We asked our teachers 5 questions and here is what River responded:
1) If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self / what do you wish you'd known at the beginning when you started out on this path?
It’s not a competition. Trying to be good at this will get you so far, but in the end you’ll learn to lighten up, and lightness, joy and love will get you much further.
2) What brings you joy? What makes you unhappy?
My heart breaks at the preventable harm inflicted by humans on each other and all forms of life. But I’m also inspired by the good heartedness of our species, the capacity for generosity and care.
3) If you weren't teaching what career would you have liked to have?
I came to dharma teaching later in life, and previously worked for many years as a writer and arts facilitator in schools, public libraries, and grassroots communities. As a teenager I studied ancient history with the intention of becoming an archaeologist. I’m still fascinated by primary sources, which is partly why I’m drawn to early Buddhism.
4) What one phrase or teaching do you come back to the most / have you found most useful? (Buddhist or not)
Twenty years ago, in a group interview, I was overwhelmed with grief and couldn’t stop sobbing for the world (and myself). Christina Feldman kindly but firmly said to me: ‘You can swim in the sea of suffering forever’. That was a wake-up!
5) What’s the most unusual place you've meditated or taught?
At a women’s peace conference in 2005, on the roof of the Hotel Gloria, as the sun rose over Jerusalem’s Old City. We were a motley crew of practitioners from several traditions, sitting quietly amidst the sounds of traffic, strife, and history. Those breaths together supported us through the days of vigil and protest in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.