Lama Rod Owens is the resident lama and program director for Kagyu Drupgyu Chödzong in Washington, DC. Considered one of the leaders of the next generation of dharma teachers, Lama Rod has a blend of formal Buddhist training and life experience that gives him a unique ability to understand, relate to, and engage with those around him in a way that’s spacious and sincere. His gentle, laid-back demeanor and willingness to bare his heart and soul makes others want to do the same.
A Black, queer male, born and raised in the South and heavily influenced by the church and its community, his platform Unmasked is a safe place for conversations about things that affect us all but that we’re scared to talk about, like sex, race, identity, gender, class, power, and depression.
Lama Rod is also a core teacher with the Natural Dharma Fellowship, a teacher with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, and is completing is master of divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School where he focuses on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. He has been published and featured in several publications, including Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, and Spirit Magazine.
He is also heavily engaged in social change work and is coauthor of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation with Rev. angel Kydo williams and Dr. Jasmine Syedullah. His current writing project is an exploration of intersectional masculinity and spirituality.