From Loneliness to Spiritual Friendship

Author Chenxing Han discusses the transformative experience of writing her debut book and the surprising connections it has fostered. Tune in as she shares stories of finding solace and comfort within the Buddhist community, going from loneliness to spiritual friendships. During her insightful GSS, she examines and debunks the dichotomy within American Buddhism of being either a traditional Asian ritualistic practice or a contemporary White driven practice centered on meditation. Chenxing Han has emerged as a prominent voice and progressive thinker in understanding the current landscape of American Buddhism. You don’t want to miss the engaging and information talk!

Meet the Speaker: Chenxing Han is the author of Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists (2021) and One Long Listening: a Memoir of Grief, Friendship, and Spiritual Care (2023), both with North Atlantic Books. She is a regular contributor to Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma, and other publications, and a frequent speaker and workshop leader at schools, universities, and Buddhist communities. Chenxing holds a BA from Stanford University, an MA in Buddhist Studies from the Graduate Theological Union, and a certificate in Buddhist chaplaincy from the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is a co-teacher of “Listening to the Buddhists in our Backyard” at Phillips Academy Andover, a co-organizer of May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial for Asian American Ancestors, and a co-editor of a Lion’s Roar special issue on Asian American Buddhists (May 2023). 

The Guest Speaker Series is part of the Buddhist Course Pathway 2.0 Bundle. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to all the Buddhist Course Pathway courses, the Guest Speaker Series, Live Events, and Blogs.