Episode 212 - How To Be Calm Amidst Chaos
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
“Praise and blame, fame and shame, gain and loss, pleasure and pain come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all.” ― Buddha We're exploring a truth so simple yet profound it almost feels like a secret; every problem we have comes from just one thing, our own mind. Specifically, our problems come from misperceiving reality: we see our worries, fears, and stresses as big, immovable mountains. In reality, they're more like clouds, shifting and changing with the winds of the mind. Nothing is as fixed as it seems. Everything depends on perception...
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Episode 211 - Let Love and Hope Rewrite the Story
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
We're exploring a truth so simple yet profound it almost feels like a secret; every problem we have comes from just one thing--our own mind. Specifically, our problems come from misperceiving reality: we see our worries, fears, and stresses as big, immovable mountains. In reality, they're more like clouds, shifting and changing with the winds of the mind. Nothing is as fixed as it seems. Everything depends on perception (even that thing you're stressing about right now). Could we change our perception and enjoy whatever arises? Buddhist Teacher, JoAnn Fox, offers two ways to practice...
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Episode 210 - Aṅgulimāla: Practicing Non-violence
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
In this episode, we practice one of the most powerful antidotes to anger and aversion: compassion. I know—when we’re irritated, hurt, or downright fuming, compassion is usually the last thing on our minds. But in Buddhism, compassion isn't weakness—it’s strength. It’s the most powerful way to interrupt the cycle of harm and start creating peace, inside and out. The Story of Aṅgulimāla The Buddha’s radical teachings on non-violence reveal how to respond rather than react when things get heated. I also share the story of Angulimala—yes, the guy who was literally collecting...
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Episode 209 - No Self: Discovering Limitless Potential
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Who—or what—are you, really? If you start peeling back the layers, things get interesting fast. You have a body, but you’re not just your body. You have thoughts, but if you were your thoughts, wouldn’t you have disappeared the last time your mind went blank? And if you were your emotions, who were you before that bad mood showed up? Buddhism teaches that the self we cling to so tightly—this solid, unchanging “me”—is actually empty of independent existence. That doesn’t mean you don’t exist; it means you exist in a far more fluid, interconnected, and expansive way than you...
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Episode 208 - Smells like dukkha
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
The Buddha taught that dukkha—suffering and dissatisfaction—doesn't come from the outside world. Our problems don't arise from difficult people or hardships. Our problems come from within our own mind, from the way we react to life. The same is true for happiness. We spend so much of our lives trying to control the world around us—fixing this, avoiding that, chasing after happiness like it's some rare butterfly. But what if we've been looking in the wrong place? What if the source of both our problems and our joy has been inside us all along? in this episode, we explore how...
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Episode 207 - Giving as an Antidote to Attachment
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Attachment has a sneaky way of making us hold on too tightly—to things, to people, to our own comfort zones. We cling, we grasp, we hesitate to let go, fearing we might lose something essential. But what if the very act of giving could set us free? In this episode, we explore the transformative practice of giving as an antidote to attachment. Discover how generosity can help you break free from the things that hold you back. Buddhism teaches that generosity is not just a nice thing to do; it is a powerful practice of liberation. From the bodhisattva’s perfection of giving to the four...
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Episode 206 - The Buddhist Practice of Giving
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Giving, or dāna, is one of the most fundamental and beautiful practices in Buddhism. In this episode, we explore how giving is not just an act of generosity—it is a path to freedom, a way to dissolve the tight grip of self-centeredness and open our hearts to others. The Buddha taught that giving benefits both the giver and the receiver, creating the karmic cause for an abundance of whatever we give, be it materially, love, Dharma, or fearlessness. Giving also reduces attachment, and deepens our sense of interconnectedness. Four Ways to Practice Giving: - Materially - Dharma - Fearlessness -...
