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 ...
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Episode 202 - Beyond Good and Bad
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
What if you could instantly reduce stress, anxiety, and worry—not by changing your circumstances, but by changing how you see them? So much of our discomfort comes from labeling things as "good" or "bad," clinging to what we want and resisting what we don't. But what if these labels aren't inherently true? In this episode of Buddhism for Everyone, we'll explore the Buddhist teaching that nothing is truly good or bad on its own—it only appears that way based on our perspective. By understanding this, we gain the ability to meet life's challenges with wisdom, flexibility, and peace. So, if...
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Episode 201 - Welcome Everything
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
In this episode, we dive into the very heart of Buddhist wisdom: the Four Noble Truths. These foundational teachings illuminate why we experience suffering and dissatisfaction and the path to inner peace and freedom. Buddha explained that dukkha, translated as suffering or dissatisfaction, arises from craving (attachment) fueled by ignorance. To use these Truths in daily life, Buddhist Teacher JoAnn Fox suggests a powerful practice for letting go of attachment: “Welcome Everything.” Welcome Everything What does it mean to truly embrace life as it unfolds, without clinging or resistance? We...
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Episode 200 - Living Generously
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
What does it mean to live generously? In this episode of Buddhism for Everyone, we explore the subtle ways we can practice abandoning stealing—not just materially, but in the countless small ways we might take without realizing it, like stealing time, being late, or complaining. Living generously is about cultivating a mindset of abundance and integrity. In daily practice, it means transforming our actions into gifts of kindness, consideration, and fairness. Small, mindful shifts can make a big impact on the way we live and interact with the world. Through Buddha's teachings, stories, and...
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Episode 199 - A Disciplined Mind Brings Happiness
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Buddha taught that "A disciplined mind brings happiness." In this episode, we explore how shedding the habits of mind that are harmful to ourselves or others is the key to our own happiness. In the stillness of reflection, we may notice how easily the mind clings to habits that bring harm—to ourselves, to others, to the fragile beauty of our relationships. Perhaps it is anger, rising like a sudden storm, that steals our peace. Or it could be an endless loop of self-criticism that pains us. These are habits of mind that obscure our happiness. When we take up the work of letting go—of...
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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
Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox
Metta, or loving-kindness, is a beautiful practice in Buddhism that calls on the heart to soften, to expand, to reach out with the wish for others’s happiness and well-being. It’s about nurturing love, not just for those who easily come to mind, but for everyone—the stranger, the difficult ones, and even ourselves. Metta practice, at its core, is deeply intertwined with non-violence because it cultivates the kind of love that makes harm unthinkable. In a world that so often pushes us towards division, Metta reminds us to see the shared humanity in each person. When you...
info_outlineThis episode explores the question “Where does anger come from?” Buddhist teacher, JoAnn Fox, also provides several practical ways to prevent anger from arising (when it typically would)!
Anger doesn’t come from another person or a situation. Anger comes from our thoughts. Specifically, when we pay inappropriate attention to an unpleasant object and dwell on its faults, we work ourselves up until anger arises. That point at which anger is manifest is when the mind is unpeaceful and uncontrolled.
A very sad aspect of anger is that this mental state has the wish to harm. The intention to harm is the nature of anger, just as the nature of fire is to burn. We don’t want to harm those we love and cherish, but when we’re angry that mind wants to harm them. That makes Buddha’s advice to turn “ away from the intent to harm” and not “set anger loose” so important for all our relationships.
The first step in solving an anger problem is to admit we have one and decide we must do something about it. Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this advice to a person who worked as a driver for a Dharma center. The driver complained of being very angry with his family and asked Rinpoche for some mantras to help him. Lama Zopa’s response began:
“My dear one,
You have recognized that anger arising is not good and that you must do something about it. You’re responsible for stopping that problem. Even this is progression toward peace and happiness.”
How beautiful and powerful is this first discovery and the wish to change!
One should not strike a brahmin
And a brahmin should not set [anger] loose.
Shame on the one who hits a brahmin
And greater shame on the one who sets [anger] loose. (389)*
For the brahmin, nothing is better
Than restraining the mind
From what it cherishes.
Whenever one turns away from the intent to harm,
Suffering is allayed. (390)
—Buddha, The Dhammapada
Reference with Link
Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011, pp. 78 (Link)
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