The Jay Forrest Show

In this episode I continue a series on the Eightfold Noble Path with Right Action. Right Action is appropriate Action, skillful Action, wise Action, it is Action that is in sync with reality as it really is. Everyone wants to be happy and not suffer. We can help create that kind of world, a world where suffering is reduced and happiness expanded. We do that by being the change we want to see in the world. As the Dalai Lama has said, “Through developing an attitude of responsibility toward others, we can begin to create the kindler, more compassionate world we all dream of.” The appropriateness of an action depends upon the particular situation. All ethics are situational ethics. Rules can never take the place of rational decisions flowing from a wise and balanced mind and a loving and compassionate heart. Living by rules alone misses the point. They help steer you into the safe harbor of Enlightened Living, but there are never a substitute for it. But we must begin somewhere, and refraining from negative and unskillful actions is a good place to start. The Five Precepts are the basics of Buddhist morality. The Five Precepts are: (1) Abstain from killing any living being; (2) Abstain from taking what is not given; (3) Abstain from speaking falsely; (4) Abstain from sexual misconduct; and (5) Abstain from intoxicants. These Five Precepts are the foundation of moral or ethical conduct. I deal with each of them in great detail, explains and applying them to our daily lives. The root of Buddhist ethics is love and compassion, the fruit of love and compassion is nonharming. We need rules to put us in the right direction, and so we have the Five Precepts. The goal is not the Five Precepts, the goal is a life of lovingkindness and compassion in every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we do. In other words, enlightenment. The Five Precepts are not a substitute for the wisdom and compassion of enlightenment, rather they are training that will help you on your way to the real goal which is becoming a Buddha - a being of great compassion and wisdom. In his excellent book Ethics for the New Millennium, the Dalai Lama explains how to approach a live of compassion, he writes, “I believe that developing the compassion on which happiness depends demands a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, we need to restrain those factors which inhibit compassion. On the other, we need to cultivate those which are conducive to it.” The things that inhibit compassion are killing, stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and drunkenness. These are the things the Five Precepts tell us to abstain from. But if we stopped there, our training would be incomplete. We must also cultivate those which are conducive to a compassionate life. The Dalai Lama explains, “As we have seen, what is conducive to compassion is love, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, humility, and so on.” I end the Show with a suggestion to begin every day with this prayer, “This is the first day of the rest of my life. Today I will try not to harm anyone in thought, word, or deed. In mindfulness I will walk with wisdom and compassion.” Research Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Precepts Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Action's Flawed by Artemis Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books.

In this episode I begin a series on the Eightfold Noble Path with Right Speech. Right Speech is appropriate speech, skillful speech, wise speech, it is speech that is in sync with reality as it really is. Right Speech is the first aspect in the first of what is called the Three Trainings The First Training is in Ethical Conduct, the Second is in Concentration, and the Third is in Wisdom. You will notice that the traditional ordering of the Eightfold Noble Path begins with training in ethical conduct. This is because if you are not living right you will not be able to concentrate, you will not be able to quite the mind and focus. Like in many spiritual traditions, spiritual and mental purification is the beginning step of the journey. Ethical conduct is also the easiest to immediately put into practice and it really does help you improve your life and prepare you for meditation. Right Speech is important. The words we speak say more about what’s in our heart and mind then we may know. The words you speak are a very sure guide to your spiritual condition. Your words locate you. Not only do words reveal what’s really inside, they also effect us. Not only are our words the expression of our thoughts, words also shape our thoughts. In a limited way we become what we say, because we tend to believe what we say. What we say does effect us. It can shape our thoughts and influence our beliefs. That is why we need to be careful what we say because it can influence what we think. So what is not Right Speech? The Buddhist Scriptures teach us what Right Speech is, by teaching us what Right Speech isn’t. The Samyutta Nikaya says, “And what, bhikkhus, is right speech? Abstinence from false speech, abstinence from divisive speech, abstinence from harsh speech, abstinence from idle chatter: this is called right speech.” (SN 45:8). Notice the four things Right Speech is not. It is not false, divisive, harsh, or idle. I then examine each of these much closer. Where should you begin practicing Right Speech? I suggest that people begin with Noble Silence. Noble Silence is silence for the sake of establishing mindfulness of speaking. Begin with a day of silence, then expand from there. Keeping silent for a complete day may prove to be a real eye opener. That means no Facebook, Twitter, Phone calls or Texting. Just spend the day in solitude and silence. Try it and see what happens. Research Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits The Power Of Words by Rasmax Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode I examine why third party candidates were excluded from the Presidential Debates. I introduce you to the Commission on Presidential Debates that decides who can participate in the debates. Third party candidates that were excluded includes Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, Jill Stein of the Green Party, Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party, and Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party. The Commission on Presidential Debates began in 1987 by the Democratic and