Love-Based Activism: A Conversation with Tara Brach and Mohsen Mahdawi - Part I
3/19/202634 min
In this conversation, Tara is joined by Mohsen Mahdawi—Palestinian refugee, Buddhist practitioner, and courageous voice for justice—whose life bridges worlds that are so often held apart. Growing up in a refugee camp and later emerging as a student leader and advocate for Palestinian dignity, Mohsen brings a rare integration of spiritual depth, clarity and dedication to societal transformation. Together they explore how inner awakening can ground fearless activism, what it means to stand for justice amid profound asymmetry of power, how to resist dehumanization in a polarized world, and whether a spiritually rooted movement for collective liberation is quietly emerging in our time. This dialogue is an invitation to reimagine activism as an expression of love, belonging, and courageous presence.
Learn more about Mohsen's work at: http://www.mohsen-mahdawi.com
Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music
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First 90 secondsTara Brach· Host0:00
[gentle music] Welcome, friends, to the Tara Brach Podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Each week, I share teachings and guided meditations to help us awaken our hearts and bring healing to our world. You can learn more or support this offering by visiting tarabrach.com, where you can also join our email list. Now, let's explore together the many ways we can live from the love and presence that's our deepest essence. [gentle music] Namaste. [bell ringing] Namaste. Welcome, friends. Thanks so much for being here. Some of you may have heard of Mohsen Madawi. Uh, he's one of the Columbia students detained for his pro-Palestinian activism. But that headline is only a small part of who he is. So Mohsen grew up