Dreaming Me is framed by a series of dreams about lionesses which occurred while she was tracing her family history. ‘The lions invaded my dreams and my pysche ...The lions are me. Perhaps they are my deepest African self. They are the “me” that I have battled with ever since venturing forth into a mostly white world. I believe it is time to let the lions come to the fore and to make peace with them. For making peace with them is making peace with myself, allowing me to be me, authentically.’
To meet Willis is to see this lioness’ quality embodied. We first met eight years ago and discovered a strong connection. I was impressed that as well as being deeply imbued in the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism, Willis also teaches black studies. She was only the second other committed Buddhist woman of African descent I had met, and we also shared a connection with the Tibetan teacher, Lama Yeshe. Recently I hosted a reading from her memoirs and I was again struck by her manner, which reflects this mix. She is very expressive, down-to-earth, but with a sense of something imaginative and mysterious, and she speaks freely of meditation, dreams and visions. I related to the way she talked about Buddhism; for her part she said she had never been among so many black Buddhists as attended her talk (who came via the London Buddhist Centre where I have taught courses aimed specifically at black people).
Dreaming Me depicts Willis’ childhood in a southern Baptist town, her active involvement with the civil rights movement, her travels to India and her relationship with Lama Yeshe. Coming to terms with her true self involved making peace with her turbulent past growing up in the South.
