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NEWS | EASTERN HORIZON 59

NEW BUDDHIST APP

LAUNCHES WITH FOCUS ON

SOCIAL JUSTICE

By Sam Littlefair

Founder Ravi Mishra hopes his new app, Awaken, will help meditators examine The app features leading engaged Buddhist
social issues. teachers Lama Rod Owens, left, and Rev. angel
Kyodo williams, right. From whynotawaken.com

Sam Littlefair is the editor of LionsRoar.com. He has also written for The Coast, Mindful, and Atlantic Books
Today. Find him on Twitter, @samlfair, and Facebook, @samlfair.

A new Buddhist app offering he decided to commit himself to it The app costs $9/month or $84/
contemplations and guided full-time during the 2016 election, year, and the company pledges to
meditations on social justice is now when he says he realized “there’s invest all profits into “activism,
available in the App Store. Awaken, nothing more important to me than progressive campaigning, and
created by Ravi Mishra, offers this project.” other change making work.” They
meditation instructions to help also offer discounted and “gifted”
users explore social issues like race A press release for the app says memberships. “No one will be
and gender. there is a growing movement to use turned away,” says Mishra.
“Buddhist teachings to examine and
Content in the app is sorted into address the ways in which power The app is currently free for iOS on
individual practices called “singles” is being misused.” The app seeks the app store, and Android and web
and themed collections of practices to be the first of its kind to help versions are in the works. EH
called “albums.” The app includes meditators explore such issues.
guided meditations, contemplation The app’s founding teachers, Rev. Source: www.lionsroar.com, Dec 3,
practices that invite the user to angel Kyodo williams, Zen priest 2018.
consider a question, and recorded Greg Snyder, and Buddhist teacher
conversations. Lama Rod Owens, guide the
offerings and lead contemplations
Mishra says he started thinking in the app.
about the app three years ago, but