Lama Rod Owens - Heartbreak and Liberation on the Tantric Path
“My choice to be free is not a judgment against you. It only feels like a judgment because you haven't done that same level of work for yourself.” - Lama Rod Owens
Today we present one of my favorite guests Sarah has brought on this year. Sarah chanced upon a flier announcing a special event featuring Lama Rod Owens discussing Tantric Buddhism. That event really resonated with her, and she’s bringing that spirit to us today.
As you’ve heard from me before, I’m a bit… wary of spiritual types (even if I could be classified as one myself). When I saw the word “tantra” come through my inbox I was just as wary because I have a lot of first and second hand experiences of some very problematic tantric practitioners and very few (read: zero) positive ones to balance it out. I’m happy to say this episode was one of the first to even that scale.
“Pleasure becomes a doorway to freedom because we can embrace pleasure but don't have to be fixated on it. It's just an experience.” That’s the explanation from Lama Rod Owens, a Black Buddhist Southern queen and international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist studies from Harvard Divinity School. He’s also an author. His teaching centers on freedom, self-expression, and self-care. He’s a refreshing, pivotal voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers making topics like tantra more accessible to us skeptics.
“For me, Tantric Buddhism is an indigenous-based practice and magic held by an ethical system that aims to liberate people from causes and conditions of suffering.” You’ll hear Sarah talk about the prodoundly transformative experience she had in his audience, and the experience of “breaking her own heart".
That breakdown is part of our healing process, one I’m well aquainted with. If you think you’re exempt, you’re avoiding a ciritcal step in the journey. “You offer the heartbreak to the work, the heartbreak of becoming who you need to be in this life,” says Lama Rod. That level of liberation can feel risky in a world stuck on conformity and superficial pleasures. Lama Rod reminds us that to continually connect to the struggle of the world and the struggle within ourselves is to be in relationship with the world. When the world hurts, so do we.
In this moment of a painful world, sometimes it’s reassuring to have a reminder that we are supposed to hurt with it. Please enjoy this episode.
All of Lama Rod Owens’ work is donation-based. If you’re moved by his wisdom, please consider supporting his ongoing projects here.
GUEST CONTACT AND BIO
Booking inquiries: bookings@lamarod.com
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. Author of 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. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod activates the intersections of his identity to create a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. His new book, The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors is available for pre-order now!
Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…
