Dear friend,
If one speaks or acts with a pure intention, happiness follows one as a shadow that never leaves.
–Dhammapada, Verse 2
When I think about Right Resolve, I think about the intentions we choose to carry into our relationships—with ourselves, with one another, and with our communities. Affinity Sanghas can be an important part of that practice because they offer spaces where people can experience recognition, belonging, and the freedom to bring their whole selves into the Dharma. For Black practitioners, there can be something deeply healing about gathering without always having to explain our histories, cultures, grief, joy, or experiences. We can breathe, grieve, laugh, dance, sit quietly, tell the truth about what hurts, and celebrate what sustains us. BIPOC grows from this understanding: healing is not simply an individual experience, but something that happens through relationships, cultural connection, and community.
Right Resolve also asks us to consider what we want to carry forward and what we are willing to stop passing on. In an Affinity Sangha, community becomes part of the practice: Can we listen when we disagree? Can we respond rather than react? Can we acknowledge harm, repair relationships, care for one another, and remain committed to liberation? The BIPOC Sangha desires to extend this practice across the community and to share that wisdom to heal inherited wounds from our ancestors and those who have oppressed Black and indigenous people. Perhaps this is one of the gifts of Sangha: we do not have to heal or awaken alone. We can resolve, together, to become the kind of community we hope to see in the world.
-Travis Spencer, IMCW teacher and BIPOC Sangha leader
IMCW Affinity Sanghas offer spaces to practice authentically and belong deeply—and they are sustained by the generosity of the whole community. Your gift supports Sangha leaders, scholarships, and opportunities to practice together.
What do you want to help cultivate? Your gift is one your intention into action by helping create a sangha where more people can practice, connect, and belong.
