Voices of Love: Bridging differences through compassionate conversations
- tenzinchogkyi
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
We are living in time in which communities and nations are deeply fragmented along lines of political affiliation and ideology, race, class, religion, immigration status, and more. For the last few years, it seems that the divides are so sharply defined that it is impossible to work together and there have been very few attempts to find common ground. Is this the way it needs to be, with conflicting sides, winners and losers in a zero-sum game, or is there another way forward?
When we perceive others’ beliefs and opinions to differ from our own, it can be challenging to listen and be curious about why they believe what they do. Yet when we are able to truly hear each other, we can begin to see our common humanity and discover shared needs and values. But how do we do this? What are some of the perspectives and strategies we can use to bridge differences and connect with our common humanity? How can we overcome our resistance to extending compassion to others, especially those we think of as threats or as enemies? What are the limits to bridging differences and extending compassion, and are there times we shouldn’t even try?
In our experience and in the research on conflict and peace building, it seems clear that a collective capacity to bridge these divides is the only viable path to a sustainable future for humankind. Our point of view is that recognizing and trusting in our common humanity as the basis for connection is the only way forward, and is the essence of empathy, compassion, and love.
The “Voices of Love” podcast will explore this possibility, delving into the experience and science behind broadening our compassion and bridging differences, even when common ground seems hard to find. Our hope is by sharing the stories of people involved in bridging even when it is challenging, we will inspire others to reach out to those who they might think of as “other” and to be more willing to engage when such “others” reach out to them, to question their assumptions and stereotypes and open to experiences of connection.
In this series, we will be including conversations with guests who work in these areas of challenge, with social justice activists and educators, and artists using performance and art to foster listening and understanding across divides. In these conversations we will be exploring various types of “othering,” including race, class, religion, ethnicity, access to housing, immigration status, dominant language, and more.
In addition to interviews with guests working in challenging areas, we will be speaking with guests working in the areas of compassion and emotion research as well, discussing the science behind broadening our compassion.
Our project may raise more questions than it answers, but we believe that in the spectrum of humanity we all meet in at least one space – we all want our needs met – and our dreams can be expansive enough to include love and curiosity for others, instead of creating our own silos from a perspective of scarcity to make sure only our needs are met.
Our aspiration is to motivate others to be curious, question their assumptions and stereotypes, and open to experiences of connection. We truly believe that everyone belongs, that in a system where there are winners and losers, in fact everyone loses. Diversity and difference should not be seen as threats, rather as factors that enrich all our lives. We hope this series inspires you to reach across the divide that separates you from someone else and experience a shared sense of care and connection.
Our first episode is coming soon!
Our team
Before talking about the individual team members, in the spirit of love, we’d like to talk about our relationships with each other. Mathew Divaris met Tenzin when he attended an interfaith retreat she led in 2014, and then he continued attending Buddhist and interfaith retreats with her until he moved to Virginia in 2021. Mathew started co-hosting and producing Tenzin’s monthly radio show and podcast in 2021. Mathew has helped Tenzin with publicity for her programs, designing her website (Unlocking True Happiness) and Instagram page. As Mathew has a background in marketing and business, he has been an invaluable support over the years for all of Tenzin’s projects.
Greg and Tenzin met in 2017 while attending a Compassion Cultivation Training at Stanford university, and have been close friends ever since. After they both completed the CCT teacher training, they co-taught the curriculum in both the full eight-week version and as daylong retreats at various locations in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area, and collaborated on podcast interviews as well.
Mathew and Greg have also been together and in conversation in both classes and on podcasts.
This project emerged from conversations we’ve had with each other and an emerging focus for all of us on bridging divides, and we truly hope you enjoy our collaboration as much as we do!
Tenzin Chogkyi, co-host
Tenzin Chogkyi has been teaching Buddhist meditation and philosophy since 2006, lived for 20 years as a Buddhist monastic, and is a certified teacher of Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Training and the Cultivating Emotional Balance program. She taught in men’s prisons for 15 years until the COVID pandemic.
Over the last few years, she has dedicated her time to compassion training and various projects focused on bridging differences through dialogues and community events, described below.
Developed and hosted the Unlocking True Happiness podcast with over 10,000 downloads since early 2021
Hosted a monthly radio show on KSQD public radio in Santa Cruz for over five years
Founder of the Sustainable Service Program, supporting people engaged in compassionate action
Training and curriculum specialist and community mediator for the Conflict Resolution Center of Santa Cruz County
Facilitated community dialogues using the model developed by Essential Partners and Living Room Conversations
Organized events in Santa Cruz modeled on The Human Library and became a Human Library librarian in 2025
Involved in interfaith dialogue since 2013
Greg Morris, co-host
Greg Morris (pronouns: any) is a teacher, coach, management consultant, and committed learner:
Received an MBA from Stanford University and an AB in Economics from Princeton University
Certified teacher of Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Training since 2021
Management consultant with over 35 years of experience in global diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), human resources, marketing, and finance
Participant in the King Center’s “Be Love” and “Nonviolence365” virtual learning series (2021-2022); dedicated advocate of the six principles of Kingian nonviolence
A lifelong peace advocate and bridge-builder with childhood grounding in Unitarianism, he offers his spiritual practice as the foundation for all of his work.
Mathew Divaris, producer and co-host
Mathew has been hosting, producing, and publicizing the Unlocking True Happiness podcast and the KSQD radio show since early 2021. With his extensive professional experience in marketing, publicity, and branding, he is the perfect person to bring this project to a wide audience.