Making Peace with our Ancestors

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Alcio Braz calls in his ancestors to sit with him and invites us to call in ours, too. This explicit invitation runs counter to the norm in neoliberal culture which is to deny ancestry. Alcio reminds us that we carry the violence and pain of our ancestors whether we acknowledge it or not and that acknowledgement offers the opportunity to liberate this suffering in our lifetime, for the benefit of ourselves, future generations, and our ancestors. Alcio generously shares his process of reconciliation with his Brazilian, African, and Portuguese ancestors and how he has worked with the anger, especially, that arises. Please enjoy our practice and teaching from Upaya Zen Center, a Buddhist residential contemplative community in Santa Fe, New Mexico which offers daily Zen meditation, weekly dharma talks, and programs on Buddhist teachings, Buddhist art, contemplative science, and social engagement. Learn more at https://www.upayazencenter.org Learn more about current in-person and online programs available to our global sangha at https://www.upaya.org/