Bernie Glassman at Upaya Roshi Bernie Glassman: Bearing Witness to the Oneness of Life 2011 (Part 6 of 6)
Aug 1, 2018
Roshi Bernie Glassman, Zen teacher and founder of the Zen Peacemakers, known for socially engaged Buddhism and street retreats. He discusses creating cafés and street-retreats to serve communities. He tells stories from Staten Island Ferry waiting rooms and Auschwitz retreats. He explains bearing witness, not knowing, and how community-driven projects and leadership transitions shape lasting social change.
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Finding Michel Dubois In The Ferry Waiting Room
- Bernie describes finding Michel Dubois during a street retreat and losing him the first night before finding him in the Staten Island Ferry waiting room.
- Michel later opened a Paris soup kitchen serving 500 nightly using leftover gourmet market food, illustrating street retreat friendships turning into long-term service.
UN Rebuild Destroyed The Village Well
- Bernie tells of a UN rebuild after a Mexican earthquake that unintentionally destroyed villagers' social life by replacing the central well with individual kitchens.
- The example shows good intentions can harm community structures when helpers fail to bear witness first.
Bearing Witness Prevents Harmful Solutions
- Bernie links bearing witness to avoiding harmful interventions by emphasizing presence over preconceived solutions.
- He argues that starting with not knowing reveals real needs so resulting actions align with community life instead of disrupting it.