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Episode 1 How to Create a Happy Reality

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

Release Date: 11/02/2018

Episode 198 - The Five Gatekeepers of Speech show art Episode 198 - The Five Gatekeepers of Speech

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

The Buddha, in his gentle wisdom, offered us a path to mindful speech through what he called "The Five Gatekeepers of Speech." These gatekeepers stand like sentinels, reminding us to pause before we speak. We ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it beneficial? Is it necessary? Is it the right time? Our speech, whether it lands on another's heart or drifts unnoticed through the air, always leaves its karmic mark on us. If we are kind to others with our speech, we create causes for our own happiness. When we are unkind to others, we create suffering for ourselves. Words are the most...

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Episode 197 - Metta Practice show art Episode 197 - Metta Practice

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

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Episode 196 - Making mindful choices show art Episode 196 - Making mindful choices

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

This episode explores how to make mindful choices that lead to happiness and well-being in the future. We can learn how to distinguish between virtuous actions and nonvirtuous actions Virtuous actions are those that lead to positive outcomes, both for oneself and others. They are rooted in wholesome mental states such as generosity, compassion, and wisdom. With mindfulness, we can detect whether our mind is in a virtuous mental state. Virtuous states of mind feel, like loving-kindness, feel pleasant and peaceful.   Conversely, non-virtuous actions are those that lead to negative...

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Episode 195 - Feel before you act show art Episode 195 - Feel before you act

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

In this episode we explore one of the core teachings of the Buddha—the Five Aggregates and their connection to our problems and suffering. The Buddha taught that life is pervaded by dukkha, which means dissatisfaction or suffering. More specifically, in the First Noble Truth, Buddha taught that “The five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.” These aggregates—form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—are the parts that make our self. When our five aggregates, including our consciousness, are conditioned by ignorance, we experience an unenlightened life...

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Episode 194 - Enjoying without attachment show art Episode 194 - Enjoying without attachment

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

  Joy and pleasures are woven into the fabric of our lives. The teachings of Buddha invite us to dance with moments of delight without the chains of attachment. In this episode, we explore how to savor the pleasures of life while releasing the grip of attachment. Way to enjoy life's pleasures without the pain of attachment: Enjoy the Moment Accept what is Let go of the past and future Enjoy the moment We discover a world of joy by fully immersing ourselves in each moment. Instead of fixating on the past or yearning for the future, let's learn to be present, allowing joy to...

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Episode 193: Compassion as antidote to anger show art Episode 193: Compassion as antidote to anger

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

For the average person, Moments of anger are inevitable. They can flare up in response to various triggers, from personal frustrations to global injustices. However, according to the Buddha's teachings, there is a powerful antidote to this destructive emotion: compassion. In Buddhism, compassion is revered as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards healing and awakening.    At the heart of Buddhist philosophy lies the understanding of interconnectedness. Understanding interconnectedness leads to an awareness that everything we do as an individual affects the rest of humanity....

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Episode 192 - Solving Anger with Dharma show art Episode 192 - Solving Anger with Dharma

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

In this episode, we delve into a universal human experience: anger. But fear not! We're not just exploring the problem; we're diving into solutions. Get ready for an enlightening journey as we uncover practical strategies rooted in Buddhist wisdom to tame the flames of anger and cultivate inner peace.    We can learn how to transform the energy of anger into understanding and compassion. Through understanding and compassion we can heal ourselves and be a refuge of peace for others. In fact, in the story associated with the following verse, Buddha said: ‘Because I am patient and do...

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Important Announcement show art Important Announcement

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

  Virtual Classes with JoAnn Fox start this Saturday, March 2nd! You can enroll any time!   What: An ongoing study program to practice the entire path of Buddhism. Join us at any point!   When: Saturdays 10 am EST   Why: People often have to study Buddhism in a piecemeal fashion. JoAnn participated in a virtual teacher training program for over ten years that presented the whole path of Buddhism. This systematic approach makes the path very clear. It makes it much easier to practice and creates deeper inner change. JoAnn wants others to have the...

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Episode 191 - Got problems? Buddha has solutions. show art Episode 191 - Got problems? Buddha has solutions.

