Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better
Wendy Shinyo Haylett, an author, Buddhist teacher, lay minister, behavioral and spiritual coach shares the "tips and tricks" found in Buddhist teachings to make your professional and personal life better ... everyday!
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Everyday Buddhism 120 - I Lost My Why: A Podcast Journey
11/07/2025
Everyday Buddhism 120 - I Lost My Why: A Podcast Journey
Another solo podcast! This time it's about my Everyday Buddhism podcast journey and how I lost my "why." If you want to hear more about how important understanding what your why is, I talked about that in my second podcast episode, “Everyday Buddhism 2 - What is Your WHY?” The podcast has been such a meaningful space for me: A way to explore, connect, and grow with all my listeners. But more recently, I’ve noticed that the creative spark that once fueled these episodes has started to dim. I feel myself evolving and being drawn toward a wider, more spacious range of ideas and conversations than the current podcast focus or title really allows. Listen to hear more about my next steps in how I will explore ideas that expand my philosophical range. I plan to explore perennial philosophy, consciousness studies, mysticism, and contemplative traditions more broadly, Buddhism will still be part of the conversation, but not the only lens. Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack for ongoing chapter releases of my new serial book, Living Life As It Is and the podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 119 - Spreading Joy
10/11/2025
Everyday Buddhism 119 - Spreading Joy
It's been a long time since I've done a solo episode of this podcast and I've been getting requests for a bit more of those to include along with the guest episodes. And this episode is one of those. In this episode I reflect on the Fifth Realization from the sutra, The Eight Realizations of Great Beings. The Fifth Realization, as translated by Thich Nhat Hanh says: Ignorance is the cause of the endless rounds of birth and death. Bodhisattvas always listen to and learn from others so their understanding and skillful means can develop and so they can teach living beings and bring them great joy. My reflection includes a call for us not to try to "know" things but to listen. Plus, to try to help and serve others—and, ultimately, bring joy—by listening. If we don't feel or witness a lot of joy under the weight of the times, it's because there are so many of us talking and "knowing" what's right ... and not many of us listening. I end with a call to for us to help or offer positivity to at least one person every day ... to bring joy! Link (Amazon affiliate) to the book, The Eight Realizations of Great Beings by Brother Phap Hai: Links to the two-part episode about the Sutra on the Plum Village podcast, The Way Out is In: Part 1: Part 2: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack for ongoing chapter releases of my new serial book, Living Life As It Is and the podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 118 - The End of Suffering with Ani Lodro Palmo
08/25/2025
Everyday Buddhism 118 - The End of Suffering with Ani Lodro Palmo
It's a pleasure to share a conversation with Ani Lodro Palmo, an ordained Tibetan Buddhist nun and Director of the Vajra Vidya Monastery in Crestone, Colorado; and a spiritual teacher and author with more than three decades of monastic experience. Ani has devoted her life to spiritual practice and shares her understanding of the Dharma as an author of the books, All That Appears & Exists: The Buddha's Teachings to Awaken the Heart and Turn Suffering Into Joy and her most recent, The End of Suffering: Finding Love, Self-Compassion, and Awakening in a Chaotic World. As a recognized teacher of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and meditation, Ani Lodro’s insights are deeply rooted in the unbroken lineage of Buddhist wisdom, through the Karma Kagyu lineage of The Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. Although Ani has decades of monastic experience within Tibetan Buddhism, she teaches how the frustrations and dissatisfaction of our everyday lives can be understood and transcended through wisdom and compassion. She writes and speaks in an accessible way, with the gentle encouragement of a friend that is helpful to both new seekers and seasoned practitioners alike. Her teachings are available through retreats, online sessions, and publications. In the conversation we talked about a wide range things, including: How we tend to misunderstanding what suffering is. Gurus and reincarnation as a part of Tibetan Buddhism, but not a necessary part. The Four Noble Truths as a path to awakening. Taking the mystique from karma, as Ani writes: "transforming [it] from an enigmatic doctrine into a practical guide for conscious existence…. rooted in intention and behavior." Her teaching of the "7 Simple Truths to End Suffering": (1) Thoughts are nothing, they are no things; (2) Labels and thoughts create our reality; (3) When we look for our thoughts, they aren't there; (4) Your beliefs are not truth; (5) Dropping attachments is the fastest way to end suffering; (6)You can't focus on helping others and be miserable at the same time; (7) You don't need your mind (as much as you think). ... And much more. I know you will enjoy Ani Lodro's easy and relatable style of teaching and be inspired by what she has to say. Learn more about Ani Lodro Palmo: Vajra Vidya Monsastery: Buy her books The End of Suffering: All That Appears & Exists: Journey Into Peace: Timeless Tales of Zen Buddhism: YouTube: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack for ongoing chapter releases of my new serial book, Living Life As It Is and the podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 117 - The Way with Henry Shukman
07/22/2025
Everyday Buddhism 117 - The Way with Henry Shukman
I am excited to share this conversation with Henry Shukman, a Zen master in the Sanbo Zen lineage and spiritual director emeritus at Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Henry is the co-founder of The Way meditation app and founder of the Original Love meditation program. He is the author of the books, Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening and One Blade of Grass: A Zen Memoir, among other award-winning and bestselling books of poetry and fiction. He has taught meditation at Google and Harvard Business School and taught poetry at the Institute of American Indian Arts. His poetry has appeared in the New Yorker and the Guardian and his essays in the New York Times, Outside, and Tricycle. Henry has a master's degree from Cambridge and a master of letters degree from St. Andrews. As this biographical summary makes obvious, it's not like Henry hasn't been quite "discoverable", as a writer and meditation teacher but I only recently "discovered" him. And once I did, he has had a profound influence on me, as both a teacher and writer. In my conversation with him, I'll talk more about how I discovered him on Sam Harris' Waking Up app and how he became a primary teacher to me—even though we've never met—so stay tuned. In the conversation we talked about a wide range things, including: The "Four Inns on the Path of Awakening", the