The Defiance of Hope: Equality as a Spiritual Practice | Monthly Dharma Talk
with Diana Parra Perez
Dear friends,
La Defensa de la Esperanza: La Igualdad como Práctica Espiritual (English below)
Al acercarnos al solsticio de invierno, la noche más larga, y el punto de retorno en que la luz comienza a regresar, nos reunimos para practicar la esperanza como un acto de defensa.
En su último discurso ante las Naciones Unidas, el Secretario General António Guterres afirmó que la igualdad "no es un sueño, sino una decisión" y describió la esperanza misma como la negativa a entregar nuestro futuro común al miedo. En esta charla bilingüe de dharma, Diana pone sus palabras en diálogo con la enseñanza radical del propio Buda sobre la igualdad: que el valor de un ser humano no se determina por su nacimiento ni por su posición, sino que es inherente a cada ser.
Inspirándonos en la enseñanza de Plum Village del interser, que nuestras vidas y nuestra liberación están entrelazadas, y en el bodhisattva que se inclina ante cada persona diciendo "te respeto profundamente", exploraremos la igualdad no como un permiso que nos concedemos unos a otros, sino como una verdad que despertamos y una práctica que elegimos, una y otra vez.
En esta temporada de luz que regresa, y continuando la labor de nuestro querido maestro y ancestro, el Dr. Larry Ward, recordamos que la dignidad de cada ser humano no es algo que construimos de la nada, sino algo que descubrimos en el otro. Que, así como el solsticio nos hace retornar a la luz, retornemos también a los demás.
Todos son bienvenidos.
English
As we approach the winter solstice, the longest night, and the turning point where the light begins its return, we gather to practice hope as an act of defiance.
In his final address to the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres called equality "not a dream, but a decision," and named hope itself as the refusal to surrender our shared future to fear. In this bilingual dharma talk, Diana places his words in conversation with the Buddha's own radical teaching on equality: that human worth is not determined by birth or status, but is inherent in every being.
Drawing on the Plum Village teaching of interbeing, that our lives and our liberation are bound together, and on the bodhisattva who bows to every person saying "I deeply respect you," we'll explore equality not as a policy we grant one another, but as a truth we awaken to, and a practice we choose, again and again.
In this season of returning light, and continuing the work of our beloved teacher and ancestor Dr. Larry Ward, we remember that the dignity of every human being is not something we build from nothing, but something we uncover in one another. As the solstice turns us back toward the light, may we turn toward one another.
All are welcome.
This 90-minute practice includes a guided meditation, the teaching, and space for your questions and reflections.
Wednesday, December 16
7:00–8:30 pm ET / 4:00–5:30 pm PT
Online via Zoom
Notes:
Event is recorded and emailed to you within 48 hours.
If you’re a Lotus member, you are already registered and we’ll email you the Zoom link the day before.
Offered at a sliding scale. Select the price that works for you. For the most value, consider purchasing a membership for as little as $15/month to join all of our talks, meditations, qigong classes and more.
Your purchase includes access to the live event with a guided meditation, dharma talk, and time for questions and reflections, plus a recording delivered by email two days later.
Wednesday, December 16, 2026
7:00–8:30 pm ET / 4:00–5:30 pm PT
Teacher bio
Diana Parra Pérez (Shinjo — Bright Path of the Source) is a native of Bogotá, Colombia, with Indigenous and Sephardic Jewish roots, and has lived in the U.S. since 2006. She is a physical therapist who holds a Master of Public Health and a PhD in Social Work, an advanced yoga teacher, vibrational sound therapy practitioner, and a mindfulness facilitator trained through the Engaged Mindfulness Institute. A participatory action researcher, health-equity champion, community organizer, spiritual activist, weaver, and healer, Diana's work frames equity in public health and community wellbeing while supporting both systemic and individual transformation.
Since 2020, she has cultivated spaces of support, safety, belonging, and healing for the Latinx immigrant community in the U.S. through mindfulness and meditation. Deeply committed to expanding access to contemplative practice, she created and curated the five-year WashU Mindfulness and Anti-Racism Lecture Series. Equally committed to food justice and food sovereignty, she co-leads the Empowered Thriving Communities collaborative in St. Louis, Missouri. Diana practices in the Soto Zen and Plum Village tradition of the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh.
Diana joins the Lotus Institute as Co-Executive Director, carrying forward its work at the intersection of mindfulness, racial healing, and beloved community.