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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

Scott Tusa

Living From a Sense of Call and Response

With Scott Tusa Recorded : November 26, 2023

Deep listening goes beyond merely using our ears; it encompasses engaging our eyes, hearts, and bodies as well. As practitioners of meditation, we can also learn to listen with mindful awareness. In this session,...

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Nicola Redfern

Not Knowing is Most Intimate

With Nicola Redfern Recorded : November 19, 2023

The Buddha spoke often about the danger of clinging to views and opinions. He recommended we avoid clinging, even to the dharma and to “right view.” In a world increasingly torn apart by our...

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Stephen Fulder

Welcoming the Beyond

With Stephen Fulder Recorded : October 15, 2023

What is beyond the ordinary mind? Can thought be background music, not a distraction? How can we access a consciousness that is open, free and limitless? How can we dive into the ocean instead...

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Freedom without Expectations

With Vince Cullen Recorded : October 1, 2023

One of the Buddha’s primary realisations was ‘Life is painful and then you die.’ If this is true, then how do we respond to the difficulties of life? This session will explore how we...

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