Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community

An important book but it does not provide sufficient background or supporting information in sociology, politics, history, or black studies to fully stand up to the reactionary views prevalent in western cultures, particularly America. Of course, to comprehensively provide that information would be a work beyond perhaps what most authors are capable of, but nonetheless without it there is an assumption that readers fully understand the implied political, social and historical context Larry Wang is using to make his point. My personal opinion is that no assumptions should be made and that to do so reflects academic life within a bubble. For the reader who has a sound understanding of race relations in America founded on a solid educational background of history, politics, sociology, and science, this book will make complete sense and Wang's approaches and solutions seem reasonable and fair. For those readers who do not have this kind of background, Wang's approach will seem over politicized. This is the difficulty of writing such a book. The ones who need to won't like it. Nonetheless, I applaud Mr. Wang writing it. Content/politics aside, I found this book an pleasant read, very heartfelt and honest, and would highly recommend it as a guide for those who are already enlightened to the issues he raises and wish to build a healthy diverse community amongst other like minded individuals.

After the Buddha decided to leave the palace and go out into the world this is where he discovered suffering. With all of his wealth and privilege, he paused to take in the idea that not everybody had the same privileges or even rights as he and his family had. In this time and day, in this moment, we have an option to open our eyes and open our hearts to those around us to those even far away, who are suffering as we may be blindly and or knowingly walking our lives in privilege.Larry‘s book, “Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community” is a perfect example of what the Buddha means by 3rd Gem/Sangha! We can all be free from suffering, and we can’t get there unless we include all of us; beginning with ourselves. We can’t get to freedom unless we are willing to look at our own and each other’s suffering, hold it in our hearts, and be willing to make the mindful changes necessary for all of us to awaken and achieve freedom in this life together.Thank you Larry for this marvelous book and for your loving and committed Leadership. And deep bows for your part of creating the East Bay Meditation Center and Spirit Rock Meditation Centers what they are today; home to a growing diverse groups of people!May you always know you are loved, may you always be safe, may you be free.

Its hard to find the right words to express how moved and inspired I am by Awakening Together. Through a very intimate telling of his own path of awakening through the dharma Larry invites and challenges us to wake up both individually and collectively. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to live and lead in a meaningful way and help create a world where others can do so as well. - Bill Pullen, MCC, Program Director, Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching - Institute for Transformational Leadership, Georgetown University.

A wonderful book that should be read and treasured by anyone interested in collective transformation and dharma teachings. If you read one dharma book this year, this should be the one. The lessons are deep and life changing.The book is beautifully written and organised, with reflective questions at the end of each chapter. The questions allow and encourage the reader to move through and reflect on our own journeys and efforts to create conscious community and encourages us to awaken together to the possibilities of increased connection.Larry Yang leads us step by step through how to work with the deep pains of institutional racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny and classism not simply as individuals, but as a collective. He not only covers the “how tos”, but also provides the details of our collective history of the efforts that have been made to create a more inclusive and beloved community of dharma practitioners, so that together we have a greater understanding of our own histories as a community.This book will help our dharma communities in North America move forward on our path of understanding and growing the relational and collective nature of Buddhist teachings. We all need to encourage our fellow practitioners to read this book, reflect and engage fully in awakening together.

An inspiring book. Larry holds these sharp questions with such compassion. This is a book, not just for being woke but for true awakening. Everybody should be invited read this book with an open heart, especially people like me; white heteronormative and economically privileged. This is a path through the limiting narrative of “identity politics” to a place where we understand we don’t like in a one or even a two dimensional universe. The breathtaking and staggering beauty of the dharma is that we are invited to embrace paradox - our individual identities as well as our collective experience. When we do that we open to a rich and fulfilling way of being together; awakening together.

This is a beautiful, heartfelt book. Larry Yang has a way of gently exposing blind spots and challenging topics, while inviting you in and making you look forward to reading more. He is a wonderful story-teller and uses his own experiences to bring home the point that inclusivity is essential to allowing our meditation/spiritual communities to truly flourish, even when we have a long way to go to fully realize it. He gives practical examples of inclusivity in action - even when the process is messy, it's inspiring to read about people coming together with such deep intention to wake up and listen.

Well written and well stated on issues on diversity in the Buddhist sangha.