Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better

As we make our way through the global Covid-19 pandemic we see humbling examples of courage and compassion. And we also see examples of people responding in fear and anger. The pandemic is teaching us about interdependence, change, and impermanence in a profound way. Our choice is to respond like victims or like the brave front-line workers, with a noble response to suffering.

Join me for a special guest episode with Duncan Ryuken Williams, the author of "American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War." 125,000+ Japanese-Americans we rounded up and placed in internment camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The lessons shared in this episode can help us, too, find faith and freedom during this time of separation and community during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The whole world is afraid. A tiny piece of biological stuff brought the world to its knees. A contagion or plague of this level is not new to the world but new to most of us living today. There has never been a better time to develop a practice of finding a healthy balance between being informed and tormenting yourself. Listen as I share mantra, breathing, awareness, and mindful writing practices that might help.

There is a view of Buddhism that is idealistic. That it's all about meditating and chanting in an incense-filled room, hidden away from the world. That the peace promised in Buddhism comes from being away from, above, or different from, the troubles of the world. The peace the Buddha promised is found in a personal understanding of ignorance and the practice to overcome it. The peace you seek is not an escape from the world but an understanding of it.

This is a special episode dedicated to the life of our good friend and neighbor—too soon lost. It focuses on the haiku by Issa: "This world of dew is a world of dew, and yet, and yet." Listen as I read writings of my grief and how I come to the realization that maybe "and yet" is not just "nevertheless it hurts" but also "but yet." It's all in how you show up for yourself and for others.

Join me for a special episode and conversation with Ken McLeod, author, translator, and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. Whether you're new to Buddhism, or just intrigued, or a long-time practitioner, spending some time with Ken's work will shake off the worries of whether you understand the words and transport you directly into the answers.

2020 seems like something out of Sci-Fi. But here we are. And from my perspective, we ARE living in what was the sci-fi from my childhood. It all depends on where you stand—your perspective. From where you sit, you may be filled with hope or despair. You may have pain or feel great. You may be young or you may be old. But you are where you are. And we're all here with you. And, together, we'll enter 2020 "in vertical time, everything is accessible; every possibility is restful and free."

In this episode, we celebrate Bodhi Day, the traditional celebration of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni's enlightenment. Yet, listen as we discover how it is a celebration of our enlightenment, too. Shakyamuni's enlightenment experience is ours. He proclaimed, "I and the great earth, and all beings are naturally and simultaneously awakened." We don't chase the darkness away through external ritual or stringing lights, but by looking inside to find our own light.

In this special episode, I celebrate with podcast listeners the publication of my book Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change. The book officially launches on Monday, November 26th. l'll share a bit about why I wrote the book and a few snippets from the book, plus announce a special offer to the Everyday Buddhism podcast tribe about a special, 1-day offer on the Kindle eBook valid only on Sunday, November 25th.

In this episode, we'll look at the pagan origination of Halloween, Tibetan Tantric or Vajrayana Buddhism, and Halloween from an Everyday Buddhism perspective. What scares you? What do you not want to look at? Do you show yourself as someone without a shadow or demon side? Buddhism is about seeing life as it is...seeing ourselves for who we really are...and all others for who they are. Until then, we are living among apparitions like those on Halloween.

Join me and round the bases for a look at baseball as a metaphor for the Buddhist teaching of the Three Marks of Existence: Impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and the lack of a discrete self. Life, like baseball, is a team sport. In baseball, it's not just about the pitcher. In life, it's not just about me or you. In life, we can't do anything on our own. Baseball can break your heart and fill you with hope. No matter the pitch, we keep swinging until we get a hit. And we keep playing through the season.

In this episode, we talk about Bodhicitta. Bodhicitta characterizes the path of a Mahayana practitioner. Bodhicitta is compassion working with a mind awakened by right view. 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.

In this special guest episode, join me in a conversation with Dena Moes, the author of the book The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal. Sample a taste of Dena's award-winning book that is equal parts travelogue, spiritual discovery, and internal pilgrimage into new ways of thinking about family life, love, and spirituality.

In this special podcast, we'll revisit the topic of "Right Speech" through a reflection and practice tip from my upcoming book. We'll focus on how right speech depends more on listening than speaking. Speaking is dualistic. Listening is a non-dual activity of Oneness. Deep listening requires guarding your internal chatter, judgments, and reactive responses. When you are truly listening, you are totally engaged. And when you are engaged, your conversation partner will feel heard.

What is a perfect day? A perfect relationship? Join me for a discussion of perfection in a podcast featuring a wedding Dharma talk. Stay until the end to respond to the challenge of making your own vows, allowing for the perfection of 'the other' in all your relationships. The perfection of life exists in impermanence and interdependence. Allowing everything to be as it is, while remaining an open, non-judgmental participant, enables something beautiful to arise out of the perfect now.