subtitle of his book Original Love (that is "Inns", as in lodging, or in this case, a refuge or shelter on the path of meditation): Mindfulness, support, absorption, and awakening. Meditation as a journey, or path, rather than an intervention—as Henry said, "a journey of a lifetime." Kensho or seeing the timeless, primordial or non-dual awareness that is the core of our very being. The importance of support in your practice, whether it is a teacher, community, or friend. Absorption or flow states in meditation. And the "love" Henry refers to as something "endemic to our existence" … A great sense of belonging or union with everything. … And much more I know you will enjoy this conversation and Henry's clear, authentic, and gentle teaching style that I suspect will influence you, too, to bring more of Henry's guidance into your Dharma and meditation practice. Learn more about Henry: The Way Meditation app (12 free guided meditation sessions): Buy his books, including books mentioned on podcast: Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening and One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir All books: Original Love: One Blade of Grass: Instagram: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack for ongoing chapter releases of my new serial book, Living Life As It Is and the podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 116 - Revisiting Koans: Releasing the Grip on "Reality"
06/12/2025
Everyday Buddhism 116 - Revisiting Koans: Releasing the Grip on "Reality"
As some of you have noticed and commented on, I haven't been as active in releasing podcast episodes. A few listeners were worried about me and, for your concern, I am grateful. I plan to get back to more timely podcast releases, with quite a few on my schedule, but in the meantime, I will re-run some podcast episodes so my podcast listeners will know I haven’t disappeared … and to that end I will be releasing 2 early episodes: Episode 11 and Episode 12 on koans. I decided to re-release these two episodes on koans as a double episode for Episode 116, because I've been practicing with koans for a few weeks now, through the guidance of Henry Shukman and his meditation app, "The Way." As an additional note, Henry will be joining me on the podcast in July. I am quite excited to have him as a guest. Something I wanted to share with you about my recent practice with koans. To frame it, it's as if my life after falling on the ice in December and spending a couple of days in the hospital, shook the puzzle pieces I frame my reality in and left all the pieces in a heap at the bottom of the puzzle box. I started my second book, Living Life As It Is, and it seemed as if a frame on life was coming into view. But then, other odd health challenges appeared and altered my ability to do some things and caused enforced rest. The last of those was the flu/virus thing that was like a whack on the back of my head, saying, "Slow down. Stop. Rest." This time corresponded with my koan practice and the latest fascist escapades of our new "regime." The more I sunk into koan practice, the more all of life seemed a bit hazy—without definition and without anything to grasp on to as something I didn't or did like. Things just were. Everything without definition. Some of the koans I've been working with are "Not knowing is most intimate", "A bowl of rice, a bucket of water", "How do you go straight on a road with 99 turns?" Sitting with those helped create a sense of security and OK-ness in my new hazy world. A not knowing that feels like knowing everything in a non-conceptual way. A bowl of rice. What else? That's enough. And 99 turns … like my teacher, Rev. Gyomay Kubose taught, "Every day, one thing after another." So enjoy the re-release of the two koan episodes and in the meantime, I encourage you all to see how you can not grasp and unhook from things you think you need to hold tightly to. Think about the ways you can care for yourselves. It can be easy to get lost in the demands of daily life and the overwhelming noise of the dysfunctional and crazy-scary reality we are now living in. Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack for ongoing chapter releases of my new serial book, Living Life As It Is and the weekly podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 115 - Unlocking the Heart with James Crews
04/27/2025
Everyday Buddhism 115 - Unlocking the Heart with James Crews
I am delighted to have another conversation with James Crews, a return guest who is joining me for a conversation about his book, Unlocking the Heart: Writing for Mindfulness, Courage, and Self-Compassion. James is the author of the essay collection, Kindness Will Save the World, and editor of several bestselling poetry anthologies, including The Wonder of Small Things (winner of the New England Book Award), Healing the Divide, The Path to Kindness (winner of the Nautilus Books for a Better Life Award), and How to Love the World, which has over 140,000 copies in print. He has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, and in People Magazine, The Boston Globe, The New York Times Magazine, The Sun Magazine, and The Washington Post. He is the author of five prize-winning books of poetry, including Unlocking the Heart, and his poems have appeared in Ploughshares, The New Republic, and other journals. James lives with his husband in the woods of Southern Vermont. At the end of September, James surprised me with the gift of his book, Unlocking the Heart and what a gift it was! I'll talk more about it in our conversation, but the book really did help unlock my heart. During February and a time of reflection on my transformative experience after falling and time in the hospital in December, I worked with the book, reflecting on the poems and James' thoughts about them, and using the writing prompts to journal. Being opened to vulnerability and held by the poems in the book was a special gift. As you will no doubt hear, James is a gentle soul whose conversation about poetry, spirituality, and life is healing. Both the words he uses and the tender way he speaks them is a balm for our painful and anxious times. Among other things, we talked about: How we are all poets … And, as James said, "We are all going around having moments and those moments are asking for expression. Our materially focused culture has caused us to be separated from spiritual practice and poetry can help us build a practice if we keep showing up. Writing poetry is about noticing and giving space to what you're noticing. Reading poetry trains you in the practice of noticing. Take some time to ease into this episode. I promise you will be soothed and come away craving more poetry in your life…. Learn more about James & to sign up for free weekly poems & writing prompts, visit: . Buy his books, including, Unlocking the Heart: Writing for Mindfulness, Courage, and Self-Compassion.All books: Unlocking the Heart: Substack / Podcast: Instagram: Facebook: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack for ongoing chapter releases of my new serial book, Living Life As It Is and the weekly podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 114 - Release of My 2nd Book - Living Life As It Is
02/13/2025
Everyday Buddhism 114 - Release of My 2nd Book - Living Life As It Is
