How does a student athlete and mother become a superstar coach to students and even Olympians? Karen Dennis, of Columbus, Ohio, shares how her Buddhist practice led to a decorated coaching career. 

At the time of her retirement from Ohio State as the director of both Track and Field teams, she won the most Big Ten titles of any woman in Ohio State history. Prior, she coached teams at University of Nevada Las Vegas, Michigan State and the National Women’s 2000 Olympic Team. She has been inducted into the Hall of Fame for three prestigious organizations and voted coach of the year by her peers 13 times. Today, we discuss what Buddhism has in common with mindset of winning athletes and coaches.

Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.

Resources

“The Hero of the World,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 835.

The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, p. 172

Buddhability Shorts is a series where we break down a Buddhist concept or common life challenge we’ve touched on in an interview. Today, we’re talking about how to make difficult decisions and life without regret.

To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected] 

Episode Mentioned:

Your Past Decisions Don’t Define Your Future

Resources:

Discussions on Youth, pp. 26, 362.

The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, pp. 128-29.

Buddhism teaches that all our problems are opportunities for growth. But how could heartbreak possibly make someone better at math? Alex Scheffelin, of New York, shares how he used a moment of hopelessness to propel him to becoming a Ph.D. student at Columbia University.

Watch this week's episode on our YouTube Channel.

With college decisions trickling in, we're airing a rerun of a May 2024 episode about college rejections.

When Ashley Park didn’t get into her first choice colleges, she was stuck in New York City balancing a jam-packed schedule. Buddhism teaches that everything moves in the direction of our happiness when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. With that in mind, Ashley knew there must be a reason and used her Buddhist practice to discover it. Today, we discuss how winning in every area of your life leads to your ultimate growth and happiness. 

References:

Discussions on Youth

Aug. 14, 1998, World Tribune, p. 9.

Cheat Sheet:

03:55 Why Ashley started practicing Buddhism at age 16

16:29 Tackling doubt after college rejections 

35:27 Buddhism is about winning

40:00 How she landed the perfect job

47:37 Why her path was exactly what she needed to become happy

Chip Grossman, of Santa Monica, always thought spirituality and business were opposing goals. It wasn’t until he encountered SGI Nichiren Buddhism that he realized their deep ties. Today, Chip shares how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped him develop the courage and strength to go after his goals and build unshakable happiness.

View today's episode on YouTube.

Resources:
The New Human Revolution, vol. 9, pp. 272–73
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 637.
The New Human Revolution, vol. 5, pp. 27­–28
The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, pp. 185-87.

Buddhability Shorts is a series where we break down a Buddhist concept or common life challenge we’ve touched on in an interview. Today, we’re talking about life milestones and feeling left behind.

To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected] 

Episode Mentioned:

How I Beat Burnout

Seeing Beyond My Complaints and Problems

Resources:

Discussions on Youth, pp. 6, 121.

Each Instant Contains Incredible Possibilities

Life can’t always go according to plan. So, what do we do when things change? Buddhist practice helps us to be flexible and turn everything into an opportunity for deeper happiness. 

Today’s guest, Camryn Snowden, of Oklahoma, navigated a big life change that helped her see that she could expand her capacity rather than compromising her dreams.

Resources:

The New Human Revolution, vol. 20, p. 89.

December 2, 2022, World Tribune, p. 7.

Daily life throws a lot at us. When our state of life is low, it can be easy to get wrapped up in complaint. Buddhism teaches that caring for others helps us see beyond our problems, having a more expansive view of our lives with deeper appreciation and happiness.

Today’s guest, Daeseon Kim, of Queens, N.Y., shares how tying his dreams to a deeper purpose helped him move to the U.S. and advance in his career as a physical therapist.

Watch this episode on Youtube.

Resources:

Discussions on Youth, p. 336.

What happens when you’ve failed at your goal… more than once? Today’s guest, Ayumi Sasaki, of Detroit, had a big career goal that took two years and many attempts to accomplish. We discuss how her Buddhist practice and community helped her develop the ability to pick herself back up and keep going until she reached the finish line.

Resources:

Discussions on Youth, p. 24. 

The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. 215.

“Letter to Niike,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 1027.

Buddhability Shorts is a series where we break down a Buddhist concept or common life challenge we’ve touched on in an interview. Today, we’re learning how Buddhism can help us in relationships and love.

To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected] 

Episode Mentioned:

On Self-Love and Relationships

References:

Discussions on Youth, pp. 60–67.