She fled the turbulence of the late '60s in search of inner and outer peace. The only woman among 60 monks, she learned the chants, devotional rituals and what she considers to be the essence of Tibetan Buddhism: the practice of visualization, or imagining yourself a Buddha to become one. "Buddhism is a come-and-see model," she says. "Meditation is the path. You don't have to accept dogma. You have to spend time on the cushion." Her time on the cushion has yielded the upcoming memoir Dreaming Me: An African American Woman's Spiritual Journey.

Willis hopes to popularize the personal. In the U.S., she contends, Buddhism remains a religion of white élites. The few practicing African Americans tend to belong to Soka Gakkai International, a school of the religion that emphasizes simple chanting, usually for prosperity. Willis prefers a more rigorous dharma and is developing meditations for Buddhist centers that focus on race. Her teachings have not yet reached the masses, but, as she is quick to point out, "I'm not a proselytizer." She is, however, a philosopher with a bold agenda. "People tell you for centuries that you're just a cattle, just a beast of burden," she says of slavery's legacy. "The consequences of that remain with us and need potent, powerful medicine." Her prescription: kneel on the cushion and envision your self transformed.