The Metta in the Music: The Creative Alchemy of Buddhism and Black Wisdom Traditions
with Dr. Kamilah Majied
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.”
—Toni Morrison, No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear
Dear friends,
June is Black Music Month, and we are honoring it at the Lotus Institute with a jam session with Dr. Kamilah Majied that combines meditative listening and playful creativity.
We will explore how wisdom transmissions from Black music complement and intersect with the wisdom of the Buddhist paramitas and the Lotus Sutra. We will refresh our commitment to creative living wherein we alchemize not only our own sufferings, but all suffering. Understanding our lives to be completely interdependent, we will deepen our understanding of how to face challenges with resilient joy, knowing that our wisdom and power grow when we do so.
The music of the African Diaspora has been offering courage and wisdom to humanity for millennia. In each genre of African American music, we find exemplars of the transmutation of suffering: encouraging songs of fearlessness, sagacious songs of impermanence and interdependence, and songs of self-transcendent joy. All of these illustrate how Black music contains spiritual guidance that deepens our insight and empowers wise, courageous action.
Liberation begins in our imagination and transmutating suffering requires creativity. The wonderful sounds of Black music can be a place of peace from which we work to create peace in the world around us. Join us to explore a contemplative playlist to help you face the music of our times.
Wednesday, June 17
7:00–8:15 pm ET / 4:00–5:15 pm PT
Online via Zoom
Notes:
The session will be about 75 minutes interspersed with short meditation practices and reflective exercises.
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 separately.
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 five of our monthly events and more.
Your purchase includes access to the live event, plus a recording delivered by email two days later.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
7:00–8:30 pm ET / 4:00–5:30 pm PT
About the Teacher
Dr. Kamilah Majied, MSW, PhD, is a mental health therapist, clinical educator, researcher, author, and internationally engaged consultant for contemplative equity, justice, and sustainability. She works with individuals, organizations, institutions and communities to transform oppressive patterns and deepen relationships towards ever-improving wellness. Dr. Majied is Professor of Social Work at California State University, Monterey Bay. Before CSUMB, she taught for 15 years at Howard University. She is the author of Joyfully Just: Black Wisdom and Buddhist Insights for Liberated Living (Sounds True, 2024), and has authored many articles and chapters, including in Black & Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race, Resilience, Transformation and Freedom, the first anthology of African American Buddhists’ wisdom. KamilahMajied.com.