Voices of Love
Voices of Love
Tenzin Chogkyi
Voices of Love: Bridging Differences Through Compassionate Conversations We are living in a time of deep fragmentation. Communities and nations are increasingly divided along lines of political affiliation and ideology, race, class, religion, immigration status, language, and more. The public conversation often suggests there are only two sides: winners and losers, us and them. Voices of Love begins from a different premise. This series asks whether another way forward is possible—one grounded not in uniformity of belief, but in curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to truly listen to one another. When we perceive others’ beliefs and opinions as different from our own, it can feel difficult—sometimes even unsafe—to listen openly or ask why they see the world as they do. Yet, research in conflict and peacebuilding, as well as lived experience, suggest that our collective capacity to bridge divides is essential for any sustainable future. When we slow down enough to hear each other, we begin to recognize a shared humanity beneath our labels and positions. This podcast explores that possibility. Throughout the series, Voices of Love brings together guests who work at the front lines of social, cultural, and interpersonal challenge. Episodes will touch on various forms of “othering,” including those related to race, class, religion, ethnicity, immigration status, access to housing, dominant language, and more. Alongside these stories, we also explore the science of compassion and emotion, investigating what helps us expand our circle of care even when common ground feels hard to find. Our aim is not to provide easy answers. The conversations may raise as many questions as they resolve. But we believe that across the spectrum of human experience, there is at least one shared space in which we can all meet: we all have needs, we all have dreams, and those dreams can be expansive enough to include concern, curiosity, and love for others. Voices of Love invites readers and listeners alike to: • Question assumptions and stereotypes, • Stay curious when it might feel easier to disengage, and • Consider reaching across at least one divide in their own lives. At the heart of this project is a simple conviction: everyone belongs. In a system organized around winners and losers, everyone ultimately loses. In a culture shaped by empathy, compassion, and love, we all have the possibility of being seen and included. Hosted by Tenzin Choki, with Greg Morris and Mathew Divaris, Voices of Love: Bridging Differences Through Compassionate Conversations invites you into stories and insights that illuminate what it means to care across our differences—and to rediscover our shared humanity.
Co-exploring Emptiness and Peace: A Relational Path to Bridging Divides
I first met Ørjan when he contacted me to see if I might be open to being interviewed for his Master’s thesis. He was specifically looking for Buddhist teachers who had some experience with conflict resolution or mediation, as his thesis explored the application of the Buddhist concept of emptiness to peace and conflict transformation. I was intrigued, as I had never thought of this application of the idea of emptiness, and Ørjan and I had several long and fascinating discussions about this topic. After he had submitted his thesis, I asked him if he would be willing to reverse roles and be a guest on the “Voices of Love” podcast, as his academic and scholarly approach offered a unique lens on the topic of peacemaking and bridging divides.
Jun 30
1 hr 9 min
Where We All Belong
In the spirit of The Human Library, in which we connect to the humanity of someone we might think of as “other,” we offer this interview with Santiago, an immigrant from Colombia. I have known Santiago for 20 years, as we first met when he was working at a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center in the Santa Cruz mountains. We had seen each other over the years, and then Santi contacted me recently for support. It was during the ICE occupation of Minneapolis and after the tragic murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and during the weekend of the Super Bowl here in the Bay Area, with increased ICE presence. Santiago shared with me that recent events had retriggered trauma from his experiences growing up in Colombia when the country was in the middle of the decades-long conflict between government forces, left-wing guerilla groups and right-wing paramilitary groups. We spoke a few times that week and then I invited Santiago to share his story on Voices of Love. The story of immigration and the wider narrative of who belongs is at the forefront of our national social and political conversation, and I wanted listeners to be able to hear directly from someone who came to this country fleeing violence, and with the wish to have a more peaceful, safe and prosperous life. Note: this interview was recorded on Zoom, and there are times the audio quality is not so clear due to issues with the internet connection, our apologies!
May 11
58 min
Angry Long Enough with sujatha baliga
I first met sujatha baliga many years ago when she led a weekend training on the council process at a Buddhist center in Sacramento, although I had heard of her and her work in restorative justice long before. We have connected many times over the subsequent years in both Buddhist and secular spaces, and share a commitment to conflict resolution and exploring how Buddhist principles can be made accessible to everyone through the development of secular programs, like sujatha’s forthcoming “Spiritual Fitness” program which we discuss in the podcast. I felt deeply honored that sujatha accepted my invitation to be part of “Voices of Love” and appreciate the wisdom and passion she brings to these topics. Content notice: sujatha’s work involves restorative processes with situations of intimate partner violence and child sexual abuse, including her own experience, so this episode will refer at times to these experiences.
