Many of us start going on meditation retreats in order to find calm minds or narratives that we can call “insights.” As we mature in practice, though, we realize that the fruit of practice is more about understanding the processes of how we know what we know. 

To heal from racial trauma—in the moment of it happening or as we’re reliving it—is to stop the perseverating mind-loops that make the racial trauma feel solid and enduring. We need to relearn that the process of healing is about regulating how we attend to the whole body-mind—sensations, emotions, and thoughts. When we understand these aspects of ourselves more clearly, we are less likely to become overwhelmed, because we are able to stay present, anchored in our wholeness. 

Our Buddhist practices actually provide us with tools to do just this. When we reach “maximum capacity,” we become overwhelmed. I know that when I’m overwhelmed, my range of tolerance and flexibility narrows, constricting into tightness, increasing my sense that the dukkha I’m experiencing is solid and enduring. A large part of my practice is to relearn how to be with and clearly identify what’s happening.’ (from Lion’s Roar)