Republican parties. That’s right, the Commission was created by the Democratic and Republican parties. Now do you honestly think that they want any third party candidate to ever be on these debates? The Commission established a rule that for a party to be included in the national debates it must garner at least 15% support across five national polls. Now this was established to make sure that no third party candidate ever gets a fair hearing. Let me tell you how to control an election. Give the people an illusion of choice, limit it to two parties, and make sure that the two parties are firmly in the control of the wealthy elite. The fact is that the Bankers, Big Business and Billionaires own this country, you don’t. These elections are a charade, to give you the illusion of choice. Noam Chomsky has stated that other Western democracies “have not yet achieved the U.S. system of one political party, with two factions controlled by shifting segments of the business community.” As Sheldon Wolin writes in his book Democracy Inc., “The United States has become the showcase of how democracy can be managed without appearing to be suppressed.” In such a system he explains, “Voters are made as predictable as consumers.” The second thing you need to do is to control the media. The mainstream media is owned by Big Business and Billionaires, so they have an unwritten agenda. Don’t piss off your boss or your sponsors, if you want to keep your job. This effectively narrows public opinion to an acceptable level of disagreement. If a Ross Perot, a Ralph Naders, or a Ron Paul do rise up to actually gain national attention, label them a "kook," or a "nut," and their ideas as "way out there." So far this strategy has worked perfectly. I end the Show with a clip from Democracy Now, who expanded the Presidential Debate to include Jill Stein of the Green Party and Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party. Of course they were not part of the official debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, but had to be edited in. I just share one topic, Obamacare. But from this one clip you can see how other alternatives are eliminated from the national debate. Research Links Democracy Now: Expanding the Debate Exclusive List of political parties in the United States The Constitution Party The Democratic Party The Republican Party The Green Party The Justice Party The Libertarian Party Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits There is no America There is no Democracy by MysticMDT Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode I look at the Four Noble Truths, which are considered to be the foundation of the Buddha's teaching. One could even say that a Buddhist is someone who practices the religion based on the Buddha's teaching as summarized in the Four Noble Truths. The four noble truths can be summarized as the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering The Four Noble Truths are the foundation of the Buddha's teaching. The Four Truths are like a foundation of a building, they help build a practice. The Four Truths are like an outline, they help you follow the teaching. The Four Truths are like the four points on a compass, they keeps you oriented so you don’t get lost. And the Four Truths are like the four dimensions, they describe reality as it really is. In this episode I examine the Buddhist Scriptures that teach the Four Noble Truths. I explain each of the Truths and what each of these truths mean. The Fourth Noble Truths are like a doctor treating a patient. There is the diagnosis, the cause of the disease, the prognosis or possibility of a cure, and the treatment or prescription. But the Four Noble Truth are not just something to believe, they are "injunctions to do something." Seen in this way the Four Noble Truths become four tasks to be completed: first fully know suffering, second let go of craving, third experience cessation of craving, and fourth cultivate the Eightfold Noble Path. It is a helpful way to remember that there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. Research Links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths http://www.buddhanet.net/4noble.htm http://buddhism.about.com/od/thefournobletruths/a/fournobletruths.htm Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Detachment by Snowflake Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode I examine the Ten Values of the Green Party and compare them with the values of the Dharma. The Green Party platform is too long to share on this podcast. So we will look at the Ten Values and see how they fit with the Buddhist perspective of non-violence, interdependence, and compassion. It should be noted that no political party is perfect and the Green Party is not a Buddhist party. What we are looking at is a comparison between the values of the Green Party and the values of Buddhism. We need a third option. It is time that we end the two party system. Both the Democrats and the Republican continue to give us the same old government. Both parties are so much alike that it is hard to tell them apart. Both are under the control of big business and special interest groups. We need a third option. It really will not matter much whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney gets elected, nothing will really change. And what we really need is change. So what is the Green Party? You are familiar with the Republican Party and the Democratic party, well I would like to introduce you to the Green Party of the United States. It is an American political party that was founded in 1991. The Green Party of the United States was inspired by the success of European Green parties, notably that of the German Green party. And so the Green Party is a recognized partner of the European Federation of Green Parties. The most well known Green Party candidate for president was Ralph Nader. an American political activist who ran in the 2000 presidential election. The Ten Values of the Green Party are Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice and Equal Opportunity, Ecological Wisdom, Non-Violence, Decentralization, Community Based Economics, Feminism and Gender Equity, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus And Sustainability. There is nothing in the Ten Values that are contrary to Buddhist principles, in fact they express them very well. Being engaged in society means voting and voting means choosing a Party and a candidate that matches