Skip to main content

Emergent Dharma


Through different Buddhist traditions, the dharma spread through storytelling, with teachers sharing their experiences and observations of awakening to truth, reality, and greater wisdom. In Emergent Dharma, this vital tradition is brilliantly rekindled through the voices of Asian American women artists, scholars, activists, educators, and healers. Edited by Sharon A. Suh, PhD, this volume compiles poignant narratives of deepening and transforming their relationship to Buddhist traditions, offering a contemporary lens on the experiences of immigrants and descendants of immigrants in the United States.

Each essay powerfully articulates the evolving, liberatory nature of personal practices through acts of reframing, inviting readers to consider how cultural nuances can reshape and enrich spiritual practice. Mihiri Tillakaratne offers the liberatory path of embodying a “Bad Buddhist Auntie” – a figure who fearlessly reflects and bridges the sometimes-paradoxical demands of diaspora and spiritual tradition. Syd Yang shares a heartfelt and deeply moving story of healing from an eating disorder, finding profound support and transformation through an unwavering commitment to Bodhisattva Vows. Suh underscores the inherent subversiveness in an arising Asian American “feminist killjoy” brand of Buddhism toward an expansive and inclusive “ethic of love.”

Emergent Dharma is an essential read for anyone committed to understanding the richness of the Asian American experience and the boundless ways in which spirituality can manifest and empower.

Buy from Capital Books

Popular posts from this blog

Minding the Wealth Gap

As a Black investor and startup founder, Cliff Goins IV brings firsthand experience and sharp insight to one of America’s most urgent issues: the racial wealth gap. Having navigated the worlds of finance and entrepreneurship, Goins has seen up close the systemic disparities in wealth creation, access to capital, and asset management. From unequal opportunities in homeownership and education to persistent challenges in business funding and employment, the historical gaps are perpetuated in present-day practices. In "Minding the Wealth Gap," Goins skillfully blends data, lived experience, and the insights of experts to illuminate the deep-rooted economic disparities facing Black Americans. More importantly, he highlights the power of collective uplift. Through the voices of nine dynamic “gap closers,” Goins shows how real change happens when Black investors and leaders open doors for others. Each success “play” or strategy underscores the ripple effect of support. Selena Cu...
Read more

A Beginner’s Guide to the Roots of Yoga

The modern practice of yoga in Western culture is often criticized for disconnecting from its cultural, historical, and spiritual roots. In many studios and gyms, yoga is reduced to a fitness routine—focused on stretching rather than its original purpose of enlightening the mind. In "A Beginner’s Guide to the Roots of Yoga," celebrated practitioner Nikita Desai reconnects readers with yoga’s ancient Indian origins. Drawing on her Indian heritage, Desai explores the deeper meanings behind yoga’s forms, postures, and intentions, offering a rich historical and philosophical context for those seeking a more authentic practice. Desai shares her personal journey of reclaiming yoga’s essence, inviting readers to do the same by integrating cultural awareness into their practice. Her tone is welcoming and nonjudgmental, making the book accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Although I do not practice yoga, my meditation roots lie in Zen Buddhism. Through conversations with prac...
Read more

Wash

Ebony Stewart’s "Wash" is a powerful, unflinching poetry collection that draws the reader into a world of raw emotion, deep introspection, and lyrical brilliance. As I read through the poems, I found myself captivated by Stewart’s honest reflections on identity, love, loss, and healing. Her voice is unapologetically bold, revealing the complexities of being a Black womxn navigating relationships, societal expectations, and hard-fought victories toward self-worth. Yet, her themes are universal, resonating with anyone who has grappled with their own identity and relationships. What struck me most was Stewart’s emotional transparency: each poem feels like a cleansing, a shedding of shame, doubt, and grief, revealing the triumph of knowing one’s value in a world that often seeks to diminish it. Stewart doesn’t shy away from exploring the pain of extractive love or the vulnerability of desire, but she also leaves room for empowerment and resilience. As a celebrated spoken word ...
Read more