White Awareness Sangha

This is an opportunity for Plum Village UK sangha members who are interested in practicing together and reflecting on what being racialised as white means.

The White Awareness sangha offers an open, compassionate space of deep listening and loving speech. We meet monthly online to practice together and explore how we can recognise and transform racism, both overt and unconscious, in ourselves and the communities we move in. The sangha also offers regular 4 week practice programmes and ongoing study groups with content and practices to reflect on our white identities, history and bias; and on racial justice in the world around us.

In the ultimate dimension, there is no basis for categorising humans by race. However in daily life, in today’s world we have all been deeply hurt by the way our past and present society has categorised, divided, and socialised us based on ‘race’.

Our teacher Thich Nhat Hahn guides us in the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing “…as members of a spiritual community, we should take a clear stand against oppression and injustice.We should strive to change the situation without taking sides in a conflict” (MT 10). Practising together to look deeply at what a white identity means to us can help us embrace and transform the ancestral suffering within us and around us – as well as helping us grow inclusive sanghas where all people can find a home. Our work in the White awareness sangha is deeply informed by our relationship with sibling sangha Colours of Compassion.

African American dharma teacher Ruth King writes about the benefits of racial affinity groups here. They are also suggested within Plum Village ARISE (Awakening through Race, Intersectionality, and Social Equity) sangha’s Call To Love In Action.

Practising together to look deeply at what a white identity means to us can help us embrace and transform the ancestral suffering within us and around us – as well as helping us grow inclusive sanghas where all people can find a home. These sessions are focused on the specific roles, responsibilities and experiences of being racialised as white.

Contact

If you are interested in attending the next group or finding out more please register for the session here or email whiteawaresanghauk@gmail.com

If you identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour (Global Majority), and are curious to find out more about what we are doing or have an interest in reflecting on whiteness, please do email us: whiteawaresanghauk@gmail.com. BIPOC sangha members people of colour may also be interested in joining our sibling sangha Colours of Compassion.

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting,

Warm wishes from the White Awareness Care Taking team
Jo, Anthony, Liz, Claire, Jaz, Jenny & Jassy