your values, the Green Party seems to be that Party. At least in my opinion. Your feedback on this issue is appreciated. Research Links http://gp.org http://www.jillstein.org/ http://www.globalgreens.org/ http://www.lp.org/ http://www.rockthevote.org/ http://registertovote.org/index.html http://neweconomicsinstitute.org/buddhist-economics/ Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Politicians by Loudog Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode I tackle religion and politics. Should they mix? The Dalai Lama has said, “I question the popular assumption that religion and ethics have no place in politics and that religious persons should seclude themselves as hermits.” And in this episode I question that assumption as well. The World English Dictionary defines politics as "the complex or aggregate of relationships of people in society, esp those relationships involving authority or power." Notice that politics is about relationships. To deny religion a voice in politics is to act as if religion should have nothing to say about how we live together. The Dharma teaches you how to have and develop relationships that are built on wisdom and compassion. I am sure you’ve heard the old saying, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” This is true in politics as well. Good people must be engaged in the political arena if we are to ever see it change. Most people are apathetic, feeling what’s the use. That apathy is the cause of the continued dominance of the minority who have the money and are using that money to decide who gets elected. What is Buddhist Politics? In Buddhist politics the method is mindfulness, the expression is compassion, and the essence is wisdom. Let’s look at each of these three closer. Mindfulness allows us the opportunity to unplug from the matrix, to separate ourselves from the stories we are being told, and begin to see things as they are, right here, right now. Compassion motivates us to help one another, to sacrifice for the good of others, and to treat each other with kindness. Compassion would end wars, resolve conflicts, and bring peace and harmony to the world. Wisdom enables us to use our knowledge to help and not harm, to build and not destroy, and to see beyond appearances. Wisdom would allow us to see beyond the illusion of dualism and truly realize the interdependence of all things. We Need a Social Awakening. Buddhism focuses us personal awakening, but in that personal awakening there should also come a social awakening. “In fact,” writes David Loy, “any individual awakening we may have on our meditation cushions remains incomplete until it is supplemented by such a ‘social awakening.’” Research Links http://www.jayforrestshow.com/bookstore/ http://www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/human-rights-democracy-and-freedom http://www.democracynow.org/ http://www.freepress.org http://www.mediawatch.org http://www.gp.org http://www.lp.org Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Questions by Lil Dynomite Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode of the Jay Forrest Show, I talk about the Buddhist scriptures. The sutras are not like the Christian Bible. The Buddhist scriptures are human works, and being human works there are subject to all the failings of human nature: error, interpretation, exaggeration, misinterpretation, and imagination. Remember that Buddhism is not a religion of the book. A canon of scripture is a list of books considered to be authoritative scripture by a particular religious community. There are three major divisions of Buddhism, the Theravada, the Mahayana, and the Vajrayana. They each have different canons, each holds a different list of books they consider to be authoritative. So there is no one Buddhist canon or even one Buddhist tradition, there are many canons and many traditions. The Pali Canon is the canon accepted by the Theravada tradition. Most scholars believe that the Pali Canon is the oldest version of the Buddhist scriptures. It is for that reason that we will focus on the Pali Canon in this episode. I explain how the Pali Canon was formed and why there are doubts about its accuracy. Since the Buddha never wrote anything, everything that was recorded are the remembrances of his students. How much of it was filtered through their understandings and viewpoints? How much did the Hinduism of the time alter or distorted the Buddha's teachings? We don't know. I conclude with a brief overview of the Pali Canon. Research Links http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scripture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_canon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripi%E1%B9%ADaka http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/science.htm Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Freedom Of Thought by Kryptic Mood Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode of the Jay Forrest Show, I talk about Engaged Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh is credited with coining the term “Engaged Buddhism.” It was during the Vietnam War that the term originated. There is a Common Misconception about Engaged Buddhism. Many think of Engaged Buddhism is a new phenomenon, that it is Buddhism that has all of a sudden become socially engaged and interested in social justice. But as Thich Nhat Hanh explained in an interview with John Malkin, “Engaged Buddhism is just Buddhism.” He further explained in Good Citizens: Creating Enlightened Society, he did not invent Engaged Buddhism, he just gave a name to it. “If Buddhism is not engaged,” writes Thich Nhat Hanh, “it’s not real Buddhism.” As Buddhism came to the West, it became necessary to interpret it to a Western audience. In an effort to do that it became necessary to emphasize that Buddhism is an engaged spirituality. Noah Levine, in his book The Heart of the Revolution, explains that “the Buddha was a revolutionary, a radical advocate for personal and social transformation.” So when Thich Nhat Hanh coined the term “Engaged Buddhism”, he was just giving emphasis to something that has always been a part of Buddhism. Socially Engaged Buddhism refers to Buddhists who are seeking ways to apply the insights from meditation practice and dharma teachings to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and injustice. Research Links http://www.dalailama.com/teachings/training-the-mind/generating-the-mind-for-enlightenment