As Buddhadharma continues to develop in this country, our sanghas are faced with real concerns around how many of our traditions have emerged from Asian root cultures tinged with unaddressed hierarchy and power structures that are detrimental to our spiritual communities. These essentially patriarchal structures usually go unaddressed as they mix with our own cultures of patriarchy, often deeply harming our communities. We wonder what the toll of patriarchy has been on the lives not only of women, but of men as well. How does patriarchy obstruct the expression of a sacred masculine identity? Could the expression of a sacred masculine identity lie at the heart of undoing the violence of patriarchy in our sanghas? Through meditation, dialogue, personal storytelling, journaling and ritual, we will unpack how patriarchy has shaped our expressions of masculinity and the self. We will take up a dharmic lens to examine our relationship to violence and domination, power, femininity, love and sexuality along a path to unveiling and honoring non-patriarchal expressions of who we are as human beings. Our intention is to illuminate how patriarchal expressions of self create suffering for all of us as we begin to develop a relationship to a more sacred masculinity. Our hope is that these efforts will not only further our own liberation, but begin to cultivate spiritual communities and a human world where both the sacred feminine and masculine are held in loving balance. This initial workshop is open to anyone who identifies as male or masculine and who has the experience of benefiting from this masculine and male identification. The workshop will be a bases for monthly group meetings afterwards. There will be workshops for female identified people and nonbinary identified people in the future with the hopes of doing joint workshops with all affinity groups. Cost of registration: $20.