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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

Exploring Practice: What it is, and Why we do it

With Daigan Gaither Recorded : September 17, 2023

What does it mean to practice? The term carries many interpretations and meanings. In this session, we won’t offer what practice should or shouldn’t mean for you; instead, we’ll embark on a journey of...

Shaila Catherine

Lovingkindness in the Little Things

With Shaila Catherine Recorded : September 10, 2023

In this session Shaila Catherine explored the practice and purpose of lovingkindness (mettā) meditation. She clarified what mettā is, and what mettā is not. Mettā is more than merely an antidote to apply on...

Your Most Expensive Resource

With Sean Oakes Recorded : September 3, 2023

There is a substance we need for every meaningful part of our life. We only have a small amount of it, it’s being spent constantly, we can’t get more, and we’re surrounded by predators...

Ven. Pannavati Bikkhuni

All Worldly Dharma is Buddha Dharma

With Pannavati Bikkhuni Recorded : July 30, 2023

Nowadays, many Buddhist practitioners have mistaken views. Taking the false to be true, we can make some progress, but not much. Only in the light of wisdom can we awaken to the truth because it...

Living by Vow

With Pamela Weiss Recorded : July 23, 2023

To live by vow is a radical reorientation – from reactivity to response-ability, and from fear to love. This session will examine what it means to walk the spiritual path, and consider the importance...

Mindfulness and the Four Noble Truths

With Dave Smith Recorded : July 16, 2023

Across all Buddhist lineages and traditions, the four noble truths hold the utmost importance. They are the Dharma’s most fundamental teaching. In modern society, the focus of Buddhism often shifts to meditation, particularly mindfulness,...

Resting in Love, as Love

With Caverly Morgan Recorded : July 9, 2023

Consciousness itself is not disturbed by a busy mind. In practice, the ego takes this truth and says, “I will transcend mind.” But the “I” that experiences itself as separate from life cannot and...

Finding Forgiveness: Processing the Past to Open the Present

With Kate Johnson Recorded : July 2, 2023

The Buddhist path is one of liberation through letting go. But when there’s been disappointment, betrayal, or harm, letting go can seem like a very tall order. Join us as we explore the spectrum of heart...

Revealing The Heart’s True Nature: Resting in Metta

With Celeste Young Recorded : June 25, 2023

In this session we will explore the Brahma Viharas: the boundless qualities of heart the Buddha taught. The more we practice, the more these qualities are revealed and expressed naturally through our being. They...

The Power of Surrender

With Deborah Eden Tull Recorded : June 18, 2023

The spiritual path requires our surrender – again and again. We surrender story, striving, preoccupation, and the illusion of separate self. We surrender all that is not Love. How do we remember the power...

The Power of Self-Compassion

With Chris Germer Recorded : June 11, 2023

Most people are more compassionate toward others than themselves when things go wrong. However, burgeoning research shows that self-compassion is good for everybody. Fortunately, it can be learned. How can we seamlessly bring self-compassion into...

The Wisdom of Equanimity

With Peace Twesigye Recorded : June 4, 2023

The dominant culture treats unpleasant feelings as problems, and pleasant feelings as if we should experience them all the time. This is neither possible nor wise. How can we fully feel the beautiful and...