http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1579 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engaged_Buddhism http://www.thepetitionsite.com https://www.change.org http://www.rockthevote.com http://www.bpf.org http://zenpeacemakers.org http://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org http://www.worldwildlife.org http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org http://www.engagedbuddhists.org.uk http://www.inebnetwork.org Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Help a brother by Orphan Songs Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode of the Jay Forrest Show I talk about the nature of Buddhism. What is it? I would argue that Buddhism is a religion of no religion. Webster’s defines it as, “a religion.” It may be, but it unlike almost every other religion that has ever existed. Discover eight ways that Buddhism is a religion of no religion. First, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha taught a religion without external authority. Second, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha taught a religion without ritual. Third, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha avoided metaphysical speculation. Fourth, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha taught a religion not tied to tradition. Fifth, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha taught a religion of intense self-effort. Sixth, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha taught a religion without the supernatural. Seventh, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha taught a religion without a Supreme Being. Eighth, Buddhism is a religion of no religion in that the Buddha taught a religion that was Scientific. Alan Watts said, “The true bodhisattva does not leave a track of any kind, either by being overtly religious or by being overtly non-religious. But how can you be neither religious nor nonreligious? That is the great test.” Don’t take your religion too seriously. Hold on loosely. Don’t become attached to Buddhism and get yourself stuck. Don’t run around with a raft on your back. Research Links Webster’s Dictionary on Buddhism Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Crossing The Pond (Floating Buddha Mix) by vo1k1 Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode of the Jay Forrest Show I teach you how to meditate and even offer you a guided meditation. In the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Mindfulness is awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a sustained and particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” Meditation is the core of Buddhist practice. Buddhism is not about believing certain things, it is about the practice. Don’t just believe, know through your own experience. Being a Buddhist means being a meditator. There are two basic types of meditation, both help develop mindfulness. The first is samatha is tranquility or concentration meditation. The second is vipassana or insight meditation. Vipassana is distinctly a Buddhist form of meditation. The Theravada tradition focuses on vipassana, but other traditions teach it as well. For this talk I will be following the Theravada tradition. My own definition of Vipassa is, "Vipassana is the exploration and observation of inner space, and one who practices vipassana is a scientist of inner space." I also give you detailed instructions on preparing for meditation, such as the sitting position, what to do with the hands, eyes, etc. I touch on the importance of relaxation. And then I give you detailed instructions on how to focus on your breath. But I also offer you a fourfold method to deal with the problem of the wandering mind. This strategy is the best way to help you concentrate and become focused. This especially helps people with ADD. The podcast ends with a guided meditation with music. Here I help you learn to meditate by having you meditate with me. I guide you step by step to focus on the breath, to relax, and to discover an inner calm. This is just the beginning of a wonderful journey into insight. Research Links How to do Mindfulness Meditation Wikipedia on Mindfulness Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Ethereal Awakening by Project Divinity Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode of the Jay Forrest Show I answer the question about who the Buddha was. Buddha is not a name but a title meaning “awakened one.” The Buddha’s given name was Siddhartha, and his family name was Gautama. There are a number of misconceptions concerning the Buddha. The first thing people need to know is that the Buddha was just a human being like me and you. Everyone has within themselves the potentiality of becoming a Buddha, if they so will it and endeavour. The second thing people need to know is that Buddhists do not worship the Buddha; rather we honor and respect him for his great achievement. The third thing people need to know is that the Buddha is not a Savior. He was a great teacher who has given us the teachings that lead to enlightenment. He was and is a finger pointing at the moon, he is not the moon. I then give you a very brief sketch of the life of the man called the Buddha. I also touches on the evidence that Siddhartha may have studied at the great university at Taxila. Which leads naturally to the question of whether or not the Buddha was influenced by his culture. I share four core elements of the Dharma that cannot be derived from the Indian culture of his time. I also answers the question of what if Siddhartha never lived? I end the talk by explaining that the person of the Buddha was important for two main reasons. First, the Buddha is important because he gives us an example of an enlightened being. And second, the Buddha is important in that he is an Archetype. An archetype is a universally understood symbol, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated. Archetypes are often used in myths and storytelling across different cultures. For us Buddhists the Buddha is our archetype, for the Buddha serves as a model of an enlightened person, a universal symbol of human potential. Research Links Gautama Buddha From Wikipedia What Is a Buddha – Who Was the Buddha? Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Gaya by Bodhicitta Group Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast Make sure you never miss an episode of the Jay Forrest Show by subscribing to the podcast. For complete instructions click here.