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

Renunciation is the determination to be free from our own cycle of suffering and dissatisfaction. Renunciation is a state of mind, like patience, compassion, or contentment. Much like these virtuous states of mind, developing renunciation leads us to deeper and deeper levels of inner peace. In this episode, we explore how renunciation directs our focus toward spiritual development, creates happiness, and how we can develop this state of mind.    Normally, we're always looking for something...something to ease discomfort, abate dissatisfaction or boredom, or give us pleasure. If we're...

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Episode 190 - Renunciation: This is the way show art Episode 190 - Renunciation: This is the way

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

In today's episode, we explore the profound concept of renunciation in Buddhism. True renunciation isn't about abandoning pleasure but transforming our relationship with it. Join us as we unravel the complexities of renunciation and explore a path to genuine contentment.   Renunciation is the wish to break free from the cycle of suffering (samsara) by overcoming our deeply ingrained mental habits of ignorance and attachment. We begin by realizing the futility of expecting lasting satisfaction from transient phenomena (material things, people, opinions, expectations of others, etc.) ...

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Buddha taught that our mind creates our reality. Our mind creates our life and whether we are happy or unhappy. In this episode, we delve deep into HOW our minds create our reality.

Here we begin the study of the Dhammapada, the oldest text in the Buddhist canon. It is a collection of things Buddha actually said 2600 years ago, written down by his followers.

The mechanics of the creation of every moment of your consciousness involve the five all- accompanying mental factors.

  • Contact - making contact with an object
  • Feeling - a mental factor that experiences a pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral feeling. * Feeling functions to experience OUR karma
  • Discrimination - identifies the object
  • Intention - Moves our mind to the object. Function to CREATE karma
  • Attention - Focuses on specific attributes of an object. We either focus on something with "appropriate attention" that gives rise to peace, or inappropriate attention that gives rise to suffering.

An example of the creation of a moment of suffering is this: We experience an unpleasant feeling (due to our karma), but we discriminate the person in front of us as the cause of the pain and as "bad". Then we focus on the faults of the person with inappropriate attention, which generates our anger. Anger causes us to have the intention to harm that person because we are feeling upset.  If we continue to dwell on the faults of the person (aka inappropriate attention) will continue to be angry and feel bad. No fun!

We also learned three methods to create a happier reality for ourselves, particularly in a very difficult situation or in regards to a person that cause us pain or frustration. The meditation and daily practice is as follows.

Step 1: Bring to mind a situation that regularly causes you pain. Or bring to mind a person that causes you pain, irritation, or frustration.

Step 2: Try to think about this situation or person with gratitude for a few minutes. What are you grateful for? Try to think of at least five things you are grateful for.

Step 3: Are there good qualities about this situation or person? Please contemplate at least a few good qualities you sincerely observe.

Step 4: Try to generate compassion for the person, or for yourself. Compassion is a mind that really sees the suffering that is there, and, out of love, Wishes to take that suffering away so happiness remains. Remember that happy people don't go around making other people unhappy. Unhappy people inadvertently cause other people to suffer. 

Step 5: Choose which of these three methods (gratitude, contemplating their good quailiteis, or compassion) that most moved your mind toward peace. Determine toput this method into practice in the coming week; let it be like a swaord of mindfulness, cutting through pain.

Step 6: Make a strong determination that, whenever unpleasant feelings start to arise in this partilcar situation, you will put your chosen method into practice. Generate this determination and hold it in your heart for a few moments.

Daily Mindfullnes Practice: Whenever unpleasant feelings start to arise about this partilcar situation, remember the method you chose and put it into practice. Feel compassion for the person, contemplate their good qualities, or try to feel gratitude. You can do it! Let me know how it goes...Leave a message, question, or comment and I'll try to respond via:

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In this episode we study Chapter One, Verse 1 - 2 of the Dhammapada:

“All experience is created by mind

Led by mind,

Made by mind.

Speak or act with a corrupted mind

And suffering follows,

As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of an ox.

 

All experience is created by mind

Led by mind,

Made by mind.

Speak or act with a peaceful mind,

And happiness follows

Like a never-departing shadow.”

       -Buddha, The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations, by Gil Fronsdale

 Other References: 

Abhidharmasamuccaya (The Compendium of Higher Training) by Asanga. Originally translated into French by Warhol Rahula; translated from French into English by Sara Boin-Webb