The Liberated Heart of Ma Tara:
Journeying with the Deity through Grief, Sorrow, and Hopelessness
A Practice Series with Lama Rod Owens
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5 Sundays in March from 12:00 - 3:00 pm ET:
March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
with additional Practice Leader-led integration sessions onÂ
Thursday, March 7th and March 28th from 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
We are living through a period of apocalypse, a chaotic period of truth telling and unveiling. Many of us are struggling to make sense of the impact we are experiencing in our personal lives, relationships, and in our communities.
To move through this period, we must rely on our capacity to grieve, to touch into the sadness of change and loss, and tend to it with compassion. Through this compassion we can allow our hearts to break and, in the breaking, be held by the understanding that we are not alone in this grieving.Â
Once we allow ourselves to be in relationship with our grief, then it can begin to teach us how to move through sorrow and hopelessness into clarity and connectedness. Yet most importantly, our relationship to grief through compassion opens the space for joy and gratitude.Â
Through evoking the sacred lineage of Ma Tara, the female Buddha of compassion, we will explore this liberating relationship with grief through guided ritual and energetic practice in order to open and resource our hearts to keep moving on.
In this practice series, we will also explore the expression of Ma Tara through historical figures including Harriet Tubman, Marsha P. Johnson, and Mary Magdalene as well through other female deities such as Dhumavati and Ostara. Lama Rod will deepen these explorations in dialogue with weekly special guests who have a history of practice in relationship to these beings.Â
We will also be allying with herbal medicines including chamomile and elecampane, as well as sacred stone medicine of carnelian. Join Lama Rod for this expansive 5-week, multifaceted experience that will nourish your grief and fortify your practice towards liberation, compassion, and care.Â
Please Note: There will be preparatory work for you to complete prior to each live session, including the first session. You will receive resources such as practice videos for chanting and ritual, altar set up, readings, and more that will support you in entering the live session space ready to practice.
Registration Options
(select the offering below that best matches your ability to pay)
This Practice Series is for you if you are seeking to:
The Liberated Heart of Ma Tara Practice Series includes:
FAQs:
Is this course open to all?
Yes, this course is open to all levels of experience. Please note that there will be an expectation of preparatory practices that we will share with you before the series begins.
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When are the live sessions?
5 Sundays in March from 12:00 - 3:00 pm ET: March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
Additional Practice Leader-led integration sessions: Thursday, March 7th and March 28th from 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
What if I can't attend the live session?Â
The live sessions will be recorded and posted on the course platform for you to watch later.
Is there a refund policy?Â
Refunds are available prior to February 25, 2024, less a $50 admin fee. Beginning February 25th, we are not able to issue refunds.Â
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Is there financial assistance available?Â
Through the support of those who give at the Pay it Forward level, we have a limited amount of scholarships available. Email [email protected]Â if you are in need of financial assistance. If you are able to contribute to our ability to offer scholarships, your generosity by choosing the Pay it Forward supports our ability to offer more financial support.
What does the registration fee support?
Registration fees support Lama Rod and his team for the extensive labor, seen and unseen, and spiritual devotion that allows his work to remain accessible and sustainable. These resources help cover ongoing operational costs, such as the online platforms and services that are used to offer digital programs, team compensation, and the legal and accounting requirements of the United States, as well as physical spaces, materials, and nourishment for events when applicable.
As Lama Rod writes in The New Saints, he seeks to make the tradition of the Buddha relevant to our experiences in the present moment. This means inviting offerings and exchanges that honor the material needs of his energetic presence and livelihood — not in a conditional nor transactional way, but reflecting a tradition of reciprocity and universal balance similar to how you might leave food upon an altar for an ancestor. Giving and receiving are practices that embody the ethic of care that grounds Lama Rod’s work.
Therefore, your registration fees are one of the ways that Lama Rod is sustained so that he can continue his free and by-donation offerings such as Free Radicals, Medicine Buddha, and partnerships with organizations and schools to support their efforts. These offerings reflect our team’s commitment that no one be excluded from the teachings based upon their financial means. Those who register at the Pay-It-Forward price further increase accessibility by making financial assistance possible for those who need scholarships. Barter offerings and work exchanges are also welcome in some instances. Lama Rod believes that we can be well resourced while practicing an anti-capitalist ethic and is deeply grateful to be in a reciprocal relationship with you.
Having trouble with your registration?Â
Email [email protected] and we're happy to help.Â
How long will the recordings be available once I register?Â
The recordings will be available indefinitely.
Registration Options
(select the offering below that best matches your ability to pay)
About the Teacher
Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School. Author of The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors, Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care.
A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod activates the intersections of his identity to create a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Applauded for his mastery in balancing weighty topics with a sense of lightness, the Queen has been featured by various national and international news outlets.Â
Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself.
