World as Lover, World as Self

World as Lover, World as Self

Joanna Macy’s 1991 book World as Lover, World as Self helped create the Engaged Buddhist movement and has been an inspiration to thousands of people seeking to integrate Buddhist wisdom with social and environmental action. It is the foundation of her life’s work, now known as The Work That Reconnects. Macy is a beloved elder at Spirit Rock and in the Engaged Buddhist community worldwide. This course records her last teaching at Spirit Rock in 2021, before her retirement. 

Along with her long-time collaborator, musician Jennifer Berezan, Macy weaves a sensuous spell of wisdom and heart teachings, engagement with the reality of the climate crisis, and affirmation of interconnection and care for all beings as the core values of the Dharma. Through story, song, meditation, and interactive practice, Macy and Berezan explore the enrichment of our view and practice these lenses bring to our experience in the world.

About Joanna Macy, PhD & Jennifer Berezan

Joanna Macy, PhD is a scholar of Buddhism, systems theory, and deep ecology. A respected voice in the movements for peace, justice and ecology, she gives trainings worldwide for eco-warriors and activists for global justice.

As the root teacher of The Work That Reconnects, she has created a ground-breaking theoretical framework for personal and social change. Joanna’s books include World as Lover, World as Self, and Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World.

Jennifer Berezan is a unique blend of singer/songwriter, teacher, ritualist, and activist. She weaves the sacred into heart-achingly beautiful, original contemporary musical styles, including folk, rock, chant, and pop. Her work is deeply imbued with Buddhist and earth-based themes. Jennifer creates cross-cultural community concert rituals in devotion to the world.

About Spirit Rock & Insight Meditation

Spirit Rock is a spiritual training institution in the Insight Meditation tradition grounded in the Buddha’s teachings in the Pāli discourses. Our vision and mission is to bring people to a depth of realization of the Buddha’s path of liberation through direct experience, and to provide practitioners with teachings to manifest wisdom and compassion in all aspects of their lives, for the benefit of all beings. We welcome practitioners of all backgrounds and levels of experience to join communities of learning, support, and connection in our spiritual sanctuary and refuge.

This course is part of Spirit Rock’s new Dharma Institute, which offers in-depth study of the teachings and practices of the Buddha and the Insight Meditation lineage, along with professional trainings and continuing education. 

Spirit Rock was founded in 1986 by a group of Insight Meditation teachers, including Jack Kornfield, who, along with Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein, and Jacqueline Schwartz, founded Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, MA, in 1976. These centers, along with Gaia House (Devon, UK), are among the first centers teaching Insight Meditation (vipassanā) in the West. Read more about the founding of Spirit Rock and IMS in Jack Kornfield’s article “This Fantastic, Unfolding Experiment.” 

Insight Meditation is based in Theravāda (“The Way of the Elders”) Buddhism, as practiced in Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), and Thailand, though our teachers carry many different lineages within—and outside—Theravāda. Our primary practices are based in the Mahāsī lineage of Burmese vipassanā and the Thai Forest Saṅgha lineage of Ajahn Chah. Read more aboutour Buddhist Lineage and listen to talks from teachers about the roots of our practice.

Questions?

Visit Help for additional information and guidance. After visiting the Help page, if you still need support with the Online Learning Platform, email OLPsupport@spiritrock.org.

* Note on video quality:

This video was recorded at Joanna Macy’s last online appearance at Spirit Rock, during COVID, and video quality is lower than we would prefer. We are honored to preserve the teachings of this beloved elder teacher in this course, and thank you for your understanding.