Feb 26
1 hr 10 min
It's Time to Talk About Peace with Rabbi Paula Marcus
In this conversation, Rabbi Paula speaks about her childhood and some important early influences in her life, her decision to move to Santa Cruz and become involved in the community here in various ways, and her lifelong commitment to social justice activism and its expression through music and creativity. We talk about our commitment to bridge building and peacemaking, even when progress is difficult to see, and what gives us hope to continue with this work.
Feb 1
1 hr 4 min
Staying Curious, with Andrew Purchin
Welcome to the first episode of our new podcast series, “Voices of Love: Bridging differences through compassionate conversations,” This project is a collaboration between Greg Morris, Mathew Divaris and Tenzin Chogkyi. We begin our series with local Santa Cruz artist Andrew Purchin. Tenzin was introduced to Andrew several years ago by a mutual friend, and felt inspired by his ongoing project, “The Curious Scroll.” When the opportunity arose to organize the “Let’s Talk About It” event which focused on conversations to bridge divides and reduce judgement and stereotypes, Andrew’s projects were a perfect fit, and we invited him to be part of those events, held in Santa Cruz in 2022 and 2023. Tenzin also attended the multimedia event he organized for his “What’s Home” project, looking at the impacts of homelessness on those who experience it, and on our community. Andrew’s use of art along with listening deeply to bridge divides is unique and inspiring, and we couldn’t think of anyone better to launch our “Voices of Love” podcast. Greg and Tenzin sat down with Andrew in his studio to paint together and have this conversation, which was recorded on September 16, 2025. Some of the events informing this conversation were the recent murder of Charlie Kirk, the conservative Evangelical Christian influencer, and an event that Andrew and Tenzin had attended the night before this conversation with a Palestinian and Israeli peace activist, Nitsan Joy Gordon and Jawdat Kasab. This event was organized by Rabbi Paula Marcus and was called Healing Across Divides, a perfect compliment to our later conversation in Andrew’s studio, and one we refer to frequently. We began our time together with a short ritual and with making art together, before shifting to a more directed conversation A fuller biography and some links to Andrew’s projects can be found in the show notes. We hope you enjoy this episode.
Nov 23, 2025
1 hr 16 min
Bridging and Belonging
We are living in a nation that is deeply fragmented along lines of political affiliation and ideology, race, class, religion, immigration status, and more. For the last few years, it seems that our government is at a standstill, with the divides so sharply defined that it is impossible to move forward. There have been very few attempts to bridge the divides; but, in our experience and in the research we have seen, a collective capacity to bridge the divides seems to be the only viable path to a sustainable future for our species. Our point of view is that recognizing, centering, investing in, and trusting in our common humanity, as the basis for community, is the essence of love. 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 others’ beliefs and opinions differ from our own, it can be challenging to listen and be curious as to why people believe what they do. Yet, when we are able to truly hear each other, we can begin to see our common humanity and shared needs. 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, even those we think of as threats or as enemies? What are the limits to bridging differences and extending compassion? Are there times that we shouldn’t try to bridge, or extend our compassion? In this episode of the Unlocking True Happiness podcast, we delve into these questions, discussing the opportunities and challenges of broadening our compassion and bridging differences.
Feb 28, 2025
1 hr 9 min
Spiritual Lessons after the Storm with Deborah Eden Tull
Deborah Eden Tull speaks to Tenzin Chogkyi is this deep and heartfelt conversation after losing her home, and almost losing her life, in Hurricane Helene. Eden speaks to her spiritual experience of the "lifequakes" that remind us of impermanence by truly shaking our sense of security.
Nov 11, 2024
1 hr 23 min
Holding Space with Eden Tull
Back by popular demand, Deborah Eden Tull joins Tenzin for a timely conversation about how to hold space and stay present in deeply challenging times. Recorded at the beginning of the renewed conflict between Israel and Hamas, this episode shares deep insight on how we can navigate polarization and difficulty with compassion and engagement with our shared humanity.
Dec 8, 2023
1 hr 3 min
Let's Play
We're often led to believe that our highly-structured, thinking-oriented sides are what make us human, that "hard work" is of value above all else, and that play is simply something that young children do. However, research shows that play has incredible power is developing social bonds, fostering creativity, sparking joy and even helping to make positive changes to our epigenetics. In this episode, Tenzin explores the many types of play, the positives benefits, and how we can bring a sense of play to our own spiritual practice to make it more joyful.
Aug 18, 2023
40 min
The Power of the Apology
No matter how mindful we are of our thoughts, speech and actions, being human means that we can sometimes act unwisely or hurt someone's feelings. Whether these mistakes are unintentional or not, they can lead to rifts in our relationships; and ultimately damage both our own contentment, as well as the cohesion of our community. In this episode, Tenzin shares the power of apologizing as a roadmap for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation; and then leads a reflection on the impact of both giving and receiving a wholehearted apology.
Jun 26, 2023
31 min
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