April 22, 2025/ 7:00 PM

Japanese American Cultural & Community Center 244 S San Pedro St Los Angeles CA

JACCC proudly presents X-Change, an exclusive series of illuminating conversations with some of today's most profound thinkers, hosted by renowned interviewer Paul Holdengräber.

For our inaugural event, we invite you to witness a truly extraordinary encounter. At 7:00 pm sharp, following a ceremonial cleansing arrow shot by JACCC Master Artist in Residence Hirokazu Kosaka on the Garden Stage, accompanied by guest violinist Vijay Gupta, renowned interviewer Paul Holdengräber will dive into a powerful conversation with acclaimed author and global citizen Pico Iyer. Using Iyer's latest work, Aflame: Learning from Silence, as their point of departure, they will explore Iyer's profound insights gained through years of silent meditation after losing his family home in a devastating Santa Barbara wildfire over three decades ago.

In Iyer's own words:

"In Buddhist Japan, life is sometimes said to involve 'joyful participation in a world of sorrows.' Life will always be difficult, in other words, but that need never be incompatible with wonder and beauty and even joy.

We've all been thinking about how to remain confident and strong in Southern California as so many lives have been tragically upended and even destroyed by fire. I flew back into the area to talk about my new book, Aflame--addressing climate change and monasticism and silence and my own loss of everything in the world in a wildfire—the very day flames were roaring around Los Angeles. Driving back to the house we'd rebuilt after the fire, I found it pitch-black, with no phone service, because high winds threatened another fire around our house.

How can we stay calm in the face of mounting uncertainty? And how can we remain hopeful in the midst of impermanence?

I'd love to talk about these urgent questions, and what wise and seasoned Japan may have to bring to them."

Join us for this transformative dialogue where ancient wisdom meets contemporary challenges, and discover how mindfulness can help us navigate life's inevitable upheavals with grace and resilience.

Reception and book signing to follow.

Sponsor(s): Japanese American Cultural & Community Center