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Episode 205 - Antidotes to Attachment
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Attachment is like a rope that binds us—tying our happiness to people, possessions, and circumstances. In Buddhism, attachment isn’t just about clinging to things we love; it’s the grasping, craving, and fear of loss that keep us trapped in cycles of dissatisfaction. The tighter we hold on, the more suffering we create. But don’t worry—there are antidotes to this challenging habit of attachment! In this episode, we’ll uncover practical tools from the Buddhist path to help us shift from attachment to true freedom. How can we love without clinging? Enjoy without suffering?...
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Episode 204 - Tranquility Meditation
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
In the rush of daily life, our minds often feel like restless seas—waves of thoughts crashing, emotions rising and falling. But beneath the surface, there is a deep, still place. Tranquility meditation, or shamatha, is the practice of sinking into that stillness, calming the waters of the mind so that clarity and peace can naturally arise. In this episode, JoAnn Fox guides a tranquility meditation and explores the power of this practice. At its heart, tranquility meditation is about resting in focused awareness. We choose an object like the breath—and gently anchor our attention...
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Episode 203 - Breaking the Barriers to Spiritual Growth
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
The spiritual path begins with a mind conditioned by anger, attachment, and ignorance—and a stirring wish for change. The culmination of the path is a mind liberated—compassionate, boundless, and freed by wisdom. What comes between is unyielding, joyful effort. Buddha himself and his disciples are the living proof that the task is not beyond our reach. They show us that anyone who follows the path can accomplish the same goals. But what is needed is effort. The three obstacles to spiritual effort Procrastination Attachment to what is meaningless or non-virtuous ...
info_outlineOne of the principle tenets of Buddhism is to try to avoid harming living beings. To avoid harming others we generally need to practice restraint out of lovingkindness. It’s just too easy to inadvertently hurt others, or not foresee the consequences of our actions. Even spiritual practitioners, wishing not to cause harm, have to mindfully practice restraint motivated by kindness.
The story of the monk who killed a swan
“Once there was a bhikkhu [monk] who was very skilful in throwing stones; he could even hit fast-moving objects without fail. One day, while sitting with another bhikkhu after having their bath in the Aciravati River, he saw two swans flying at some distance. He told his friend that he would get one of the swans by throwing a stone at it. At that instant, the swan, hearing voices, turned its neck and the bhikkhu threw a pebble at the bird…The bird cried out in pain and agony and dropped dead at the feet of the young bhikkhu.
Other bhikkhus seeing the incident took the young bhikkhu to the Buddha. The Buddha reprimanded him and said, "My son, why have you killed this bird? Why especially you, a member of my Order, who should be practising loving-kindness to all beings and who should be striving ardently for liberation from the round of rebirths? Even during the period outside the Teaching, the wise practised morality and observed the precepts. A bhikkhu must have control over his hands, his feet and his tongue."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
The one with Hands restrained,
Feet restrained,
Speech restrained,
Who is foremost among the restrained,
Inwardly delighted,
Composed,
Solitary,
And contented,
Is called a bhikkhu. (Verse 362)
—Buddha, The Dhammapada
The Buddha gave a talk on the 11 benefits of loving-kindness meditation, and according to this article, some of which are now supported by science (Nash, 2019).
11 Benefits of Practicing Lovingkindness
You sleep well.
You awaken refreshed.
You don’t have bad dreams.
Other people regard you with affection.
Animals and pets regard you with affection.
Celestial beings protect you.
You will be free from injury from fire, weapons, and poison.
You can concentrate quickly.
You have a bright complexion.
You will die peacefully, free of fear and agitation.
If you fail to attain enlightenment, you will have a pleasant rebirth (Nash, 2019).
References and Links
Buddha (1986).The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories. Translated by Daw Mya Tin, M.A. (Website). Edited by Editorial Committee, Burma Tipitaka Association Rangoon. Courtesy of Nibbana.com. For free distribution only, as a gift of dhamma.
https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=362
Nash, J, Ph.D. (2019). What is Loving-kindness Meditation. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/loving-kindness-meditation/
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