Dear Bhumisparsha sangha,
I am very happy to share this message written by community member Ekta Hattangady. May it benefit all beings everywhere as we continue to make mistakes, learn, and inquire together about the meaning of beloved community. I especially want to thank Ekta for their courage and willingness to share their experience with our community.
Sincerely,
Eric Busse (he/him), Transitional General Coordinator
Bhumisparsha: A safe space, brave space
“A safe space is ideally one that doesn’t incite judgment based on identity or experience - where the expression of both can exist and be affirmed without fear of repercussion and without the pressure to educate. While learning may occur in these spaces, the ultimate goal is to provide support.
A brave space encourages dialogue. Recognizing difference and holding each person accountable to do the work of sharing experiences and coming to new understandings - a feat that’s often hard, and typically uncomfortable.”
Source: https://alternativebreaks.org/safe-or-brave-spaces/
The above video features Lama Justin and a Bhumisparsha community member, Ekta. We hope that this video illustrates the concepts of safe and brave spaces and highlights the power of true racial repair work. It references an incident that took place in a small group with Lama Justin in Feb. 2022, where Ekta was the only non-white participant. Some of the language used during that group was unfortunate and unacceptable. Ekta wrote an email to Bhumisparsha and Lama Justin. A meeting was organized on March 2nd, where Lama Justin and Ekta participated in a dialogue. They were witnessed by two members of the Bhumisparsha community.
Ekta and Lama Justin embodied great courage and vulnerability in participating in the meeting, being open to accountability, and subsequently creating this video for our larger community as encouragement and education. Bhumisparsha is committed to being a brave space for people of all backgrounds. We invite compliments and critique with equanimity and tirelessly remain committed to the goal of collective liberation.
We invite your comments in response to this video.