This is a special episode announcing the release of my new book, as a Substack serial book: Living Life As It Is: An Honest Narrative of My Challenges Practicing Right View I started writing my second book in 2020. But along came the Covid-19 pandemic and so much after that. So here I am still writing what was to be my second book, focused on Right View. The stumbling block in getting it done was things in life kept changing faster and faster, and I had no idea whether I had any sense of Right View anymore or if I was helplessly lost in delusion. But I recently had an idea that would help me focus and share my writing in the midst of life and all its confusion and delusion—in the middle of life as it is. The idea is this: Why not write this long-hoped-for second book in real time? Why not write for my Substack audience, releasing essays/chapters as I go so that you, kind subscribers, can read as I write—and comment too. And that is what I've done. I published the first chapter on February 7, 2025 and plan to release a new essay/chapter every Friday. I thought I'd share that first chapter as a podcast episode and here it is ... Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack and subscribe to receive a weekly release of a new chapter of my second book, Living Life As It Is, and the weekly podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 113 - "Open" with Nate Klemp
01/15/2025
Everyday Buddhism 113 - "Open" with Nate Klemp
In this episode I talk with Nate Klemp, PhD. Nate is a bestselling author and formally trained philosopher. He is the author of the new book OPEN: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World. Nate is also the coauthor of the New York Times Editors’ Choice, The 80/80 Marriage: A New Model for a Happier, Stronger Marriage, and the New York Times Bestseller, Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing. He has been featured in The LA Times, The New York Times, The Times London, and has appeared on Good Morning America and "Talks" at Google. Nate co-founded the mindfulness training company Life Cross Training and holds a B.A. and M.A. in philosophy from Stanford University and a PhD from Princeton University. I cannot think of a better guest to have on the podcast during these uncertain, catastrophic times. His new book, OPEN: Living With an Expansive Mind in a Distracted World is an important antidote to the ongoing trauma and division of the times. He offers the remedy of opening our minds and hearts despite our instinct to close them. Stay tuned as we talk about: How we're living in a time of closure: closing in through our screens and closing to each other. "Annihilating the power of the smart phone." The practice of skillful closing when things get too intense. How our mindset is contagious and how it reinforces our environment of closure. How we talk to each other about politics in either "strategic mode" where we're trying to 'win' or "communication" mode where we're trying to understand. Non-drug psychedelic experience and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Mindfulness, meditation, and the practice of open-awareness (like Dzogchen) meditation. And more! I'm sure you'll enjoy the conversation with Nate as much as I did. He is wise, funny, and a delightful conversation partner! Learn more about Nate: Buy the book, Open: Instagram: YouTube: Nate Klemp, Ph.D. LinkedIn: x/Twitter: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack: Check out my Substack and weekly podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 112 - Buddhist Response to Election Angst with Scott Snibbe
11/26/2024
Everyday Buddhism 112 - Buddhist Response to Election Angst with Scott Snibbe
In this episode I invited Scott Snibbe to join me for a conversation about Buddhist responses to the anxiety, apprehension, insecurity, fear, dread, anger … and on and on … that some people are feeling now. Scott Snibbe is a twenty-five-year student of Tibetan Buddhism whose teachers include Lama Zopa Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the author and host of the How to Train a Happy Mind book and podcast. Scott leads meditation classes and retreats worldwide in a style that will become evident in our upcoming conversation. His light-hearted approach is infused with humor, science, and the realities of the modern world. Scott is a new media artist whose installations have been incorporated into museums, public spaces, and performances. He has collaborated with musicians and filmmakers including Björk, Philip Glass, Beck, and James Cameron, and his work can be found in the collections of New York MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and other institutions. Listen in as we talk about how the Dharma can help us see things as clear and non-reactive as possible. In this conversation, we talk about: The key to non-violent communications is listening. You don't have to agree with someone to understand them. The antidote to anger is curiosity. No matter what other people believe, each is driven by a desire for happiness. Radical acceptance and how acceptance IS transcendence. And so much more… Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Learn more about Scott: How to Train A Happy Mind YouTube: Scott Snibbe Instagram: Scott Snibbe Facebook: Scott Snibbe Twitter: Scott Snibbe LinkedIn: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 111 - Buddhist Psychology with Natalie Baker
09/24/2024
Everyday Buddhism 111 - Buddhist Psychology with Natalie Baker
In this episode I talk with Natalie Baker. Natalie is a psychotherapist and Buddhist teacher, with more than 30 years of personal practice and 2+ decades of teaching experience. She is the founder of Neurofeedback Training Co. and a practicing psychotherapist in New York City, Natalie blends the wisdom of Buddhist psychology with modern therapeutic techniques, empowering individuals to navigate life's challenges with mindfulness, compassion, and resilience. Natalie teaches from the strength of her own Buddhist practice, sharing the transformative power of mindfulness and meditation with others. In addition to her psychotherapy practice, Natalie has been instrumental in bringing neurofeedback—a cutting-edge brain training technology—into the mainstream. Neurofeedback is often described as "meditation for the limbic brain", helping individuals achieve greater mental clarity and emotional stability by training the brain to self-regulate. Stay tuned as we talk about some of my favorite subjects, including: Mindfulness and meditation Buddha Nature as basic goodness or fundamental sanity Finding the brilliance in the energy of fear Fearlessness and gentleness as key tools for self-healing and self-discovery Connecting with our warm heart And more! Learn more about Natalie: Instagram: YouTube: Natalie Baker LinkedIn: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: Check out my Substack and podcast, Words From My Teachers: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 110 - Poetry and Writing as Spiritual Practice with Nadia Colburn
08/20/2024
Everyday Buddhism 110 - Poetry and Writing as Spiritual Practice with Nadia Colburn
