The Absolute is the Relative: Touching Race, Injustice, and Love

When we engage in the distortion that the relative plane is separate from the absolute – that it is something to transcend or ‘just an illusion’ – we ignore the reality of the illusion. What is the illusion comprised of? How is it known? And by whom? The relative may appear to arise out of the absolute, as waves appear to arise out of the ocean, but like waves, both relative and absolute are components of a greater whole. They are not separate. When we know ourselves as this whole which subsumes everything, we cease to diminish or dismiss the mystery of being human. We experience viscerally that “the world is my family.” From this understanding, we recognize that liberation is not a singular experience. There can be no individual ego that experiences enlightenment. We suffer when we forget that. We suffer when we perceive ourselves as separate from the collective – on the level of consciousness (the absolute) as well as with our neighbor (the relative). When we recognize that the world is arising in us, Awareness, there is nothing to dismiss. How, then, in situations of privilege on the relative plane, do we dismiss injustice, bias, cruelty in the name of transcendence or ‘spiritual understanding’? How do we participate in systems of oppression while ignoring the effects on our neighbor, as well as the whole? Do we fall for the story that the awakened life we seek is mine to have rather than ours to be? And what’s love got to do with it?

The cost for this talk is $10 for the General Public and $20 for Patrons who wish to pay-it-forward. We ask that Groups and Meditation Centers to please pay within the $40-$60 range.

Because we are committed to making this talk accessible to all, there is also a 25% discount option. To request this discount or a further scholarship, write to [email protected].

Schedule

7:00pm ET - Welcome & guided meditation

7:25pm ET - Dharma talk

7:55pm ET - Q&A with teacher

8:10pm ET - Announcements

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Caverly blends the original spirit of Zen with a modern nondual approach. Her practice began in 1995 and has included eight years of training in a silent Zen monastery. She has been teaching contemplative practice since 2001. Prior to her pioneering efforts with Peace in Schools, Caverly formerly worked for nonprofits serving people with special needs. An artist and educator, she brings insight, passion, warmth and humor to her transformative work with students of all ages and experience levels. Caverly leads meditation retreats, workshops, and online classes internationally. She has been a teacher and presenter at the Science and Nonduality Conference, 1440 Multiversity, Worldwide Insight, Esalen, the Mind and Life International Symposium for Contemplative Research, Buddha at the Gas Pump, Open Circle, the New York Zen Center of Contemplative Care, and many more. Caverly leads meditation retreats, workshops, and online classes internationally. She has been a teacher and presenter at the Science and Nonduality Conference, 1440 Multiversity, Worldwide Insight, Esalen, the Mind and Life International Symposium for Contemplative Research, Buddha at the Gas Pump, Open Circle, the New York Zen Center of Contemplative Care, and many more. Caverly speaks publicly at conferences on topics including contemplative practice, social entrepreneurship, authentic leadership, and mindfulness education, and has been featured in publications such as Mindful Magazine and The New York Times. She is dedicated to actualizing possibility, serving love, and embodying the truth of interconnection.

Caverly lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband Vineet and their two dogs Sweetpea and Bankei.