Secular Buddhism

Life has a funny way of teaching us lessons even amidst circumstances or events that we don't particularly find to be pleasant. In this episode, I will share the story of how we ended up with a 3-legged cat as a pet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I will talk about the idea of "branding". The story we have about ourselves is our personal brand and we do a lot to influence the way others perceive us. Practicing non-attachment to our brand may allow us to experience greater freedom to be ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our search for answers to life's big questions, what if the question is actually more important than the answer? In this episode, I will talk about the quest for answers and how it may be more beneficial to focus on the quest for understanding the question. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, I will share some thoughts around the idea that we can change our relationship to our emotions by pretending that we're playing a game where the goal is to experience the full range of possible emotions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I will talk about perception and the role it plays in how we experience our reality. Reality is in the eye of the beholder. “Dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises...The meeting of the three is contact.”With contact as a requisite condition, there is feeling. What one feels, one perceives. What one perceives, one thinks about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Some see something to fear where there is nothing to fear, and some see nothing to fear where there is something to fear." In this episode, I will talk about fear from a Buddhist perspective. Fear is universal but there are perhaps some fears that are skillful and others that are unskilful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm sure you've heard the expression "work smarter, not harder". In this episode, I will share my throughs regarding Skillful Effort of the Eightfold Path and how it pertains to not only mindfulness practice but to everything we do in life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ANNOUNCEMENT...I’m excited to present a new online workshop called "Mindfulness for Everyday Life" available exclusively through Himalaya Learning.Himalaya Learning is a new educational audio platform specializing in audio courses that focus on lifelong learning, business, personal development, and more, featuring courses from some of the world’s greatest minds like Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, Elon Musk. You can listen to my full workshop series by visiting www.himalaya.com/mindfulness and entering the code MINDFULNESS for a free 14-day trial.Whether you’re looking for more peace in the workplace or at home, or even just greater peace within the confines of your own mind, mindfulness practice is where it all starts. In this 20-part series, I will present several key concepts, ideas, guided meditations, and exercises centered around mindfulness that will help you to understand how and why this ancient practice can be so useful in our day to day lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat

I recently had the opportunity of interviewing Dr Sarah Shaw about her new book "Mindfulness: Where it comes from and what it means". I hope you enjoy the conversation. To learn more about her book, visit: https://www.shambhala.com/buddhist-mindfulness.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, I will talk about the Buddhist story of Sticky Hair Monster and the prince who tried to battle him. This story points to the battle that often takes place in our minds against our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is nothing something? What happens when we do nothing? In this podcast episode, I will share my thoughts on the concept of nothingness and the beauty of nothing. I will also discuss the koan "every day is a good day". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, I will share some of my thoughts regarding the Mountains and Rivers Sutra by Zen master Dogen. This teaching reminds me of the simple yet complex nature of reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of my favorite Pema quotes is the one where she says, "You are the sky, everything else is the weather". In this podcast episode, I will discuss the concept of mental weather patterns and the way I correlate weather forecasting with understanding my own mental patterns and tendencies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, I will discuss the idea of Emotional Enlightenment and what that means for me. We often find ourselves seeking certain emotions and avoiding other emotions. I've found that by giving all my emotions a sense of equanimity, I've found a tremendous sense of peace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, I will share five daily life guidelines that have been beneficial for me in my personal practice. They are: consume mindfully, practice loving kindness, practice gratitude, discover wisdom, and accept constant change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, I will discuss the koan about the great meaning of the Buddha's teaching. I will also discuss some thoughts about the Buddhist approach of theism vs non-theism and how leaves us with nowhere to hide and nothing to hold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The nature of reality is that difficulties will arise, and we’ll experience suffering. We can begin to embrace that fact by recognizing that suffering, in general, is not personal. It’s simply part of the experience of existence. And we will experience suffering, no matter how hard we try to avoid it. In this episode, I will discuss the pervasive suffering that sometimes affects how we see our relationships, jobs, and parenting.Koan Discussed: What is the Sound of One Hand Clapping? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Buddhism, doubt is beneficial because it is the first step in weakening our wrong views. The wonderful thing about doubt is that it can propel us in the direction of more skillful views. There is a strong emphasis in Buddhism to avoid “believing in” Buddhist teachings, instead, we are encouraged to evaluate them and to understand them and ultimately, to test them against our own experience.Koan Discussed: One day Chao-chou fell down in the snow, and called out, “Help me up! Help me up!” A monk came and lay down beside him. Chao-chou got up and went away.Koan Shared: What is the sound of one hand clapping?Book Mentioned: “Mind in Tibetan Buddhism” by Lati Rinbochay. Available at: https://amzn.to/3ezRfZa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, I will discuss the HALT Method and share my thoughts on the koan shared in the last episode: "What is your original face before you were born?". I will also leave you with this new koan to explore: "One day Chao-chou fell down in the snow, and called out, “Help me up! Help me up!” A monk came and lay down beside him. Chao-chou got up and went away." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A key Buddhist principle is a recognition that things are always changing. Life is transient. When we have the feeling of wanting things to return back to normal, we need to remember that normal was always relative, there is no going back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.