The Great In-Between
A candid conversation on the liberatory power of in-between states
Duncan Ryuken Williams
Duncan Ryuken Williams is a Soto Zen priest and Director of the Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture at the University of Southern California.
CultureMagazine | Books, Reviews
A Senator’s Dharma
Sen. Mazie Hirono’s new memoir tells a story of fierce determination and enduring kindness.
The Karma of Becoming American
I became a U.S. citizen on June 19. Here’s what I know to be true.
Never Again
A Japanese American group protests mass incarceration at the border. One of its Buddhist leaders envisions a new American identity.
Practicing in a Pandemic
Six new teachings on how to find compassion and equanimity in a time of great uncertainty.
At Fort Sill, a Prayer That History Would Not Repeat Itself
Buddhist priests replicate a historic ceremony at a former Japanese internment camp to protest the detention of migrant children.
Thus Have I Heard: An American Sutra
With the outbreak of World War II, Japanese Americans were incarcerated by the thousands. Out of the crucible of the camps, a uniquely American Buddhism was born.
IdeasMagazine | Special Section
Camp Dharma
The recent talk of a Muslim registry isn’t the first time the United States government has targeted individuals based on their religion. Duncan Ryuken Williams shares the often overlooked stories of Buddhist Japanese Americans who were…
Magazine |
Where to Study Buddhist Studies?
A comprehensive list of Buddhist studies programs in the United States.
Podcasts
When Buddhists Were a “National Security Threat”
On February 19th, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an executive order designating military zones along the West Coast and laying the groundwork for US authorities to remove citizens of Japanese descent from their homes and imprison them in camps. While it is widely acknowledged that racism was central to this shameful chapter of American history, the role of religious discrimination cannot be overlooked, says scholar and Soto Zen priest Duncan Ryuken Williams.
Here, Williams joins Tricycle Editor and Publisher James Shaheen to discuss his new book, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War, how Japanese Americans in internment camps stood up for religious freedom, and how this disturbing legacy of persecution has taken on new relevance.
Listen Now on Tricycle | iTunes | SoundCloud
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