Bernie Glassman at Upaya Roshi Bernie Glassman: Making Peace—The World as One Body 2012 (Part 3 of 8)
Aug 6, 2018
Roshi Bernie Glassman, a Zen teacher and social-justice practitioner who founded the Zen Peacemakers, reflects on how humans form exclusionary "clubs." He recounts the origins and rules of street retreats, shares striking stories from Auschwitz and the streets, and explores how bearing witness and simple liturgies restore connection and dignity.
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Vulnerability Is The Chink In Our Armor
- Vulnerability sits alongside fear during practice and life transitions.
- Bernie Glassman describes vulnerability as taking off armor, which exposes why fear arises when identity loosens.
Auschwitz Armor Became Maladaptive After Liberation
- Primo Levi's Auschwitz survivor friend built armor to survive but couldn't function back in normal society.
- Glassman uses the dwarf's story to show survival strategies can become maladaptive once the context changes.
Clubs Are Defined By Who Is Excluded
- We form 'clubs' that define identity partly by excluding who doesn't fit.
- Glassman labels exclusion methods: ignoring, avoiding, not reading or inviting those in the 'yucky piles.'
