Buddhability

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“Tips & Insights” is a miniseries in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life.

Today’s is: winning in the present.

References:

• True Cause: The Spirit of Always Moving Forward From the Present Moment

• 4 Points to Master Time

• The Power to Win Each Day

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Today we’re talking about family and what to do if you just can’t reconcile differences with them.

Our guests are sisters Lauren and Molly Leebove from Michigan, whose intertwined stories of beginning their Buddhist practice and transforming their relationship with their parents are rich with lessons on what Buddhability looks like in a family setting.

CHEAT SHEET

1:22 Quote from Daisaku Ikeda in The New Human Revolution, vol. 26 p. 203–4.

2:04 Introduction to Molly and Lauren

2:54 How Molly started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism

5:45 What Lauren’s reaction was to her sister’s practice and why she started her own

7:37 What it was like growing up eight years apart

12:08 Lauren’s struggle with her mental health in college

17:28 How they both ended up back home in Michigan

19:37 How Molly decided to challenge her struggle with being home

21:44 The Buddhist concept “transforming karma into mission”

24:12 How Lauren’s life changed when she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

26:43 Why caring for others can be so healing

30:42 What it takes to set aside political or social differences

39:31 How Lauren transformed rejection into shared love

44:56 How starting fresh in every moment can change relationship dynamics

51:58 What uniting for family harmony looks like

56:31 How Buddhism changed my sister

61:06 Advice for anyone struggling with a family rift

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Today we're addressing how Buddhism can help us tackle family dynamics. Our guest is Brian Angulo, of New York, who shares how, in just a few years, his Buddhist practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo enabled him to transform a family dynamic that seemed impossible to change. Based on finding his own agency, courage and wisdom, he learned to lead with his heart and take responsibility for strengthening bonds in a way that was true to him.

CHEAT SHEET

1:18 How Brian starting chanting Nam-myoho-rengekyo

6:22 What changed after he began his practice

7:31 The family dynamic he wanted to change

11:56 How he started approaching change

17:53 The transformation of his own behavior

23:28 What he specifically chanted about

33:19 The power of the present moment

40:45 How he experiences family now

47:32 Advice for anyone who wants to transform a family relationship

References:

• The Ultimate Key to Victory in Life is Accumulating the Treasures of the Heart

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Today we’re talking about navigating job challenges, an aspect of life that be universal difficult, whether you are facing job loss, trying to find a job, navigating a tough industry or having a hard time believing in yourself at work. Our guest is Mehul Anand, of Georgia, who shares the ups and downs of her career in tech, and the profound lessons her Buddhist practice helped her learn along the way.

CHEAT SHEET

2:39 Why Mehul started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

6:24 An overview of her career trajectory, which didn’t go as planned

10:55 How she learned to use her Buddhist practice to navigate finding work

15:54 What protection means in Buddhism

21:52 The inner transformation she experienced through a long period of unemployment

28:29 Practical action to take when facing a difficult situation

33:50 Mehul’s turning point

38:13 What mission means in Buddhism

41:34 Mehul’s favorite Buddhist quotes

48:57 Advice for anyone who is currently facing a job-related struggle

References:

• “Letter to the Brothers,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 502
• “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 17
• How to Make Things Work

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“Tips & Insights” is a miniseries in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life.

Today’s is: human revolution.

References:

• Human Revolution
• What Does Human Revolution Look Like?
• Can my human revolution really change the world?
• How can I be sure that I’m progressing in my human revolution?
• The Wisdom of Buddhist Humanism

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Today we’re talking about how to do it all when you have a full plate. Whether you are an overwhelmed parent or caregiver aspiring to build a career you love, or lacking the support you wish you had to care for yourself and everything else in your life, doing it all can be tough. And amid the chaos, we tend to be hardest on ourselves.

Dr. Gitima Sharma, of California State University, talks us through how she approaches this subject as a counselor educator, and also as a Buddhist practitioner and working mom with two young children. 

CHEAT SHEET

1:34 How Gitima started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

13:11 Her own experience with “doing it all”

19:22 The challenges of self-doubt, self-comparison and perfectionism

28:04 What having a sense of purpose means in Buddhism

32:02 What research says about having a sense of purpose

45:46 How to increase your sense of purpose

53:31 A favorite Buddhist quote about time and enlightenment

56:27 Advice for anyone who is struggling to do it all

References:

• The Time Is Now! Let’s Create a Whirlwind of Dialogue!
• Live Life to the Fullest With Clear Purpose

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Today we're talking about appreciation, which is central to Buddhism in so many ways and yet, easier to talk about than truly practice, especially when it comes to the tougher circumstances in our lives. Our guest is Doris Edwards, of Philadelphia, who has been chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for many years. We discuss the Buddhist perspective on appreciation and her own journey toward it.

CHEAT SHEET

2:18 How Doris encountered Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

6:16 What shifted within her when she started chanting

11:14 Why appreciation is so important in Buddhism

14:36 Having appreciation when you’re struggling

19:35 What it means to pursue true happiness

23:08 The turning point in her own journey toward appreciation

29:19 Why Doris treasures human revolution

35:47 A few favorite Buddhist quotes

40:54 Advice for anyone new to Buddhism

References:

• Appreciation Enriches Our Lives
• “The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life”—Humanity is Awaiting Your Growth
• The Gohonzon, Explained

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Today we're talking about how to stop seeking the approval of other people, which, on the one hand, is a normal human desire, and on the other, can cause us the deepest suffering when we don't receive it. It can be especially worse when the approval or praise we seek is from our loved ones. 

Our guest is Dave Drake, who practices Buddhism in New York City, and shares his journey with this very struggle, both in his personal life and as a musician, The episode is filled with practical insights about how to apply the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to transform the desire for approval into of a life state of humility, appreciation, forward momentum and true confidence. 

CHEAT SHEET

1:20 How Dave encountered Buddhism and decided to try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

3:23 The feeling that made him want to continue

7:26 The struggle of constantly seeking approval from others

12:35 How he approached chanting about this pattern in his life

19:42 The Buddhist quotes he loves

22:28 How his relationship with his father changed

31:06 What applying Buddhist philosophy to daily life looks like

40:35 Advice for anyone feeling stuck in a situation where they don’t feel seen

References mentioned:

• Learning From Nichiren’s Writings: The Teachings for Victory, vol. 4, p. 28
• Lecture: Everything Begins With Prayer Infused With the Shared Vow of Mentor and Disciple
• Discussions on Youth, p. 8

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“Tips & Insights” is a miniseries in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life.

Today’s is: earthly desires are enlightenment.

References:

• The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part one, revised edition, pp. 170–71
• My Dear Friends in America, p. 92

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Today we're talking about unlocking our own agency when it comes to peace-building efforts and protecting our planet. Our guest is Emma Pike, of Boston, who is an activist in the field of nuclear abolition, an issue that is key to SGI Nichiren Buddhists because nuclear war represents the exact opposite of what Buddhism strives to protect: the dignity of all life. 

Emma shares her own inspiring journey of unlocking the courage to pursue work in this field, which began from her practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The lessons she shares are applicable to any fight you might be currently engaged in, whether it's personal or global.

CHEAT SHEET

2:10 Why Emma started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

7:42: How she came to pursue a career path in nuclear abolition

17:14 A brief primer on the issues

27:03 How she found her place as an activist

33:54 A pivotal turning point in her own confidence and hope

50:23 Buddhism and nuclear abolition

54:57 Advice for anyone who wants to unlock their agency when it comes to big global issues

References

• Choose Hope 
• Nuclear Disarmament Proposal (2009)
• Nothing is More Precious than Life