How do we face fear, grief and uncertainty without becoming consumed by them? And how do we practice compassion when the world around us seems to demand anger?
In this episode of RAW with Anouk, journalist and meditation teacher Anouk Lorie speaks with Sandhya Bar Kama, an Israeli Buddhist and meditation teacher whose spiritual journey began nearly four decades ago. Born and raised on Kibbutz Kabri in northern Israel, Sandhya began her spiritual search following the death of her father when she was just 20. She later spent seven years living and practicing in a yoga and meditation ashram in the United States.
Today, she teaches Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness and insight meditation, drawing on decades of contemplative practice and study. She leads retreats, courses and meditation groups, including through Tovana, one of Israel’s leading insight meditation organizations.
Against the backdrop of October 7 and the years of war that followed, Anouk and Sandhya explore what Buddhist wisdom can offer us when suffering is not an abstract concept, but something we encounter in our own lives and communities. Together, they discuss:
• The difference between unavoidable pain and the suffering we create through our thoughts, judgments and reactions
• How fear can turn into anger, hatred and the desire for revenge
• What it means to meet grief and uncertainty with awareness and kindness
• How to practice compassion without becoming passive, indifferent or morally disengaged
• The relationship between our own suffering and our capacity to recognize the suffering of others
• Whether we can confront injustice and act with conviction without being driven by hatred
The conversation concludes with a guided loving-kindness meditation, an invitation to extend compassion to ourselves and others, even when doing so feels difficult. Ultimately, this is not a conversation about simply becoming more resilient or feeling better. It is about understanding suffering more deeply, changing our relationship with it and discovering another way of meeting life.
ABOUT RAW WITH ANOUK
RAW with Anouk is a podcast hosted by journalist and meditation teacher Anouk Lorie, exploring Israel, Jewish life, identity, psychology and spirituality through honest conversations and grounded practices for living through conflict with greater clarity, courage and care.
