At The Edge of Self
Insight Myanmar30 Okt 2025

At The Edge of Self

Episode #422: “There is beauty in owning one's racial identity. There's beauty in owning, valuing, and respecting one's heritage, ancestors, sexual identity, and gender identity. But on the other side of the coin, there can also be imprisonment there.”

So says Bhante Sumano, an African-American monk at Empty Cloud Monastery. This is the 6th episode in our ongoing “Intersections of Dhamma & Race” series, in which we examineentrenched protocols, practices and biases within the vipassana and mindfulness communities.

Bhante Sumano begins by telling us how he came to take on the monk’s robes. Originally from Jamaica, he moved to New York City for college and has stayed there ever since. Bhante Sumano trained under Thich Nhat Hanh and Thanissaro Bhikkhu before ultimately deciding that Empty Cloud was the best fit for him, as he appreciated the flexibility and openness in how the monastery embraced different Theravadin traditions.

Bhante Sumano goes on to describe how the Buddha’s teachings have guided him in understanding and responding to racism. He expresses disappointment with how he has seen the wider Buddhist community respond to the recent social justice movement, and feels that even many experienced teachers have “blind spots” that prevent deeper understanding. Finally, he shares the value in providing safe spaces where practitioners of color can come to practice the Dhamma.

Episoder(509)

Mission Aborted

Mission Aborted

Episode #330: “When President Bush called that morning and said, ‘Pull back [away from Myanmar],’ I just couldn't compose myself. I broke down in front of all the Marines, and so I had to run into the...

5 Apr 20251h 5min

US AID is MIA

US AID is MIA

Episode #329: “How could this happen now?! I mean, are we part of the problem allowing Burma to slip to that ‘ninth layer of hell?’”These anguished words from longtime USAID official Chris Milligan re...

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Shaken Faith

Shaken Faith

Episode #328: In the aftermath of Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, Htuu Lou Rae paints a grim picture of systemic neglect and discrimination faced by the country’s Muslim community. The disaster stru...

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Between the Rubble and the Regime

Between the Rubble and the Regime

Episode #327: In the wake of Myanmar’s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake, Meredith Bunn, founder of Skills for Humanity (SFH), describes a catastrophic humanitarian crisis compounded by years of c...

2 Apr 20251h

Fault Lines

Fault Lines

Episode #326: “Every country could face disaster, but every country also has plans to respond to those kind of like devastating events. But our country is not like others! We don't have the manpower, ...

1 Apr 202555min

Cracks in the System

Cracks in the System

Episode #325: “It's going to take days, if not weeks, to really get a full picture on how devastating this initial earthquake was, let alone these aftershocks that were expected.”A powerful 7.7 magnit...

31 Mar 202550min

The Ninth Circle of Hell

The Ninth Circle of Hell

Episode #324: In a deeply moving interview, Thiri discusses the devastating aftermath of the recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake, set against the backdrop of ongoing political turmoil. With communication ...

31 Mar 202557min

Aftershocks

Aftershocks

Episode #323: “Quite frankly, and I might catch flak for this, but I'll say it: there is a special place in hell for those who seek to exploit or weaponize this aid, or block this aid for political pu...

30 Mar 202536min

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