Love Is Liberation

“During the global crises of our time, we all need an ethical place to stand. The deep wish of the Venerable Thích Nhất Hạnh was for the human race to arrive at a global ethic: an ethic that anyone of any spiritual path could feel at home with. The Five Mindfulness Trainings are the Buddhist contribution to this ethic. The more people who have access to the Five Mindfulness Trainings, the closer we are to the collective awakening that the world needs. This book helps bring this Buddhist contribution to a global ethic to a wide audience and makes it clear that mindfulness must always be Right Mindfulness, not a means to making more money or being more successful but a means that gives us a place to stand ethically in this confusing world.”
— Sister Annabel Laity, Bhikshuni True Virtue (Chân Đức), frequent translator of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh’s writings, Plum Village France

“Love is Liberation: Five Contemplations for Daily Ethical Living offers a grounded and compassionate invitation into ethical reflection as a daily practice. The contemplations are clear, accessible, and quietly powerful—supporting readers to meet life with greater awareness, integrity, and heart. This is a meaningful contribution to the ongoing work of inner and collective liberation.”
— Ruth King, author of Mindful of Race

“How do we choose to love in a world steeped in violence and injustice? In this fresh and profound rendering of Buddhist ethical teachings, we are guided through contemplative trainings that help us respond wisely to the polycrisis of our times. At heart, these teachings are inspiring, hopeful, and empowering. They remind us of the preciousness of this living world, our innate belonging, and the transformative power of awareness and love.”
—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance

“ Love Is Liberation is a wise and timely offering that bridges personal healing and collective transformation with remarkable grace. Valerie Brown and Marisela B. Gomez invite us into a practice of mindfulness that does not turn away from injustice, grief, or division. In a time when we can so easily become disconnected from the realities of suffering and destruction, this book offers a powerful antidote to spiritual bypassing, grounding us in compassion, courage, and deep interdependence.”
— Kazu Haga, author of Fierce Vulnerability

“ The words ‘we are purposed and we are in choice’ stood out as strong medicine to help us choose life and love. Buddhist teachers Brown and Gomez demonstrate how to explore our lived experiences and find in them the earth upon which to see challenges as portals to transforming our lives. … The book is filled with good lessons on how to swim through difficult times.”
—Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, author of Opening to Darkness

Valerie Brown, JD, transformed her twenty-year, high-pressure career as a lawyer-lobbyist into human-scale, social equity-centered work, guiding leaders and organizations to foster greater understanding, authenticity, compassion, and trust. She was ordained as a Dharma teacher in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism and is a member of the Society of Friends.

Marisela B. Gomez, MD, is a cofounder of the mutual aid center Village of Love and Resistance in Baltimore, Maryland, organizing for power, healing, and the reclamation of land. She is a meditation teacher, physician-scientist, and holistic health practitioner. She is the author of Race, Class, Power, and Organizing in East Baltimore and coauthor of Healing Our Way Home, along with other scholarly, political, and spiritual writings.

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