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Sunday Sangha – 2nd November 2025

Ronya Banks

This session is led by Ronya Banks.

Start Time: 11 am PST (LA) / 2 pm EST (NY) / 7 pm GMT (London) / 8 pm CET (Paris). 90-minute live session.

This week’s theme: Practicing with Varying Viewpoints

Because today’s world appears to be reflecting times of great polarization and divisiveness, you probably have felt disturbed after hearing varying viewpoints that do not align with your priorities and values. In fact if you’re like most people, you have most likely felt rather emotionally triggered and incredulous when faced with radically different views. Join Asheville Insight Meditation’s founding Buddhist teacher and therapist, Ronya Fakhoury Banks as she explores how to bring your practice to include varying viewpoints with the outcome of feeling less reactivity and more love and acceptance of other’s views, without compromising your ethical values. Some of the points we will cover, include:

  • Bringing your mindful awareness practice to the actual moments of feeling triggered;
  • Accepting things as they are, while also bringing self-compassion in as needed;
  • Learning to soften and be open to other’s viewpoints without needing to agree;
  • Letting go of attachments to your viewpoints, while feeling compassion for yourself and others….

This session is freely-offered, but dana/donations are invited to help us meet our substantial running costs and to support our teachers. To donate, please click here. We appreciate your generosity 🙏

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Ronya Banks

Ronya Banks

The founding teacher of the Asheville Insight Meditation community in Asheville, NC, USA, Ronya Banks has over 38 years of intensive Vipassana meditation practice, spending more than two years cumulatively on numerous silent meditation retreats, as well as having lived as a Theravada Buddhist nun. In addition to working as a mental health counselor, Ronya also has over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience and before the pandemic, she was a black belt martial arts instructor.  Born originally in Kuwait of Palestinian-American descent, Ronya values diversity, inclusiveness, and respect for all sentient beings. Click here to learn more about Ronya Banks.

View Recordings of Past Sunday Sangha Sessions

Why Meditate?

With Peace Twesigye Recorded : February 18, 2024

Many people have encountered the Buddha’s teachings when learning to meditate. Many more people in the world, however, have learned about the Buddha through stories imparting lessons about how to live wisely. Why is...

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The Happiness of Emptiness

With Christopher Titmuss Recorded : January 21, 2024

Exploration of ultimate teachings requires listening, reflection/meditation rather than sitting to wait for an experience. Emptiness does not require experiences. The ultimate reveals the emptiness of self, ego, I and my – including self...

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James Baraz

Changing the Channel: Opening to Goodness

With James Baraz Recorded : January 7, 2024

The barrage of frightening headlines often leaves us with feelings of despair, hopelessness, and negativity. While it’s important to feel connected to the suffering all around us, it is equally important to nourish ourselves...

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