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“A holistic vision breathtaking in scope.”—Frances Moore Lappé

Distilling a lifetime’s insights on the triangle of healing emotional pain, social justice work, and spiritual growth, veteran activist and educator John Bell shares personal stories and reflective practices to help us on our path of personal and collective transformation

Unbroken Wholeness brings an integrated lens of social justice, trauma healing, and spiritual practice to the work we do in the world and the pressing concerns of our times.

Collectively, these writings help us access a view of the world as unbroken, even in the face of obvious suffering and disharmony. With searching questions and easy-to-follow practices, Unbroken Wholeness offers a way for activists to apply mindfulness and insight to bring about healing for seemingly intractable social divisions. “Skillfully handling our emotional pain about the world while cultivating a joyful and kind heart helps us navigate the troubled waters of our life,” says John Bell. Continuing the peace work of his teacher, the Vietnamese social activist and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, John Bell brings forward the importance of cultivating a practical yet visionary, ennobling view of humankind when engaging in the “mud” of daily difficulties that gives rise to the lotus of an enlightened, compassionate heart.

About the Author

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John Bell, a direct student of Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh since 1982, is a teacher in the Plum Village tradition. He has served on the boards of the Earth Holders Community climate justice initiative, the racial justice initiative ARISE, and the North American Dharma Teachers Sangha.  
In his wider life, he has 40 years of experience in the youth field as an educator, counselor, community organizer, leadership trainer, and program director. He is a founding member of three youth leadership organizations: East Harlem’s Youth Action Program (in 1978); Children of War (in 1984); and YouthBuild USA (in 1988).  Until his retirement, John was the vice president for leadership development at YouthBuild USA (www.youthbuild.org), an international nonprofit with 350 programs in 15 countries providing young people with further education, vocational training, and leadership skills. A nationally recognized trainer and consultant in youth leadership development, Bell lives near Boston.

Praise For…

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“This book will change many lives. It is the result of a life deeply and courageously lived. It offers powerful stories and practices that will help readers move more and more toward healing and unlocking their inherent wholeness and power. These teachings will take us closer to realizing the Beloved Community we all yearn for.”
—Kaira Jewel Lingo, author of We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons on Moving through Change, Loss, and Disruption

“Wow. With a holistic vision breathtaking in scope, John Bell shares his own heart and path. He enables each of us to see ourselves experiencing personal power and healing, all while contributing to transformation of life on Earth. Beautiful and powerful! Soothing yet strong!”
—Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet and (coauthored with Adam Eichen) Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want

“We live in urgent times, facing multiple and overlapping crisis of climate change, racial and political polarization, economic inequities, gun violence, and much more. We can lose sight of the beauty and fragility of this human life and the world around us.  We can forget the powerful legacies and inspirational voices like Thich Nhat Hanh and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  In Unbroken Wholeness, Dharma teacher John Bell illuminates the wisdom of Nhat Hanh’s and King’s vision of Beloved Community and his own transformational life, weaving together a rich tapestry and a call to action grounded in the vulnerability of his lived experience and teachings on nonviolent social action, and more. This is a must-read for anyone seeking to do good, protect the planet, and transform racial and social injustice.”
—Valerie Brown, author of Hope Leans Forward: Braving Your Way toward Simplicity, Awakening, and Peace

“True vision is building a bridge across the abyss in order to provide a pathway for others to find safe passage. John Bell is the embodiment of a visionary and a bridge-builder, offering us the courage and the practical ways to come home to ourselves and to life. Paradoxically, by delving deep into his own pain and suffering as well as the pain and suffering of the world, John has discovered profound joy and compassion. From this place, he offers us hope that the Beloved Community has the potential to be a dream come true.”
—Jo Confino, cohost of the podcast The Way Out Is In

“How can we nurture and realize the Beloved Community that Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of?  We need good guides such as John Bell, and good guidebooks such as this one.”
—David Loy, author of Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis

“John Bell’s roadmap to the Beloved Community is articulate, eloquent, comprehensive, heartfelt, and grounded in deep experience. It’s the best invitation to the Buddhism of the future I’ve ever read, weaving together profound insight, trauma-informed practice, and social action. A well-thumbed copy should be in every dharma center library and act as the guide to many Sangha discussion groups.”
—John Negru, author of Bodhisattva 4.0: A Primer for Engaged Buddhists