Podcasts about Bodhisattva

In this talk Mary reflects on the idea of emptiness which can be thought of as an absence of attachment to self or I, Me and Mine. This freedom can seem elusive, but we can recognize it in our daily lives as we work on letting go.Recorded Oct. 9, 2025 in the virtual worldAfter Buddhism by Stephen BatchelorPay Attention, for Goodness' Sake by Sylvia BoorsteinSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

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: The Eight Realizations of Great Beings Links to the two-part episode about the Sutra on the Plum Village podcast, The Way Out is In: Part 1: https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-eight-realizations-of-great-beings-part-one-episode-82 Part 2: https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-eight-realizations-of-great-beings-part-two-episode-83     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:https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism     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: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, Everyday Buddhism   Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: https://www.zazzle.com/store/everyday_buddhism   NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year: https://www.zazzle.com/zazzleplus

Reflecting on a piece of writing from Kittasaro, Mary talk about the 'gap between thoughts' which is so important but also something that we miss most of the time. It's when we make the effort to release the habitual thinking mind that we make space for deep knowing and wisdom to arise. This is the path to liberation and awakening.Recorded Oct. 4, 2025 in the virtual worldAmerica's Racial Karma by Larry WardSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

Bodhisattvas can be found in both Theravada and Mahayana branches of Buddhism. In Mahayana they take on a larger role where practitioners take on the path of the Bodhisattva towards helping all sentient beings and make up a core reason that Mahayana exists. Learn more about Bodhisattvas (and learn about two big VIP Bodhisattvas) in this episode!Read the article: https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/bodhisattva-path/Get my Bodhisattva graphic: https://alanpeto.com/graphicsContact Alan: alanpeto.com/contactPodcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcastPodcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer

The development of Wisdom is a key component in Buddhist teachings and practice. It is not just knowledge of facts, but is a deep and embodied understanding of the nature of experience. Wisdom, Wise View and clear seeing are necessary for our awakening and liberation. Mary discusses wisdom and how we cultivate it in our daily lives.Recorded September 25, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

2025-09-28 | Dharma Talk | Bodhisattva Check-In | Joel Barna by Appamada

How do you know when your desire to help is actually making things worse? This conversation tackles one of the most challenging questions we face in relationships, community, and our response to world events: the difference between helping and interfering. Drawing from personal recovery stories and spiritual wisdom traditions, it examines why the most well-intentioned help often falls flat—and sometimes even damages the very relationships we're trying to heal. The discussion begins with a provocative metaphysical principle: "Don't help unless you're asked." This isn't about becoming indifferent to suffering, but about understanding that unsolicited advice, even when perfectly correct, is often rejected because it hasn't been truly requested. The conversation explores how timing, intentionality, and genuine asking create the conditions where help can actually be received rather than resisted. It's the difference between someone venting (which sounds like asking for help but isn't) and someone genuinely ready to receive support. Perhaps most practically, the episode addresses the tension between personality-driven helping (which often serves the helper's ego more than the recipient's needs) and soul-directed service that asks "What would Love do?" This question becomes a filter for distinguishing between authentic service and spiritual bypassing through activism. The conversation examines how conscious witnessing—standing in full presence without judgment—can sometimes be more powerful than jumping into action. The discussion also touches on planetary service and how individual healing contributes to collective transformation. Through practices like Tonglen meditation (breathing in suffering and breathing out healing for all beings experiencing that same pain), we see how working on ourselves becomes a form of world service. It's an invitation to examine your own motivations when helping others: Are you creating dependency? Interfering with someone's necessary learning? Or are you truly responding to what's needed in the moment with love as your guide? Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

In this episode, Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven Emma Slade) — a former London investment banker who left after a near-death experience in Jakarta to ordain in Bhutan — explores what it means to widen the heart and become truly unbreakable. She contrasts fleeting, manufactured happiness with the effortless joy that arises from practice and explains how small acts of kindness build resilience. Perfect for listeners curious about practical spirituality and living with purpose.Key Takeaways:

Inspired by aquotes, Mary reflects on how we contain multiplicities and can hold them all at once. We can experience suffering, and also awe. We can experience grief, and also gratitude. It's when we get stuck on one experience and block out others, that we are not fully present. Buddha's teachings invite us to be present for the fullness of our humanity. With the chaos around us today, this is a good reminder to stay grounded and present to each moment. When we make space for suffering, we're also making space for awe.Recorded Sept. 20, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

