Olivier Biraro: Protagonist and author
Olivier Biraro was born in Rwanda in 1981. At age 17, after surviving the Rwandan genocide and the Kibeho massacre, as well as imprisonment and torture at the hands of Rwandan state forces, he started practicing Buddhism and later became the first and the only Buddhist Monk in the Theravada Tradition from Rwanda, taking the name Venerable Sangharakkhita, “protector of the community.”
He holds black belts in Karate and Tae Kwon Do, and has attended several international competitions as a member of his country’s national teams. Today, no longer an ordained monk, he is a resident of Gifhorn, Germany and he teaches Yoga, Tai Chi and mindfulness meditation as ways to mend broken communities.
He is an inspirational speaker on subjects of inner peace, forgiveness, reconciliation and trauma healing. Aside from publishing several books of his own, he translates classic books that aim at awakening the human consciousness. He has translated “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, “The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran and “Your Word is your Wand” by Florence Scovel Shinn into his mother tongue.
Books:
Reborn from the Shambles
Drawing on profound personal experience and hard-earned wisdom, Oliver explores a universal truth: every one of us will, at some point, face challenges that fracture the life we once knew. Whether through loss, rejection, betrayal, loneliness, disappointment, or even success that proves unexpectedly hollow, we are all called to rebuild ourselves. Inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi—the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold—this book offers a powerful guide to healing, resilience, and renewal.
A Drop of Dhamma
A Drop of Dhamma is the basis for part of the story of the documentary film Minding Shadows. It was published in 2016 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This is a book about how to find inner peace through understanding the transitory nature of all things.
Minding Shadows
In his book "Minding Shadows" Olivier briefly teaches the origin of the Shadow energy, then reviews different ways people cope with it (avoidance, indulgence and projection). Then he introduces the Satipathana method of dealing with Shadow. He leads the reader through the practice and explains the discussed method to dissolve our "stuck" energies stemming from the five major emotional wounds (betrayal, injustice, humiliation, rejection and abandon). At the end he gives instructions for deep relaxation (kayagatasati) to unwind from the Shadow Work.
Candle in the Wind
Olivier’s first self-published book in English is Candle in the Wind, published in 2014 in Kigali, Rwanda. It is a narrative of a journey of forgiveness and spiritual fortitude after emerging from a tragedy.