Secular Buddhism

Why do we fear uncertainty? In this episode, I will discuss how we are hardwired to fear the unknown and how that fear affects our quality of life in the present moment. The problem isn't that there is uncertainty in life, the problem is that we're not OK with the fact that there is uncertainty in life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Society tends to want to put labels on people, are you a this or a that? Are you one of us or one of them? These labels can be useful to describe how we are but not who we are. I've felt pressure recently to define what I am or what I'm not. This has made me think about why I do what I do. Why do I practice and teach Buddhism? Ultimately, it's because I'm trying to be a better version of me. I hope you enjoy this update and explanation. I will do my best to keep up with regular podcast episodes from here on out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when we die? This is a common question I hear when I'm teaching workshops or seminars. The short answer is "change". Change is what happens when we die. In this episode, I will discuss the Buddhist perspective of death and the thoughts behind it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever felt stuck between a rock and a hard place? It's difficult to be aware while we're experiencing difficulties and yet that is the very moment that awareness can change everything for us. In this short episode, I will share the zen story of the strawberry and explain how I view this story to be a powerful lesson about awareness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to practice non-attachment? Rather than thinking of non-attachment as not attaching to things, think of it as not allowing things to own you. What things own you? Those are the things you're attached to. In this episode, I will discuss the concept of non-attachment and I will attempt to make this idea more accessible and easy to understand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gratitude is the key to happiness but gratitude requires practice. In this episode, I will discuss how we can develop a practice of gratitude. “The root of joy is gratefulness...It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” ― David Steindl-Rast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most common questions I hear when I'm teaching is "Is Buddhism a Religion?" People are typically expecting a simple "yes" or "no" but I've found that the answer is a bit more complex than that. In this episode, I will share my view of why I see Buddhism as an applied psychology or a philosophical way of life more than a religion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life is a journey and the journey is the goal. What would life be like if we did things for the sake of doing them? In this episode, I will explore the idea of learning to enjoy the journey instead of always focusing on destinations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We want to win and we don't want to lose. The problem is that there is no winning without losing. There is no good without bad, no right without wrong. This is the basic understanding of non-duality. We are free to be what we are free to be but that also means we are not free to be what we are not free to be. In this episode, I will discuss the illusion of free will and how the greatest sense of freedom you will ever discover is the freedom to become what you already are. You! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In life, difficulties arise. This is a universal aspect of the human experience. Knowing this, how do we deal with difficult emotions? We don't like feeling angry, sad, or afraid, but these are normal and natural emotions just like happiness or joy. Emotions, like everything else, are impermanent and interdependent. In this episode, I will discuss the topic of dealing with difficult emotions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are continually making comparisons, this vs that, good vs bad, here vs there, etc...In this episode, I will discuss the topic of perfection and the problems we run into when we compare things. The understanding of non-duality permeates through all Buddhist teachings. In order to properly understand perfection, we must not compare to anything else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do we make sense of the atrocities that are committed every day in the world? Is there a source of evil behind such things? In this episode, I will discuss the Buddhist understanding of non-dichotomy in relationship to good and evil. How does our understanding of interdependence influence our way of understanding the horrible things we see happening in the world? Let me know what you think in the comments below. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Modern society tends to assign a value to everything we do. If there is no utilitarian purpose to something, we think it's not valuable. Why does a painter paint? Why does a dancer dance? For the simple joy of doing it. This is what it means to live life artfully. In this episode, I will explore the concept of purposeless purpose and meaningless meaning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we chase after happiness? What if we could be free from the pursuit of happiness? In this episode, I will explore the nature of human emotions. When we understand that all emotions, including happiness, sadness, etc...are impermanent, we can learn to stop chasing after these emotions. Pursuing happiness can be a lot like pursuing our shadow. It's not something we can "catch". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who are you? Who you were yesterday, may not be who you are today. Our true nature is that we are continually changing, evolving, and growing. There is no fixed permanent you. In this episode, I will discuss the Buddhist concept of "no-self". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's true here may not be true there and what was true yesterday, may not be true today. The nature of truth, life, and reality is that they are impermanent. They are ALWAYS changing. How do we make sense of things like promises and commitments in a world that is constantly changing? In this episode, I will explore the concept of truth as being relative to both space and time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

True faith is the attitude of being open to whatever might be. When we create an image in our mind of how life is "supposed" to be, we literally blind ourselves to seeing life as it is. In this episode, I will explore the concepts of faith and doubt and discuss how doubt is the key to having true faith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm traveling for work so I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the journey of life. Every moment is a new experience we've never had. Each moment is unique and that's what makes it all so beautiful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's commonly said that Buddhism is a path of liberation...but what does that really mean? In this episode, I will discuss the concept of freedom and truth. I will also discuss how can we extend freedom to ourselves and to others. If you are interested in attending any retreats or workshops, please visit http://secularbuddhism.com/retreats/ to express your interest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I will explore the idea of learning to meditate by not meditating. I share the poem "Dust if You Must" by Rose Milligan that went viral on the Secular Buddhism. It was viewed by over 10 million people in just a matter of days. I also discuss the idea of being vs doing. I hope you enjoy this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.