Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community

by Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Resmaa Menakem (Foreword)

A heartfelt call and primer for community-oriented models of wellbeing in our age of polarization and turmoil.

Creating compassionate communities takes more than good will—it requires a dedication to respecting cultural differences while remembering the fundamental spiritual kinship that exists between all people. Activist, counselor, and Buddhist teacher Ayo Yetunde creatively unpacks this condition through the metaphor of Indra’s Net—a universal net in which all beings reflect each other like jewels.

She offers a practice path that acknowledges our deep challenges—challenges that increasingly give rise to the temptation of group violence, which she calls mobbery—while showing exactly how we can still listen, learn, and heal together. Drawing inspiration from the Black liberation tradition and from stories from various religions, Yetunde recasts Indra’s Net as the network in which we all have the choice either to succumb to our impulses toward division and brutality or renew our civility and love for each other. The more than 20 practices in Casting Indra’s Net include:
- Five commitments for healthy, nonviolent living
- Guided contemplation to water the seeds of your spiritual potential
- “Mirroring” and “twinning” other people
- Tonglen (receiving and releasing) and lovingkindness meditations
- Affirmations

Genres: Buddhism, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Cultural

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2023

Reviews

[Michael Sasson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a pacifist and I am not but I do believe that stretching to take sophisticated pacifism seriously expands our humanity and makes us take seriously the toll of violence or even property destruction.

The author shares what land on me as perhaps the best metta and tonglen instruction around on pages 137 and 158.

I also appreciate that the author names and critiques Minnesota nice (p18). I also really like the frame to foster spiritual kinship and community but I didn't find the instructions for doing that as clear or practical as I'd hoped they would be.

[Miriam Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly, I liked this text. Ayo is solid and clear. I appreciated the Buddhist parts most, since that’s my approach. But I can appreciate how she bridges the approaches of other religions as well.
The final parts felt like the strongest part of the book to me - calling in Buddhist leaders, invoking MLK Jr, etc.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Transcendently practical, knowledgeable direct and kind. Extremely helpful for anyone who aspires to be a (world, other, self) caregiver.

[Peter Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a much needed book on on seeing others with compassion and as humans that all have the same value. They accurately portrayed the injustices America has done to minorities. They encourage those of different faiths to unite at our common grounds. Their view of Christianity is not accurate to The Bible or Christianity. They seemed to only have a pejorative view of Christianity and did not present Christianity as loving and including people from all ethnicities. They present led Christianity as presented by those that call themselves Christian and yet promote injustice. White people have committed numerous injustices against minorities but that doesn’t mean all of us support the wrongs people like us have done. I don’t support these wrongs.

[Karin Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how Pamela Ayo Yetunde brought forward stories, universal truths and practices from a multitude of spiritual and social justice traditions. She shows the deep necessity of collective liberation.

[Jessica Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book warms my heart
& gives me hope

[Jenifer Gager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adored the beautiful and useful imagery and woven interfaith teachings. Wanted to hear more about the Vedic origin and use of India’s Net, but can seek elsewhere.