Summarized highlights from “When no thing works: A Zen and indigenous perspective on resilience, shared purpose, and leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse” | Norma Wong
Foundations and Context
Norma Wong is a Zen master from Hawaii with a long lineage who addresses governance challenges using indigenous and Zen practices
Her book “When No Thing Works: A Zen and Indigenous Perspective on Resilience, Shared Purpose, and Leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse” was released the day after the US election
Wong is involved with the Collective Acceleration Community of Practice
The podcast conversation was hosted by Autumn Brown and Adrienne Marie Brown on “How to Survive the End of the World”
Core Philosophical Approaches
Shared Humanity as Purpose:
“Our purpose should focus on building a shared humanity rather than merely fighting against the conditions of our struggle”
This connects to Tamkeen’s work on nurturing a humanizing society
Wong advocates “moving towards the light of shared humanity and leaving the darkness behind, which necessarily involves exploring existential questions”
Cultivation as Metaphor for Social Change:
Wong uses “gardening, cultivation, and horticulture metaphor – the farm is everything” to discuss social change
This systems gardening approach emphasizes relationships as crucial for social change
Practical Applications
Indigenous Mutual Aid in Hawaii:
Mutual aid hubs in Hawaii are built on indigenous traditions
Wong suggests “the best role for external parties is to support these indigenous mutual aid hubs”
“The capacity of individuals or organizations to help is dependent on the relationships they maintain”
Ways of Being vs. Ways of Doing:
Wong emphasizes the value of focusing “not just on what actions to take, but on how to be”
This highlights the importance of ways of being as a foundation for effective action