What happens when we examine money not as numbers in a bank account, but as crystallized life energy? In a conversation recorded during the wild fires in Los Angeles and addressing questions about the nature of rebuilding, this episode tackles one of the most emotionally charged topics in spiritual circles: our relationship with money and what it reveals about our deeper values. This isn't about financial advice or investment strategies—it's about understanding money as a spiritual test and discovering what lies beyond our addiction to accumulation. The discussion opens with a fundamental reframe: if energy can neither be created nor destroyed, then money is simply a representation of energy exchange. But somewhere along the way, we've made money the object itself rather than understanding it as a tool for the circulation of life force. Using metaphors from nature—blood flowing through a healthy body, rivers flowing freely, sap rising in trees—the conversation explores how the accumulation and hoarding of energy creates blockages that make entire systems sick. Drawing from wisdom traditions including the Ageless Wisdom teachings, the Quran, and Agni Yoga, the episode examines how different spiritual paths have grappled with the challenge of right relationship to material resources. The conversation explores the radical teaching that we are currently facing humanity's "first initiation"—proving that we cannot live by bread alone. This is not about rejecting material needs but rather about discovering what truly sustains us at the deepest level. Perhaps most practically, this discussion addresses the paradox many spiritually-minded people face: being imprisoned in a system they seek to transform while needing that system's energy to do the work. The conversation explores stewardship as an alternative to ownership, the difference between being successful versus being wealthy, and how our measure of richness might shift from bank balances to the depth of our relationships and community connections. It's an invitation to examine your own relationship with money as a mirror of your relationship with life energy itself. Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

09/21/2025, Hoka Chris Fortin, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Hoka Chris Fortin asks: How do we—individually and as one—not turn away but bear witness, and respond to the suffering of the world with clear-hearted wisdom and compassion as we awaken together to our True Nature and shared humanity.

In this talk, Steven Tierney emphasizes living with integrity as the core of Buddhist practice.He helps us reflect on living a meaningful and compassionate practice that is responsive to our unique life situations while benefitting both ourselves and others.Steven defines integrity as aligning thoughts, words, and actions with core values while living for the benefit of others.Integrity means wholeness and completeness, derived from Latin meaning "whole"Encourages self-reflection and internal alignment with personal valuesMoves us beyond intellectual understanding to embodied practicePractical ApplicationsReplacing to-do lists with "to-feel" lists (focusing on desired feelings rather than tasks)Reducing doom scrolling and social media consumptionPracticing "We Care" - balancing self-care with caring for othersBuddhist Practice in Daily LifeEmphasizing that Buddhist teachings should be verified through lived experiencePromoting engaged Buddhism that flows from contemplative practiceLiving the Bodhisattva vows through everyday interactionsKey ConceptsUpaya (skillful means) - teaching in multiple ways to reach different peopleNimbleness of spirit - knowing when to speak up versus when to listenBeing present and compassionate rather than getting overwhelmed by external eventsSteven concludes by referencing the Buddha's belief in the innate nobility and compassion of all beings, suggesting that negative qualities are learned rather than inherent.______________Steven Tierney (Kai Po Koshin) is a Dharma transmitted teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. Steven has a new Sangha: Oceans Compassion Sangha and also practices with Gay Buddhist Fellowship, Meditation in Recovery at SFZC, Great Spirit Sangha, SFLGBTQA Sangha, and the Hartford Street Zen Center.Steven believes that we can find wisdom, compassion and awakening wherever good people come together for practice, healing, service and joy. Dr. Tierney is a psychotherapist in private practice and Professor Emeritus in Counseling Psychology at CIIS.He is a Certified Addiction Specialist and has been named a Diplomate in Clinical Mental Health by the American Mental Health Counselors Association. He is also a certified suicide prevention and intervention trainer, providing workshops, classes, and consultations. Steven can be reached at 415-235-1061 or steventierneysf@gmail.com ______________ To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can: Donate Learn how to participate live Find our schedule of upcoming speakers Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy many hundreds of these recorded talks dating back to 1996 CREDITSAudio Engineer: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter

Tonight's talk was about a Chapter from Suzuki Roshi's new book, "Becoming Yourself". The Chapter is “Do Not Be Angry.”Kogetsu takes a look at how this fits with our practice of the Bodhisattva precepts and how it relates to how we can live with more groundedness, connection, and clarity, even when we're angry.