In this episode I talk with Nadia Colburn. Nadia is the author of the poetry books, I Say the Sky and The High Shelf, and her poetry and prose have appeared in more than eighty publications, including The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, Spirituality & Health, Lion's Roar, and The Yale Review. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University, is a yoga teacher and serious student of Thich Nhat Hanh, and is the founder of Align Your Story Writing School, which brings traditional literary and creative writing studies together with mindfulness, embodied practices, and social and environmental engagement. The school has a community of over 30,000 mindful writers. Nadia lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband and two children. Stay tuned as we listen to Nadia read some poems from her book and talk about, among many other things: The relationship between Buddhist / meditation practice and writing. Poetry and literature as a companion or an offering as a mirror to yourself. Literature as a place where people can speak truths that are sometimes uncomfortable but not talked about all the time. Writing as therapy and healing. And much more! Sit back and enjoy the flow of conversation and poetry with the delightful Nadia Colburn. Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Learn more about Nadia: Free writing and meditation resources: Free 5-day meditation and writing challenge: Nadia Colburn Instagram: Nadia Colburn Facebook: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: Register for the next Introduction to Buddhism course (virtual-Zoom), beginning Thursday, August 29, 2024! Register NOW to get the first readings and reflections in your email, before the class! If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 109 - How to Train a Happy Mind with Scott Snibbe
07/10/2024
Everyday Buddhism 109 - How to Train a Happy Mind with Scott Snibbe
In this episode I talk with Scott Snibbe, the creator and host of the popular podcast, A Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment and the author of the new book, How To Train a Happy Mind, with foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Scott is a twenty-five-year student of Tibetan Buddhism whose teachers include Lama Zopa Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He leads meditation classes and retreats worldwide in a style that will become evident in our upcoming conversation. His light-hearted approach is infused with humor, science, and the realities of the modern world. Scott is a new media artist whose installations have been incorporated into museums, public spaces, and performances. He has collaborated with musicians and filmmakers including Björk, Philip Glass, Beck, and James Cameron, and his work can be found in the collections of New York MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and other institutions. Listen as we talk about Scott's new book and how you really can build positive habits founded on ancient Buddhist practices, leading to a happy mind. And if you're a skeptic, no problem, Scott has you covered. Check out our conversation and I'm convinced you'll want more! In this conversation, we talk about: The Lam-Rim, a 1000-year old Tibetan teaching tradition that is as effective today in training a happy mind. Analytical meditation—a practice both Scott and I credit for significant transformation in our lives … A practice of pointing the mind at the mind, training our thinking to be a friend and not a distraction. Buddha Nature—What is it? And so much more… Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Learn more about Scott: A Skeptics Path to Enlightenment YouTube: Scott Snibbe Instagram: Scott Snibbe Facebook: Scott Snibbe Twitter: Scott Snibbe LinkedIn: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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Everyday Buddhism 108 - Heart Teachings from Bhikkhuni Dhammananda with Cindy Rasicot
06/18/2024
Everyday Buddhism 108 - Heart Teachings from Bhikkhuni Dhammananda with Cindy Rasicot
In this episode I talk with Cindy Rasicot, about her new book, This Fresh Existence: Heart Teachings from Bhikkuni Dhammananda. Cindy is an award-winning author of the memoir Finding Venerable Mother: A Daughter's Spiritual Quest to Thailand. Cindy also hosted a weekly YouTube series that welcomed people from all walks of life to explore their spiritual practice in conversation with Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammananda. Guests have included Jack Kornfield, Sylvia Boorstein, Joan Halifax, and many others. The conversations showcase Venerable Dhammananda's wise and warm teaching style. In this conversation we talk about Venerable Dhammananda and her amazing and inspirational life journey from academic to activist to spiritual leader. She is an advocate of serious reform for monastic and lay Buddhists, including—of course—the reestablishment of the Bhikkhuni order. She also speaks out, urging all genders and classes to be advocates of equality for women. We also talk about some of the direct teachings found in 10 chapters of Cindy's book, This Fresh Existence: Heart Teachings from Bhikkuni Dhammananda. Teachings that include meditation, forgiveness, loneliness, grasping, uncertainty, and ageing—among others. Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Learn more about Cindy Rasicot: Learn more about Venerable Dhammananada and her monastery, Sondhammakalayni Temple: Casual Buddhism YouTube: Cindy Rasicot Instagram: Cindy Rasicot Facebook: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year:
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BONUS Episode - Re-Release of Why Sangha - Bringing Buddhism to Life
05/31/2024
BONUS Episode - Re-Release of Why Sangha - Bringing Buddhism to Life
Celebrate the Everyday Sangha by listening to this special bonus re-release of episode 26, Why Sangha? Bringing Buddhism to Life. This re-released episode is the first episode I talked about the Three Treasures, The Three Jewels, or the Triple Gem of Buddhism. Back in April of 2019, I released this episode to announce the launch of our Everyday Sangha. I'm re-releasing it today, in a bow of gratitude to the sangha, which has grown into a wonderful community. I am celebrating the sangha and the 16 sangha members who are going for refuge and receiving Dharma names in the non-sectarian, Mahayana lineage of Bright Dawn Buddhism/Kubose Dharma Legacy this Saturday, on June 1st in a special TiSarana Ceremony. These 16 will officially take refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. So, congratulations to the those 16 taking refuge and a huge thank you to the Everyday Sangha for being such a special group! I think many connect with the *jewel* or treasure aspect of the Buddha and Dharma, but Sangha? The Buddha taught the Dharma as an experiential path. His advice is to try it for ourselves, rather than taking his or anyone else's word for it. It is Sangha that moves Buddhism beyond a study or philosophy to something lived and alive. But you have to practice or it doesn't work. Sangha is where you perfect your practice with others doing the same thing. We come just as we are. Working on practices, not being people who are already perfect. The Sangha accepts us and supports us so that we can become more honest with ourselves and others. We learn to accept ourselves AND others. We accept our humanity, together.
