Storylines, identity, race and transformation - with Rehena Harilall

Rehena was born in South Africa to a Buddhist family of Indian origin, who had been brought to South Africa during colonial times as indentured labour (her ancestors are originally from Bodh Gaya, the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment). She grew up in heart of the apartheid movement in a racially segregated area with many other families of Asian descent, and had an education in activism from an early age, with her parents being heavily involved in the anti-apartheid movement. After the apartheid was abolished she worked in various reconstruction and development roles, which ultimately brought her to the UK. Here she connected with the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community, and more recently with the Tibetan and Insight Traditions. Her work as a management consultant together with her engaged Buddhist practice and racial activism creates an environment full of troublesome buddhas!

In this episode she discusses the difficult issue of creating and using labels and identity - when Buddhist practice asks us to let these go. She talks about how encounters with challenging people can become catalysts for examining the storylines we hold about ourselves and the situation in general. But she cautions that real transformation always comes with a level of discomfort - which we need to be ready to face. She emphasises that dealing with difficult people is not about retaliation (as in “an eye for an eye”) or passivity, but about realising the interdependent nature of universe and acting from that broad perspective.