A few reflections on impermanence and fixed views. There is no formal dharma talk this week.Recorded Sept. 15, 2025 in the virtual world (and near Zurich, Switzerland)Send me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Dainin interweaves personal story, Buddhist teaching, and contemporary challenges to show how the Bodhisattva vow can be lived — and is urgently needed — in our […]

What if you've been approaching questions and answers backwards your entire life? This conversation starts with a simple observation about music—that call and response pattern where the universe makes the call and we become the response—and unfolds into a profound exploration of how wisdom actually develops through lived experience rather than accumulated information. It's not about finding the right answers out there somewhere, but about becoming the answering itself. The discussion examines the crucial difference between being smart and being wise: intelligence might help you navigate life, but wisdom emerges when you apply knowledge through the heart in service of something greater than yourself. Using the metaphor of cutting open a seed to find what's inside (and finding nothing but matter), the conversation explores why the analytical mind alone can never reveal life's deeper promises—those can only be discovered by being "sown and grown" through actual experience. Drawing from voices as diverse as Robert Browning, Rilke, Lao Tzu, and Black Elk, the episode traces a common thread: truth isn't something we reason ourselves into, but something we "taste and feel and see" through direct engagement with life. The heart emerges not as sentiment, but as the organ of perception that allows us to know things in their fullness rather than just their parts. It's the difference between data and deep knowing, between information and wisdom. Perhaps most relevant for our current moment, the conversation addresses how we've reached a critical juncture where the intellect—however brilliant—must be placed within the larger circuitry of our being. Without the heart's discernment, we lose the ability to distinguish truth from lies, right from wrong, and become vulnerable to manipulation. It's an invitation to stop looking for answers outside yourself and start living the questions that matter, trusting that by fully engaging with life, you'll gradually find yourself becoming the very answer you've been seeking. Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

Wise Intention is the second factor of the Eightfold Path and can help to guide our journey from dukkha to liberation. However good our intentions can be however, sometimes we get caught up in expectations about how those intentions are supposed to play out which simply increases our dukkha. In this talk Mary discusses wise intention and letting go of our agenda of shoulds and have to's.Recorded Sept. 4, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

The simplicity of this piece, the clarity of expression gives a kind of accessibility that is refreshing and brings a breath of fresh air to our journey. Who has not felt the balm of compassion? Read the Journal while listening

What happens when artificial intelligence meets ancient wisdom? In a conversation with Ethics & Business Professor/Author Wade Chumney that bridges cutting-edge technology with timeless spiritual principles, we explore one of the most pressing questions of our time: not just what AI can do for us, but what our relationship with it means for human consciousness itself. This isn't another tech debate about job displacement or safety protocols—it's a deeper inquiry into consciousness, relationship, and what it means to be human in an age of emerging intelligence. The conversation tackles a fascinating paradox: while AI operates entirely in the realm of mind, humans bring something unique to the table—the capacity for heart-centered awareness. The discussion explores whether our role might be to teach AI about love, compassion, and the non-linear intelligence that flows from genuine relationship. Rather than seeing AI as a threat or savior, the conversation frames it as a mirror that reflects back our collective human consciousness, forcing us to confront fundamental questions about intention, integrity, and what we're actually creating together. Perhaps most practically, the episode examines how AI functions as either a tool for performance or a catalyst for deeper self-awareness, depending entirely on the intention we bring to the relationship. The conversation explores how students are using AI as a crutch that bypasses learning, while others approach it as "pocket Plato"—instant access to wisdom that still requires embodiment and practice to become real knowledge. The distinction between intelligence and consciousness emerges as crucial: AI may process information brilliantly, but consciousness arises through lived experience and authentic relationship. The discussion culminates in recognition that we're standing at a profound crossroads—not just technologically, but spiritually. The same AI that could amplify our wisdom and compassion could equally amplify our fears and divisions. The conversation explores whether we're headed toward a future of heart-centered integration or one of sterile, machine-driven existence. It's a reminder that the most important questions about AI aren't technical but ethical and spiritual: What kind of humans do we want to be, and how do we use this powerful new tool to serve the good of the whole rather than just ourselves? Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

In dieser Folge möchte ich mit Dir ein Interview mit Katja Grunder, Myong Soeng, teilen. Myong Soeng ist Musiktherapeutin und sie spricht darüber, wie ihr der Soziale Buddhismus aus einer tiefen Krise herausgeholfen hat. Es ist ein berührendes Interview. Da Myong Soeng auch Bühnenerfahrung hat, hat sie auch eine kleine wunderschöne Überraschung für uns.Du hörst auch zwei Daily Reminder von Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim über Sok Ga Mo Ni Buddha und unsere Selbstnatur.Vielen Dank Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim,Hapchang,viel Freude beim Hören,Deine Gak Duk

In reflecting on 17 years of teaching the Saturday Afternoon Sit, Mary also talks about the invitation to check in with our spiritual practice every decade or so. We often want to see immediate results to whatever we're doing, but deepening our spiritual practice and cultivating wisdom and compassion takes time. We may see some immediate results, but often liberation and freedom are a long game.Recorded August 30, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