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Everyday Buddhism 107 - Your Heart Was Made for This with Oren Jay Sofer
04/11/2024
Everyday Buddhism 107 - Your Heart Was Made for This with Oren Jay Sofer
In this episode I talk with Oren Jay Sofer about his new book, Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity & Love. Oren teaches meditation and communication internationally. He holds a degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and is a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner for the healing of trauma. Oren has practiced meditation in the early Buddhist tradition since 1997, beginning his studies in Bodh Gaya, India, and later spending 2-1/2 years living as an renunciate at branch monasteries in the Ajahn Chah Thai Forest lineage. He is a long-time student of Joseph Goldstein, Michele McDonald, and Ajahn Sucitto, and is a member of the Spirit Rock Teacher’s Council. Oren is also the author of the best-seller Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication and two books on teaching mindfulness to adolescents: The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents and Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Teens. His teaching has reached people around the world through online communication courses and guided meditations, combining classical Buddhist training with the accessible language of secular mindfulness In our conversation we talked about, among other things: How our hearts REALLY are made for these times … Our hearts were made to awaken and if we can practice—in small steps—turning toward suffering, we enter a portal to transformation. How the world shapes our hearts in ways not best for us and how we can practice shaping our own hearts. How getting in touch with our true values will guide us through these challenging times. How we need to consciously "change the channel" of our thoughts to be more aligned with our true values. Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Learn more about Oren Jay Sofer, his teaching, courses, and special events: YouTube: Instagram: Facebook: X/Twitter: LinkedIn: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 106 - Appalachian Zen with Steve Kanji Ruhl
03/13/2024
Everyday Buddhism 106 - Appalachian Zen with Steve Kanji Ruhl
Join me for a delightful conversation with Steve Kanji Ruhl about his book, Appalachian Zen: Journeys in Search of True Home, from the American Heartland to the Buddha Dharma, the 2023 Gold Prize winner for Memoir in the Nautilus Book Awards. Steve Kanji is a Zen Buddhist minister ordained in the Zen Peacemaker Order, now teaching independently and instructing Zen students through his Touch the Earth cyber-sangha. Reverend Kanji received his Master of Divinity degree from Harvard University and is a Buddhist chaplain at Deerfield Academy, a Buddhist Adviser at Yale University, and faculty member of the Shogaku Zen Institute. Kanji has been a guest speaker or workshop facilitator at Harvard’s Center for World Religions, Yale Divinity School, the International Conference on Socially Engaged Buddhism, the Omega Institute, and elsewhere. In addition to Appalachian Zen, he is the author of Enlightened Contemporaries: Francis, Dogen & Rumi—Three Great Mystics of the Thirteenth Century and Why They Matter Today and has recently finished writing a new book about his personal experience of spirituality and wellness called The Whole Earth is Medicine: Science, Zen, and Healing Body and Mind in a Journey through Cancer. He has also published two volumes of poems, The Constant Yes of Things and Paintings of Rice Cakes Satisfy Hunger. In his book, Appalachian Zen, Kanji takes us on a 30-year journey through his search to find his "true home" in lilting and lyrical prose and poems that move the story from Appalachia through academia—constantly asking: What is home? What is this? What is life? Death? What is real? … The questions Buddhism never answer but continue to ask. In our conversation we talked about, among other things: -Childhood memories -The search for self and the search for losing the self -Being a foolish being and Shin Buddhism -The contrast between Western and Eastern philosophical and spiritual worldviews -Mystical Christianity and the similarity to the direct experience of the sacred in Buddhism -Buddhist lay ministers as compared to Buddhist monastics, priest, and the "guru model" -Kanji's teaching of "Be Clear, Be Kind, Be Present" Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Buy the book from the publisher: Learn more about Steve Kanji Ruhl, his teaching, spiritual guidance, and special events: *Special Everyday Buddhism Substack / Words From My Teachers podcast subscription promo code: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 105 - Illumination with Rebecca Li
02/14/2024
Everyday Buddhism 105 - Illumination with Rebecca Li
In this episode, I welcome back Rebecca Li to talk about her new book, Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No Method. Rebecca and I had a conversation in May of 2021, about her previous book, Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times. Rebecca is a meditation and Dharma teacher in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen and founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community, a Chan Buddhist practice and study community made up of individuals committed to cultivating wisdom and compassion for the benefit of all beings. Rebecca has two decades of Dharma and meditation teaching experience, leading retreats or teaching at Buddhist centers in North America, Europe, and Asia. She has been featured in several Buddhist publications, including Tricycle, Lion's Roar, and Buddhadharma. She is also one of the founding board members of The GenX Buddhist Teachers Sangha where she continues to serve as a board member. Rebecca is a sociology professor and lives with her husband in New Jersey. In Allow Joy into Our Hearts, Rebecca wrote about Chan Practice and she continues to teach the path of Chan Buddhism in the book we will discuss today, Illumination. In Illumination, she dives deeper into the Chan meditation of Silent Illumination and deeper still into what causes our suffering and how Silent Illumination can help us identify and help decrease the causes of our suffering. In her book, Rebecca takes us on a fascinating, deep-dive into the method of no method in silent illumination and guides us in the mechanics of this type of practice. In our conversation we talked about, among other things: How, in our meditation, we turn thoughts into enemies, rather than allowing thoughts and feelings to be fully experienced and felt … About how tend to try to "achieve" as meditators, as if a sport … And about the modes of operation: craving, aversion, trance, problem-solving, intellectualizing, quietism, and forgetting-emptiness … Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Learn more about Rebecca Li and her Dharma talks, guided meditation offerings, and retreats: *Special Everyday Buddhism Substack / Words From My Teachers podcast subscription promo code: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: Register for the Introduction to Buddhism Course (by February 22, 2024): If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 104 - BONUS - Purposeless Purpose
01/26/2024
Everyday Buddhism 104 - BONUS - Purposeless Purpose
This week, over at my new premium Substack podcast, Words From My Teachers, I released Episode 6, continuing readings from the book, The Center Within by Rev. Gyomay Kubose. In the episode I read the following essays: Middle Way, Water, Purposeless Purpose, No Mind, and How the Buddha Taught. As a special bonus episode for the Everyday Buddhism podcast, I am sharing the reading of the essay Purposeless Purpose. It's a wonderful essay to reflect on, as they all are in The Center Within, but I'm releasing it here on the Everyday Buddhism podcast as a companion piece to Episode 103. Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Subscribe to my premium Substack feed and podcast, Words From My Teachers: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 103 - Purposeless Purpose: Why Nonsense Makes the Most Sense Redux