In this episode of the Jay Forrest Show, I share my personal journey from Christianity to Buddhism. I became a Christian at the age of 19 and shortly after began studying for the ministry. After graduating college I pastored a number of Churches in Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Arizona, and New Mexico. After being a Christian for over two decades I began to really come to grips with the problems of Christianity. I had problems with the Bible being the inspired and inerrant word of God. Textual Criticism said that no two manuscripts agreed. No copies of the originals existed. I began to question the selection of books that were chosen to be in the Bible. I discovered that 2 Peter was a forgery and the Gospel of Thomas was genuine. Then there was the whole issue of Bible translations, all of which are based on personal interpretation. I also had a problem with Hell. I had a problem with the Old Testament God. I had a problem with the creation story. I concluded that evolution is a fact and Genesis is a myth. I had a problem with Church history, realizing that the winners write the history books. I had a problem with the male God and male only priests. And I had a problem with the whole institutionalized Church. All of these issues led me to embrace Gnostic Christianity. I even did the Gnostic Podcast to share some of these discoveries. But I still was not completely satisfied. As I continued my research I began to have problem with the teachings about Christ. This was the last straw. I came to see that there was no virgin birth, there was no Deity of Christ, there was no infallible Word, there was no physical resurrection, and there was no second coming. I came to the conclusion that Jesus was just a man and just a teacher. I had studied Zen Buddhism prior to this crisis and had been practicing zazen. It was from this background I came to see that the Buddha was also just a man and just a teacher. And then in April of 2011 I asked the ultimate question: Who was the better teacher, Christ or Buddha? There was really no question in my mind. The Buddha was the better teacher. He taught me what to do, not just what to believe. As a result I converted to Buddhism. I have never regretted my decision for a minute. Why is Buddhism for me? There is no belief in God required. Buddhism is agnostic, God’s existence cannot be known and Buddhism doesn’t try to answer questions that cannot be answered. There is no belief in an eternal hell. There is no infallible book. They have Scriptures, but they are not inspired or infallible. There is no infallible priests. There is no literalized myths, in Buddhism myths are myths. And to me Buddhism is practical, it's something you do, not something you believe. Buddhism is scientific, it teaches evolution and fits well with quantum mechanics. Buddhism is reasonable, you make up your own mind based upon the evidence. No blind faith required. Buddhism is non-dogmatic, it is a way, not the only way. And Buddhism is non-authoritarian, there is no higher authority than your own experience. Research Links Archived: Jay Forrest Ministries Archived: The Gnostic Podcast Voicemail Feedback Line Your feedback is important, please call 505-750-3121 and leave a voice message to be played on the show. Music Credits Road Less Traveled by Trench Town Oddities Podcast Survey You can help me better serve you and let me know a little more about you. Please fill out the survey over at the Blubrry Network, the link is: http://www.blubrry.com/jayforrestshow/survey/ Jay Forrest Show Resources My Blog - Read the latest from my personal Blog Beliefs - What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism. About - Who is Jay Forrest? Contact - Contact information including email and phone number. Bookstore - A list of some of the best Buddhist books. Shop - Buy a T-Shirt or Mug and show your support. Privacy Policy - Read our Privacy Policy Subscribe to the Podcast