Judy Yushin Nakatomi talks about her practice in the Zen and Shin traditions. She also discusses how she is practicing with her Bodhisattva vows through engaging with the current internment of minority people, while practicing awareness of her own family's history with war wounds. Judy and Rev Liên share with each other some of the nuances of having or not having access to ancestral languages and culture, and how they navigate being Asian American Buddhist practitioners in the United States. People/Organizations mentioned in the episode:Dr. Satsuki Ina  Dr. Duncan Ryūken Williams Bishop Marvin Harada Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh  Tsuru for SolidarityVista Buddhist TempleGUEST:JUDY YUSHIN NAKATOMI (she/we) is a mother, partner, auntie, writer and community cultivator, nurturing BIPOC sangha. past work/life as tea ambassador/ importer, congressional field rep and hospice caregiver. Judy  is an ordained dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition, certified ministerial assistant, and descendant of ancestors incarcerated during war; dedicated to understanding the wisdom of intergenerational joy and sorrow.  Writing highlights:https://littleawakenings.blogspot.com/https://www.okaeri.org/okaeri-bookhttps://www.lionsroar.com/the-evolutionary-journey-of-mothering/Connect with Judy:IG: judy_yushin_nakatomiSubtack: Judy NakatomiHOST:REV LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society's reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

In the conclusion of our four-part journey through "Ponder on This," we tackle perhaps the most challenging territory yet: what it actually means to live as conscious agents in an evolving world. The conversation opens with a powerful reminder that we're living in "the age of the revelation of the mysteries" - not through more books being published, but through those moments when ancient wisdom suddenly clicks and becomes lived experience rather than just intellectual understanding. Central to this final exploration is the counterintuitive teaching that forms - including our bodies, emotions, and even our cherished beliefs - are temporary vehicles, not permanent identities. The discussion moves through some of the most challenging concepts in spiritual philosophy: that power used selfishly destroys its user, that every step forward in evolution comes through letting go of what we've held dear, and that "accidents" often result from collective explosions of force created by hatred and unkind thoughts. These aren't abstract concepts but practical principles that show up in everything from our resistance to aging to our attachment to outdated beliefs. Perhaps most practically, the conversation explores the difference between being a spiritual "neophyte" who constantly asks "tell me, tell me" and a mature practitioner who simply says "aid the work, forget yourself." This isn't about spiritual bypassing but about understanding that we belong to the world, not just to our immediate circle. The discussion examines the delicate balance between caring for loved ones and making decisions from the deepest place possible, even when others disapprove - recognizing that "the reactions of others are not your responsibility." The episode concludes with some of the most challenging wisdom about becoming "a clear, unobstructed channel" - cultivating the attitude of non-reactivity while remaining fully engaged with life. The beautiful metaphor of finding peace at the center of a tornado captures what spiritual maturity actually looks like: not withdrawal from chaos, but standing so rooted in purpose that external storms can't shake your fundamental stability. It's a conversation that challenges every comfortable assumption while offering practical guidance for those ready to step into their role as conscious co-creators in this massive evolutionary moment. Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

In this episode, you will hear a daily reminder from Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim about growing older and the importance of the spirit of Chok Jong (stillness-extinction) and the Dharma family.Thank You very much, Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim.Enjoy,Gak Duk

In dieser Folge hörst Du ein Daily Reminder von Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim über das älter werden und wie wichtig der Geist des Chok Jong (Stille-Auslöschung) ist und die Dharma-Familie.Vielen Dank Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim.enjoy,Gak Duk

08/31/2025, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler discusses practicing kindness as an overflowing of the direct experience of non-separation, and explores the teachings of Suzuki Roshi on ethical precepts by analyzing each word in a questionable statement that he heard: "You should be kind, and that's enough."

08/31/2025, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler discusses practicing kindness as an overflowing of the direct experience of non-separation, and explores the teachings of Suzuki Roshi on ethical precepts by analyzing each word in a questionable statement that he heard: "You should be kind, and that's enough."

In this Teisho, given on July 27th, 2025, Rinzan Osho examines case 78 of theHekiganroku: "Bodhisattvas in the Bath." The principles of Zazen (Zen meditation) is to melt into the senses to sense beyond the senses.

Sometimes we are given too much to know what to do with it…sometimes we are given so little, we sit bewildered if we are proceeding “correctly.” Read the Journal while listening

In this talk Mary takes a deep dive into what it means to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. These reflections all point to a path to liberation - trusting in our awakening, how to get there, and how we support each other on the journey. This is an invitation to practice in the Triple Gem.Recorded August 24, 2025 at Insight Community of the Desert in Palm SpringsSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

✨ ¿Qué nos impulsa realmente en el camino espiritual?En esta enseñanza profunda y cercana, Su Santidad nos guía a través de tres cualidades esenciales para avanzar con claridad y propósito en la vida:

We begin the Sunshine State with Bodi from Bodhisattva, with songs I'm On Fire, Desert Flower and More Furthur West