01/26/2024
Everyday Buddhism 103 - Purposeless Purpose: Why Nonsense Makes the Most Sense Redux
As a special bonus episode for the Everyday Buddhism podcast, I am sharing the reading of the essay Purposeless Purpose. It's a wonderful essay to reflect on, as they all are in The Center Within, but I'm releasing it here on the Everyday Buddhism podcast as a companion piece, which you will find in the next episode, 104. But as a special introduction to the bonus episode, I am adding new content in this re-release of an episode I did in June of 2022, called Why Nonsense Makes the Most Sense, which was built on the essay, Purposeless Purpose. The new addition is some insight about meditation that is related to the purposeless-purpose message. Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Find out more and register for the Introduction to Buddhism course: Join the Everyday Buddhism Membership Community: Join the Everyday Sangha: Subscribe to my premium Substack feed and podcast, Words From My Teachers: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 102 - Encore of The Boundless Heart of Bodhicitta
12/23/2023
Everyday Buddhism 102 - Encore of The Boundless Heart of Bodhicitta
In the spirit of the holiday season, I am re-releasing a popular episode from 2019: The Boundless Heart - Bodhicitta. It is my wish that we all try to practice being a Bodhisattva during this holiday season … Starting with me! ;) Stating the obvious, it's been a rough 7 years or so. Years marked by war, pandemic, social injustice, tribalism and, overall, something called "high conflict" made popular by Amanda Ripley's book of the same name, where conflict is the ruling energy and that leads to the stress, fear, anxiousness, and despair most of us have been feeling. She writes: The challenge of our time is to mobilize great masses of people to make change without dehumanizing one another. Not just because it’s morally right but because it works. Lasting change, the kind that seeps into people’s hearts, has only ever come about through a combination of pressure and good conflict. Both matter. That’s why, over the course of history, nonviolent movements have been more than twice as likely to succeed as violent ones. It with this in mind I offer the replay of this 2019 episode, a reflection on bodhicitta, the good heart—something we can all practice even if we don't participate in nonviolent movements or the "good conflict" Amanda Ripley refers to. I know it's been far too easy for me to react in anger when I'm really just afraid and to dismiss instead of disagreeing, which is a dehumanizing activity. So, in the spirit of holiday peace, good will, and reflection, I will remember the bodhicitta. Bodhicitta characterizes the path of a Mahayana practitioner. It is Bodhicitta that creates a Bodhisattva and it is Bodhicitta that ultimately creates a Buddha. In Tibetan, compassion is translated as the nobility or greatness of heart which implies wisdom, discernment, empathy, unselfishness, and abundant kindness. Bodhicitta is compassion working with a mind awakened by right view. It is the joining of compassion and emptiness. We'll examine how to use the Four Bodhisattva Vows to supercharge Right Intention with Right View and discover the same spacious freedom of a flower that blooms despite its circumstances. Please join me as you listen to this "best of" episode. Book by Amanda Ripley referenced in podcast (Amazon affiliate link): Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Subscribe to my premium Substack feed and podcast, Words From My Teachers: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 101 - Words From My Teachers Episode 2
12/11/2023
Everyday Buddhism 101 - Words From My Teachers Episode 2
In this episode of Words From My Teachers, an Everyday Buddhism podcast, I am reading the first five chapters from The Center Within by Rev. Gyomay Kubose: Awareness A Shining Star Buddha Nature and Gassho Buddhism Is Everyday Life Empty-Handed I hope you enjoy these readings and I hope you will take my suggestion and cue to do some reflection at the end of each essay. As my teacher, Rev. Koyo Kubose taught, "Don't just read. Ask yourself how you can use what you heard? How can you add it to your spiritual toolbox?" This is the last of the episodes released in full as public episodes, so be sure to subscribe to receive 5 essay readings weekly. And please share this feed using the convenient "Share" button on the Substack post. ***************************************** For more about Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism:
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Everyday Buddhism 100 - Words From My Teachers Episode 1
12/08/2023
Everyday Buddhism 100 - Words From My Teachers Episode 1
Introducing Words From My Teachers, a premium, weekly Everyday Buddhism podcast. Words From My Teachers features readings from the books written by and about my teachers from the Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism and the Kubose Dharma Legacy … Rev. Gyomay Kubose, Rev. Koyo Kubose, and Haya Akegarasu. This is the first of 2 episodes that will be offered as public podcast episodes … then make sure to sign up to receive them weekly through the Substack link. In this first episode, I will give a background of Bright Dawn, based on an article I wrote some years ago. I called it The Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism: Buddhism with Attitude—Keeping it REAL and ALIVE. It summarizes the history of the Kubose family and Bright Dawn and I have shared a link to a PDF of the original article in my Everyday Buddhism Substack feed. Rev. Koyo Kubose and his father, Rev. Gyomay Kubose, continued the mission started by the Japanese Pure Land teachers, Honen and Shinran—bringing the Dharma to everyone in their everyday lives. Rev. Gyomay Kubose’s lifework was dedicated to promoting Buddhism in America, so that the Dharma could be part of the lives of those in a Western culture, where Buddhism was not native. It is my hope that this Words From My Teachers podcast will help keep Rev. Gyomay's and Rev. Koyo's voices alive by bringing them to listeners not familiar with the Bright Dawn teachings and reinforcing them to those who already appreciate them. Stay tuned for the next episode, with a reading from Rev. Gyomay Kubose's book, The Center Within, that will be offered as public podcast episodes … then make sure to sign up to receive them weekly, on Mondays, by subscribing to my Everyday Buddhism Substack premium content. ***************************************** For more about Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism:
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Everyday Buddhism 99 - Introducing Words From My Teachers
12/05/2023
Everyday Buddhism 99 - Introducing Words From My Teachers
Introducing Words From My Teachers, a premium, weekly Everyday Buddhism podcast. Words From My Teachers features readings from the books written by and about my teachers from the Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism and the Kubose Dharma Legacy … Rev. Gyomay Kubose, Rev. Koyo Kubose, and Haya Akegarasu. I started the Everyday Buddhism podcast in June of 2018 so that I could share the everyday approach to Buddhism that was instilled in me by my teacher Rev. Koyo Kubose and the Bright Dawn Lay Ministry program. It is an approach that was not widely taught or communicated at the time … and, honestly, it still isn't. The lineage from which the Bright Dawn teachings derived is unique in the Dharma-sphere and its teachings are what I built my podcast and virtual sangha approach on. It is my hope that this Words From My Teachers podcast will help keep Rev. Gyomay's and Rev. Koyo's voices alive by bringing them to listeners not familiar with the Bright Dawn teachings and reinforcing them to those who already appreciate them. Stay tuned for the first 2 episodes that will be offered as public podcast episodes … then make sure to sign up to receive them weekly by subscribing to my Everyday Buddhism Substack premium content.