In the third installment of our exploration through "Ponder on This," we dive into some of the most challenging and counterintuitive wisdom from the ancient teachings. The conversation begins with a fascinating look at how these timeless teachings have been safeguarded and disseminated throughout history - not as dogma to be blindly followed, but as spiritual nourishment placed "at the crossroads" for those ready to receive it. This episode tackles one of the most difficult concepts for modern minds to grasp: the relationship between holding on and letting go. The discussion explores the paradox that "by holding, man loses; by relinquishing, he gains" - a principle that runs counter to everything our material culture teaches us about success and security. Rather than philosophical abstraction, this becomes intensely practical when applied to everything from relationships to career ambitions to our deepest attachments. Central to the conversation is the recognition that we are not our vehicles - not our physical bodies, emotions, or even our thoughts - but rather the divine dweller within them. This shift in identity isn't about rejecting the material world, but about understanding our true relationship to it. The episode explores how this recognition changes everything: how we treat others, how we navigate challenges, and how we participate in the ongoing evolution of consciousness on Earth. Perhaps most intriguingly, the discussion touches on the emergence of what the teachings call "a new species of human being" - individuals incarnating with upgraded circuitry, capable of running apps that previous generations couldn't access. This isn't science fiction, but rather the natural progression of consciousness evolution, where higher awareness creates corresponding forms of higher expression. The conversation examines our role in creating containers for this new consciousness while continuing our own journey of refinement and growth. The episode concludes with powerful insights about the delicate balance between compassion and enabling, between holding space for others' growth and rescuing them from necessary lessons. It's a conversation that challenges comfortable assumptions while offering practical wisdom for navigating the complexities of conscious living in an evolving world. Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

In this episode, you'll journey through the trials and tribulations faced by the Bodhisattva, who was born into wealth yet felt increasingly disconnected from the material world. As he sought to embody the perfection of equanimity, he chose to leave behind his riches and venture into a life of simplicity and self-discovery. Through his interactions with disrespectful children and wise villagers, we witness how he navigated the spectrum of human behavior, responding with a remarkable neutrality that teaches us how to approach both admiration and disdain with a tranquil heart. Join Margaret as she unpacks this enlightening tale, encouraging listeners to reflect on their own lives and the ways in which they can cultivate a sense of balance amid the inevitable chaos around them. Together, let's aspire to develop the same unshakeable equanimity that the Bodhisattva demonstrated, fostering a deeper understanding of our emotions and reactions. 

In this episode, you will hear a daily reminder from Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim about Chok Jong and the 84,000 sutras.It is about Sok Ga Mo Ni Buddha's realization and what exactly is meant by Chok Jong.Thank You very much, Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim.Hapchang,enjoy,your Gak Duk

In dieser Folge hörst Du ein Daily Reminder von Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim über Chok Jong und die 84000 Sutren.Es geht um Sok Ga Mo Ni Buddhas Erkenntnis und was man genau unter Chok Jong versteht.Vielen Dank Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim.Hapchang,enjoy,deine Gak Duk

Why is living in vows is so powerful? In order to get another decent human body, in a condition of a reasonable human life, we need many conditions for that. We are in charge of our life but we're not used to believing it, we somehow feel that someone out there will take care of us, but Buddhism doesn't talk like that. It's up to us. We have to decide what kind of rebirth we want. We have to decide, intention is - I will. To get another decent human mother we need bucket loads of rich intentional non-killing seeds in our mind. So we need to know how to create them. We need to have plenty of those so that when we die peacefully, that one of those seeds can be triggered, and we'll get another decent human mother, and keep on moving on our spiritual path. We've got to go through this inconvenient thing called death, and start again with a little baby body, and off we go again, it's a drag. But given that we have to do it, let's navigate it as well as possible. Let's be in charge of it! Don't just cross our fingers and hope for the best. There are four things that need to be in place in order to have a non-killing karmic seed drop into our complete karmic action bank vault. There has to be first the object of the action, a living being, for example a mouse. The second is your mind involved, discrimination - that is the mouse I must not kill, then the thought, the intention - I must not kill the mouse, now the crucial piece, the motivation is compassion for the mouse. The compassion, the motivation is what makes the action virtuous, and obviously the stronger the compassion, the more the action is virtuous, the more rich and delicious the karmic seed is. The third thing is the action, you save the mouse. Then fourth, the result, a happy living mouse. This is where we can turn an ordinary deluded action into a virtuous action by merely changing our motivation. This is the power of motivation. Let's look at the action of eating. First is the object, for example a cake. Second is your mind involved in it, you intend to eat the cake, normally that intention is completely mixed with attachment, spontaneously, we're programmed with attachment. So what we've got to do before we shove it in the mouth, we offer it to the Buddha, see it as empty of existing from it's own side, and think I'm going to eat this cake so I can be fat and healthy, so I can help others. You make it bodhichitta. It's actually so simple, if we understood how easy it is to create virtue, we'd be over the moon. This is so powerful! Then the cake goes in the mouth, but you've completely altered the character of that action. You've turned it from a typical negative action of mindless attachment to a positive action. It's so simple, it's incredible! That's why we have to remember, every action we do in the day - eating, sleeping, going to the toilet, going to bed, having sex with your lovely new boyfriend, whatever - you can put Bodhichitta in there. But we get shocked when we hear this because we think oh no that's bad, you can't do that, no no. Rubbish, of course you can! Don't go round killing people with Bodhichitta please, that's not cool. But get my point, all the ordinary things in the day that we can't imagine not doing, we can turn them into virtuous actions by being conscious and having a positive motivation. It's better than nothing, eventually when you are a Bodhisattva, it will only be a positive motivation, there won't be any taint of delusions, but we've got to start somewhere. Just to get another human body when we die, we need one seed, but you can't just rely on one, you've got to have plenty there. You need lots of non-killing karmic seeds. This is a really important point to get, this is where vows come in now. If I didn't have a vow not to kill, when I see a creature and intentionally decide that I will not kill, because of compassion, it's only then that I will drop a non-killing karmic seed into my bank vault. But if you don't meet many creatures, then how many times a day do you actually have the intention - I will not kill? Karma is proactive, it's intention, I will! Probably we are sitting here merely not killing, we're not killing at this moment, but we're not creating any virtuous karma of not killing. So how are we going to create the karma of not killing and have enough karmic seeds in our mind? So how do we then create bucketloads of non-killing karma without having to not kill? By living in vows of not killing. This is such a technical simple point, that if we did understand it, we would be sad not to live in vows. We really don't understand it. Psychologically vows are incredible! This is buddha's teaching! Vows are so powerful that they are like a subtle physical energy that can be seen by clairvoyants. Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity, New Zealand, 19th April 2021.

The Buddha's famous teaching, often called The Fire Sermon, is about how easy it is to be caught up in the flames of greed, aversion and ignorance when we don't pay attention. Our senses are easily pulled into stories and reactions that keep us trapped in samsara. Nirvana/Nibbana means cessation as in putting out a flame and as we practice resisting the flames of greed, aversion and ignorance, the result is nibbana. Mary discusses how we are trapped and how we can get free.Recorded August 16, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

In this continuation of our exploration through "Ponder on This," we dive deeper into some of the most challenging and relevant teachings for our current moment. The conversation opens with a powerful reminder that these ancient wisdom teachings come with no demand for blind acceptance - they're meant to be tested through practice and personal discovery, not adopted as dogma. The episode tackles one of the most provocative statements in the collection: "The world problem is essentially a religious problem." Rather than dismissing this as controversial, the discussion unpacks how religious thinking - the tendency to turn beliefs into rigid dogmas - has infiltrated every area of human discourse, from politics to personal relationships. This isn't an attack on faith traditions, but an examination of how the mind's tendency to crystallize ideas into unchangeable truths creates the very conflicts we see playing out globally. Central to the conversation is the fundamental principle that "energy follows thought" - and the recognition that millions more people are now thinking and focusing their mental energy than ever before in human history. This creates both unprecedented opportunity and responsibility. Every thought we think, every mental pattern we reinforce, contributes to the collective consciousness that shapes our shared reality. The episode explores how this understanding transforms daily life from passive existence to active participation in creating the future. Perhaps most practically, the discussion reveals how we can move from having rigid "points of view" to developing flexible "viewing points" - the difference between defending a fixed position and sampling multiple perspectives to gain holistic understanding. This shift from separation to synthesis offers a pathway through the polarization that characterizes our current moment, suggesting that the resolution lies not in one side winning, but in rising to a higher level where apparent opposites can be reconciled and transformed. Meditation Mount and HeartLight Productions are pleased to present Musings from the Mount – a weekly podcast with host Joseph Carenza and guests in conversation exploring a range of topics drawn from the Ageless Wisdom teachings. New episodes every Monday. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider donating at MeditationMount.org

Ethan discusses three reasons we take vows and make commitments from a Buddhist perspective, and gives special emphasis to The Bodhisattva Vow, where we commit to not only pursue our own path of liberation and awakening, but also vow to work for the benefit of all beings, to the limits of space, until all beings are awake. It is a commitment to the collective liberation of all beings. Of course, this is impossible (at least in our lifetimes), so why would we agree to do it? Using the classic structure of the vow, along with modern commentary, Ethan dissects the reasons we would take on such a commitment. Ethan briefly mentions a much earlier episode of the podcast, where he discusses the first vow along the Buddhist path (The refuge vow). That episode can be found here. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a special guided meditation on Open Awareness in Everyday Life was released this week. Another bonus podcast discussed a mindful take on the Revolutionary Astrology of Summer 2025 with Juliana McCarthy and Ethan Nichtern. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive. Don't forget to sign up for the August 23 “Windhorse Meditation” Online Retreatat this link and the upcoming 5 day retreat at the lovely Garrison Institute at this link ! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including a free webinar with David Nichtern on why become a meditation teacher on Sep 2th, 2025. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