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Everyday Buddhism 98 - The Wonder of Small Things with James Crews
11/21/2023
Everyday Buddhism 98 - The Wonder of Small Things with James Crews
What a delight it is to have James Crews joining me for a conversation about the book, The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace & Renewal, which he edited. James is the author of the essay collection, Kindness Will Save the World, and editor of several bestselling poetry anthologies, including The Wonder of Small Things, Healing the Divide, The Path to Kindness, and How to Love the World. He has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, and in People Magazine, The Boston Globe, The New York Times Magazine, The Sun Magazine, and The Washington Post. He is the author of four prize-winning books of poetry, and his poems have appeared in Ploughshares, The New Republic, and other journals. As you will no doubt hear, James is a gentle soul whose conversation about poetry, spirituality, and life is healing … His words and the tender way he speaks them is a balm for our painful and anxious times. Among other things, we talked about: How we turn to poetry during difficult times like these precisely because as James expresses it, "poems are such small but spacious containers that hold so much with just a few powerful sensory details" …. And, he says, "Poetry heals because it is so embodied." Poetry as spiritual practice. How poets do what they do with language. How poetry helps us transcend dualistic thinking. How poetry creates connection and compassion. Take some time to ease into this episode. I promise you will be soothed and come away craving more poetry in your life, even if you never appreciated it before. Buy the book (Amazon affiliate link): Learn more about James Crews, course offerings, and subscribe to weekly email: Instagram: Facebook: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 97 - War, Anger, and Propaganda with Gemma Naturkach
10/29/2023
Everyday Buddhism 97 - War, Anger, and Propaganda with Gemma Naturkach
I am very happy to share the wisdom of Gemma Naturkach, a member of our Everyday Buddhism Community and Sangha. I asked Gemma to join me for a conversation on the podcast, after listening to her share her reflections and insight about her experiences as a refugee from Ukraine. It really helps give us a bigger perspective—a perspective from the real-life experience of a woman trying to make sense of everything that happened to her and her family, who were driven from their home and country because of war. Gemma is a U.S. Army vet and member of a three-culture family. She is an ICF and iPEC certified coach and founder of Social Media for Coaches. She is deeply committed to using her experiences to champion the voices of those who have been uprooted from their homes. Her wisdom was sharpened through her own experience as she and her family made their way from Ukraine to Wisconsin in February 2022. After asking her to be guest on the podcast, I found out that Gemma has written a book, called Surviving Patriotism, targeted for release in 2024.This work serves as a testament to her emotional journey during her and her family's evacuation and subsequent resettlement. Among other things, we talked about how home and community is where you make it … the complex emotions of hating and then trying not to hate the "enemy" … how rage doesn't think, reflect, or consider … how war is romanticized … and how we feel pressured to pick a side, labeling one as bad and the other as good … and ways we might help when we feel helpless. I am positive Gemma's reflection on her experience … her honest sharing of what she went through and her thoughts along the way … may help you see war, anger, and propaganda from a broader and clearer lens … a lens outside our cultural or tribal bubbles. I know it did me! * Note: Correction - Near the end of the episode, I mistakenly referred to Palestine as Pakistan. Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 96 - Householder Koans with Roshi Eve Myonen Marko
09/21/2023
Everyday Buddhism 96 - Householder Koans with Roshi Eve Myonen Marko
I am delighted to share this conversation with Roshi Eve Myonen Marko about The Book of Householder Koans: Waking Up in the Land of Attachments, which she co-wrote with Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao. It was released in 2020 but I'm sure glad I finally found it! It's become one of my new favorite books and a real treasure as a practice tool. Roshi Eve Marko is a Founding Teacher of the Zen Peacemaker Order, with her late husband, the renowned Roshi Bernie Glassman. She is also the resident teacher at the Green River Zen Center in Massachusetts. Roshi has trained spiritually-based social activists and peacemakers in the US, Europe, and the Middle East, and has been a Spiritholder at retreats bearing witness to genocide at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Rwanda, and the Black Hills in South Dakota. Before that she worked at the Greyston Mandala, which provides housing, child care, jobs, and AIDS-related medical services in Yonkers, New York. Koans have always been a favorite practice of mine but I had drifted away from them off and on … and off for the last few years until this book. If you've listened to earlier episodes of this podcast, then you may have heard my back-to-back episodes about Zen Koans. This is unlike any book about koans I've ever read. It drills deep into your "hiding places" … doing what koans do perfectly: They stop you in your tracks, as they mess with your conceptual thinking, and shake your false trust in the stability of what we think we know. Being drawn into questions, without the comfortable ground of "knowing" offers a practice that can help us pause in our everyday rush to stress and anxiousness caused by trying to be somewhere other than where we are at this moment. I just loved this conversation with Roshi Eve! Among many other things, we talked about…The importance of "not knowing" … About the surprise factor in the situations we find ourselves in life and how they help the mind "make leaps" … And about how we should try to enter life with out whole selves—our bodies, not just our minds. So, don't miss this one! One of my favorite Buddhist subjects and one of the best books I've read in a very long time. Buy the book, read the reviews, and learn more about Roshi Eve: Website and Blog: Zen Peacemakers: Green River Zen Center: Interview with Roshi Eve Myonen Marko: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 95 - Pure Land Sutra Study and Encore Episode with Bishop Marvin Harada
09/03/2023
Everyday Buddhism 95 - Pure Land Sutra Study and Encore Episode with Bishop Marvin Harada