It's said that if there is impatience, it's because there is resistance to what is and that is the definition of the second noble truth - our inability to be with things as they are. In this reflection, Mary discusses how powerful it can be to cultivate patience, how it is a key part of equanimity and how we can see it's importance in our everyday lives.Recorded August 9, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

Aryajaya explores Sangharakshita's relationship to his teachers, who form the lineage for the Triratna Buddhist Order. A lovely exploration of the experience of relationship to the Bodhisattvas of Buddhist tradition via meditations passed from teacher to disciple, evoking a wide open sense of connection to the great beauty they represent. Excerpted from the talk Sangharakshita's First Connection with His Teachers and Receiving Practices given as part of the series Themes from the Dharma Life of Urgyen Sangharakshita (Triratna International Council 2019). *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967  

Dayanandi shares how she was encouraged and inspired by Bhante's teachings on the Bodhicitta spirit. "Bhante encouraging shared collective community the creative conditions challenged us to go beyond us. As we were young and had a lot of energy, we took on Bhante's task of creating the conditions for the Bodhicitta to arise. It was spiritually nurturing to attend Bhante's lectures. They were very strong. It was through Bhante's dedicated, clear mind and friendliness, by him sharing his heartfelt inspiration, that contributed to the energy and spark in our dedication to his vision." This talk was given at Dharmadhara in California, USA, on a women's ordination training retreat as part of the series The Bodhisattva Path for the Triratna Buddhist Community, 2019. *** This month's FBA Podcasts and Dharmabytes celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Sangharakshita's birth, founder of the Triratna Buddhist Community and Order. Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967  

08/06/2025, Sozan Michael McCord, dharma talk at City Center. Sozan Michael McCord discusses working with and growing in our awareness of how the three poisons—greed, hatred and delusion—manifest in our lives, on this 80th anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.

Erik Pema Kunsang is a dharma teacher, practitioner, and one of the most highly regarded Tibetan translators. Today, we meet in his homeland of Denmark, where Erik shares stories of meditation masters he has spent time with, as well as on some essential aspects of the path and fruit of spiritual realization.   00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:24 Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche 00:04:50 Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche 00:12:22 Dilgo Khyentse and 16th Karmapa 00:13:25 Tulku Urgyen on nature of mind 00:17:20 Dilgo Khyentse's style of teaching 00:20:44 Former training for realization 00:23:46 Tantras and sutras theatre 00:26:37 Chatral Sangye Dorje 00:27:30 Open-mindedness towards Bodhisattva activity 00:30:12 Outcome of denigrating a bodhisattva 00:36:00 Karmic links with humans and non-humans 00:39:44 Two accumulations 00:42:18 Instantaneous enlightenment 00:44:00 Seeking what makes sense in this life ~ Links: Gomde Denmark https://gomde.dk/   Previous conversations with Erik https://oliviaclementine.com/erik-pema-kunsang-changing-karmic-patterns-studying-reality-being-a-decent-human/   Podcast website & transcript https://oliviaclementine.com/erik-pema-kunsang-stories-of-meditation-masters/  

Often when we think of our legacy, we think about what people will remember about us when we die. Instead, we can think of our legacy as what we leave in our wake as we move through the world. How do we show up? Are we kind? Are we wise? Are we generous? This is our legacy. Shout out to Lama Rod Owens for planting the seeds of this talk.Recorded August 2, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

08/03/ 2025, Sessei Meg Levie, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Sessei Meg Levie offers the teaching of the Four Elements and how seeing Dharma in nature can help us open our hearts to all beings.