This is a special encore episode with Rev. Marvin Harada, the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America. It also includes a new introduction highlighting the upcoming study of The Pure Land Sutras in our Everyday Sangha ... and why sutra study is so important in Buddhist practice. Come join us! In the re-released episode with Rev. Harada, we discuss what makes Shin Buddhism a truly "everyday Buddhism", meditation, mindfulness, chanting, ritual, and about the teachers we have in common and what made them special. I know you'll enjoy this talk with Rev. Harada as much as I did talking with him. He is down-to-earth and delightful, if you can't tell by his giggle! if you've never heard of Shin Buddhism—or don't know too much about it—this episode is for you. Pure Land Buddhism is one of the most widely practiced forms of Buddhism in East Asia, and in Japan, Shin Buddhism, or Jodo Shinshu, is actually the largest school of Buddhism in Japan. CORRECTION TO THE INTRODUCTION OF REV. HARADA: Rev. Harada served as a minister for the Orange County Buddhist Church, but did not serve as head minister throughout the entire 33-year period. Find out more about the Buddhist Churches of America: Find out more about the BCA "Everyday Buddhist" program mentioned by Bishop Harada: Join the Everyday Sangha: Join the Membership Community: Find out more about or register for the Introduction to Buddhism Course: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 94 - Soul Boom with Rainn Wilson
08/08/2023
Everyday Buddhism 94 - Soul Boom with Rainn Wilson
I am thrilled to share this conversation with Rainn Wilson—Yes, that guy … the actor best known for his role as Dwight Schrute in The Office. In the conversation we talk about his recent book, Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution. Rainn Wilson is a NY Times Bestselling author and three-time Emmy nominated actor best known for his role in NBC’s The Office. Besides his many other comedic and dramatic roles on stage and screen, he is the co-founder of the media company SoulPancake and host of the docuseries Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss. Rainn is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy, as well as the coauthor of SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions. Some of this you may already know about Rainn, I'm sure, but something you may not know—but will learn from this conversation—is that, in addition to Rainn being a practitioner of the Baha'i faith, he is deeply spiritual, has studied many religions, and has a unique ability to capture the deepest of existential philosophy and social behavior in common cultural references and everyday language. Among many other things, we talked about what spirituality is ... what soul is ... who or what God is or isn't ... The two aspects of spirituality as demonstrated by the 1970's TV shows, Kung Fu and Star Trek ... What is sacred and where can we find it? Rainn's new book took me deep into reflection but also kept me giggling. It's the same with our conversation. So, keep listening … I promise Rainn will open your mind, open your heart, and—of course—make you laugh. The conversation starts now … Buy the books (Amazon affiliate links): Instagram: Twitter: Facebook: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 93 - Waking the Buddha with Clark Strand
07/26/2023
Everyday Buddhism 93 - Waking the Buddha with Clark Strand
You're in for a treat in this episode. At least it was a treat for me to have a conversation with Clark Strand. Clark is a former Zen monk, author, Haiku teacher, and communicator of all things spiritual and religious. He has studied and actually practiced within many, many spiritual and religious traditions so he speaks from actual experience. The focus of today's conversation is on his book, Waking the Buddha: How The Most Dynamic and Empowering Buddhist Movement in History is Changing Our Concept of Religion, but Clark is also the author of Seeds From a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey, Now Is the Hour of Her Return: Poems In Praise of the Divine Mother Kali, co-author, with Perdita Finn, of The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary, and many other books on poetry, spirituality, and ecology. He is the co-founder of an international, non-sectarian rosary fellowship with members across the world. I invited him on the podcast to talk about Nichiren Buddhism, Soka Gakkai, and chanting, in general. It is a subject I haven't covered on this podcast and the timing was sparked by the recent passing of Tina Turner who was a very public Soka Gakkai practitioner. Although the focus of the conversation began with the Soka Gakkai, it became a fascinating journey to many other areas, due to Clark's wide reach and his spiritual depth. Among many other things, we talked about the folk traditions within all religions. Or, as Clark said, "there is always a religion within a religion." … About how the Soka Gakkai became virtually the only ethnically and racially diverse Buddhist organization religion in the world… About why Clark states that spirituality needs to be about "ecology not theology" and that the reason the thread that runs through his spiritual experience IS ecology and the folk traditions… And, for fellow Pure Land and Shin practitioners, about how the Pure Land tradition is the only tradition deeply grounded in ecology… About Haiku… About the divine feminine, the Divine Mother, and the rosary as a spiritual and NOT a religious practice … and is, essentially, a tantric mantra practice… About the 12-Steps program… About chanting and how it gives voice to one's intentions, dreams, or hopes … and is the most ancient form of spiritual practice… Listen and enjoy the journey... Learn more about Clark: Buy the books: Instagram: Facebook: Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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Everyday Buddhism 92 - Interdependence Day Mini Episode
07/04/2023
Everyday Buddhism 92 - Interdependence Day Mini Episode
A special mini episode, celebrating our interdependence. Listen as I share a reflection on what I call my "Buddhist-Born-Again moment." I finally learned what the Buddha taught. I finally saw that one of—if not THE most important foundations of Buddhist practice—is becoming aware of your inherent ignorance and the limitations of self. It is surprisingly freeing to realize that we are NOT really the masters of our destiny, because the choices we make about the thoughts we think and the actions we take are a product of a complex web of experiences, surroundings, and relationships—of which everyone else is a part. It is a seeming paradox that accepting our dependence on others can provide our ultimate freedom. In that humble, yet active acceptance we embrace what my late teacher, Rev. Koyo Kubose, expresses as “acceptance IS transcendence.” In doing so, we are declaring our interdependence. Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha: If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change:
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