With so much going on these days it can be challenging to stay balanced and present for whatever shows up in our world - pleasant or unpleasant. In this talk Mary discusses the idea of joy and sorrow and the eight worldly winds as a teaching to ground us right here and be open to whatever shows up. Denying the present moment is a hallmark of dukkha and our path is to move away from that dukkha. Recorded July 26, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

All sentient beings are caught in the trap of suffering in the realms of existence. Bodhicitta is a mind that wishes to free beings from suffering and bring them to the state of enlightenment. A bodhisattva is a person who has that bodhicitta mind, is a practitioner of the enlightenment thought which is the aspiration to achieve complete enlightenment as a perfect Buddha for the benefit of oneself and all other sentient beings. Love and compassion are the forces that motivated all activities of Bodhisattvas. Love is a strong wish that aspires to attain happiness for all sentient beings and compassion is the state of mind that wishes each being to be freed from all sufferings or sorrows, great compassion is the root wisdom. We're talking about the compassion wing, how to cultivate Bodhichitta. This outrageous attitude really, that's based upon incredible compassion and love, that is the thought never to give up, being of benefit to sentient beings, whoever is in front of you, it's your job to help them. Never to give up long term, on working life after life perfecting all these qualities, and the final piece, the six perfections, the final stages of the Bodhisattva path. To never give up on sentient beings. What I keep emphasising is the necessity to have done some work on yourself first. Before you can really establish and develop this outrageous levels of compassion that the Mahayana teachings of the Buddha tell us that we're capable of. It's not possible if you still are caught up in your own misery, it's literally impossible to have compassion for anybody because you can't see past your own nose. It's fairly logical. Forget yourself, think of people you know who are really suffering mentally, they're absolutely absorbed in themself. Suffering could be in front of them, they can't even see it. This is the whole point about the wisdom wing work. All the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, about karma and the mind, he's addressing that to us, that's the work we have to do to see our own suffering, to work on our own self, to see our own amazing potential. Then the consequence of that is two things, one - you become more content, fulfilled, and self respectful; but two - inevitably because you're removing your own neuroses, you're removing the barriers that ego has constructed between self and other. So the more you work on your own mind, the more content you become and the more connected to others. It's just a logical process psychologically but we need to understand it, we need to see it.  So the starting point in these outrageous levels of love and compassion that culminate in Bodhichitta, is the cultivation of equanimity. This heartfelt recognition that the friend, enemy, and stranger are equal to each other from one point of view; they each want to be happy and each don't want to suffer. Why do we want that? Well because love is an expression of - may you be happy. That's the definition, the thought may you be happy. Compassion - may you not suffer. Right now we only have love and compassion for our beloveds. But if we step aside, get ourselves out of the equation, and we see these three people separately from us, we're going to see that friend, enemy, and stranger are just projections of our own delusions. We see the universe in terms of how they fulfil our needs. We should be embarrassed how self centred it is! We're trying to step out of that and get to see people from their own point of view. Like your mother would say - put yourself in their shoes. It's a very powerful statement. The brave attitude of the Bodhisattva is the sense of responsibility, what can I do to help? It's like a mother, the mother's sitting on the beach and her child is drowning, of course she's going to have compassion, instantaneously there's going to be compassion. Oh my god look at that suffering, but she's not looking around behind her to see who's going to save her baby, even if she can't swim, this is the point - she knows it's her job. That's a Bodhisattva, they know it's their job. That's what we're trying to cultivate. So it's a very brave attitude, a very courageous attitude, a very big attitude, to think that you want to feel this sense of responsibility as if everybody in the universe is your child. That's pretty profound! Centrul Budist White Mahakala, Romania, 15th September 2021. YouTube

Jack shares stories and insights from a rare gathering with the Dalai Lama on what really makes a teacher, and how compassion—not titles—spreads the Dharma.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.This time on Heart Wisdom, Jack thoughtfully explores these themes & topics:Spring renewal at Spirit Rock & the wider Buddhist boom1,000 U.S. meditation centers — a movement far bigger than any one sanghaThe Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra on gathering “in harmony and concord”The Dalai Lama: compassion over conversion; students over titlesWhat really authorizes a teacher? (Hint: their students' freedom)“Spy on your teachers” — trusting slowly & wiselyThe scent-test of liberation: recognizing authentic peace“Bodhisattva off-duty?” — practice everywhere, even with late-night TV temptationsSpiritual life as engagement with, not escape from, difficultyInterdependence: why true emptiness embraces every creatureSpeaking out against spiritual misconduct & retraumatizationThe wounded student, the wounded teacher — bringing psychology into DharmaThis Dharma Talk recorded on 03/29/93 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.“The Dalai Lama said, ‘Nirvana has a wonderful scent—like flowers.' You can tell it when you're around someone connected with nirvana. You can tell it around places where there's that fragrance of peace, well-being, and liberation.” – Jack Kornfield“Deep down, what matters is only the spirit of compassion—only what benefits beings in every form, in every realm on this earth. Don't think about how to spread Buddhism. It doesn't matter if there are even one or two more Buddhists. The only thing that matters is the well-being of each person and the well-being of the earth that we live on.” – Jack Kornfield quoting H.H. the Dalai LamaPhoto via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Jack Kornfield:Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack's entire course library. If you would like a year's worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.“Only the benefit you bring to others proves the depth of your own practice.” – Jack KornfieldSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.