Buddhability

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Today’s episode is for beginners, though the takeaways are refreshing and valuable for even seasoned chanters. Our guest is Crystal Fraser, of Colorado, who shares some basics about SGI Nichiren Buddhism and its core practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as well as her own journey with it. We then dig into a popular question: What should we chant about and why do people talk so much about turning the impossible into possible?

CHEAT SHEET

0:49 How Crystal encountered Buddhism and why she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

7:35 The basic philosophy and practice of SGI Nichiren Buddhism

13:09 What changed when Crystal started chanting

27:21 Why we chant about things that feel impossible

46:35 The concept of human revolution

48:49 Advice for anyone new to Buddhism

References:

• What is Human Revolution?
• Sign up for 10 Days to Get Unstuck 

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Today we’re speaking with Yuri Yamashita, of New York, about her career as a percussionist and how her Buddhist practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped her beat the odds and her own self-doubt to pave her own path in the industry. She was most recently the percussionist for the Tina Turner musical on Broadway, a remarkable coincidence because during moments of her own personal struggles, Tina Turner’s story and Buddhist practice was a great source of inspiration for Yuri.

CHEAT SHEET

1:08 How Yuri started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

4:32 What brought her to New York

12:03 How chanting impacted her daily life 

16:16 The challenges of being a freelance musician

22:05 Why Tina Turner’s story inspired her so much

32:11 Yuri’s favorite Buddhist concepts

39:12 Advice for young musicians or freelancers

References

• Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good, p. 107

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Today we’re talking about effective activism and how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can allow us to tap into the internal resources we need to truly help other people. Our guest is Alex Boling, of Los Angeles, who honestly shares the insights he has gained by applying his Buddhist practice to his experiences as an activist and volunteer. 

Key takeaway: Sometimes we have to do the internal work to be able to truly care for the people in front of us, rather than just the idea of caring for people. 

CHEAT SHEET

1:42 How Alex was inspired to start chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

9:42 The immediate impact he saw in his life

11:18 The shift he experienced in his relationship with his father

18:00 The formula he learned to apply to all future challenges

21:06 How his Buddhist practice began to change his attitude toward volunteering

32:58 The difference between caring for people vs. the idea of people

37:44 Why Alex shares Buddhism

41:54 How his family and friends saw him change

47:32 The concept of the Ten Worlds

52:28 Learning to hear other people

58:53 Advice for anyone who is struggling in their efforts to effect positive change

References:

• One by One: The World is Yours to Change, p. 60

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“Tips & Insights” new episode series in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life!

Today’s is: the oneness of life and its environment.

References:

• Winning Over Ourselves Brings Victory in All Other Realms
• Video: Oneness of Life and Environment Explained

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Today we’re talking about what it takes to believe that you can be happy, even when you’re facing the most difficult circumstances. Our guest is Christina Moran, of El Paso, Texas, who shares her own journey of pursuing happiness after experiencing a series of very challenging events that made her feel like she had hit rock bottom. 

CHEAT SHEET

2:29 How Christina encountered Buddhism

7:30 The grief and postpartum depression she was experiencing at the time

10:13 The Buddhist book that turned things around for her

14:38 What changed in her first month of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

17:02 Her initial goals for herself

22:35 Survival vs. Happiness

29:48 What it took to reconnect to happiness

39:54 The role of the Buddhist community

41:46 Her favorite Buddhist quotes

43:51 Advice for anyone who feels like happiness isn’t an option for them

References mentioned:

•  Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death 
• “The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 149
• “To My Friends,” from the June 23, 2020, Seikyo Shimbun

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Today we're talking about what wellness really means from a Buddhist perspective. Our guest is Erica Stein, L.A.-based co-host of the podcast Courageous Wellness, and Buddhist practitioner. We cover everything from the powerful experiences that led to Erica beginning her own practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, to what she’s learned about wellness through producing her podcast.

CHEAT SHEET

1:55 How Erica started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

3:01 The family struggles that taught her the value of Buddhism

9:16 Erica’s own struggle with weight that led to a wellness journey

20:03 What it means to treasure your life

22:11 Overcoming body dysmorphia 

27:22 The power of community

30:07 How to learn how to take care of yourself

33:08 Helping others is self-care

34:02 How her wellness journey inspires her work

42:07 Connections between wellness and Buddhism

45:03 Turning poison into medicine

50:22 Advice for anyone who is struggling with their wellness journey

References

• Changing Poison into Medicine
• Discussions on Youth, p. 16

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Today we're talking with Bobby Eppsteiner, a surgeon in Massachusetts, who shares the story of how he used his Buddhist practice to beat the odds and become a doctor, even when he was told he wouldn't make it. Key takeaway: Never give up.

CHEAT SHEET

1:31 How Bobby started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

2:15 What inspired his dream of going into medicine

3:53 The challenges he faced getting into medical school

8:44 How he used his Buddhist practice to counter being discouraged 

11:15 The day-to-day life of a surgeon

17:48 How he developed the strength to deal with high-stress situations

27:10 The role of the Buddhist community in his victory

31:07 Bobby’s favorite Buddhist quote

33:50 Advice for anyone who feels they are pursuing something impossible

References:

• “General Stone Tiger,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 953
• The Never-Give-Up Queen

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“Tips & Insights” new episode series in which we’ll introduce one Buddhist concept each month and how it can be applied to your life! 

Today’s is: the oneness of body and mind.

References:

• We Are Connected to Everyone, Everything
• Our Resolve is Everything
• Is the Mind-Body Connection Real?
• Mindfulness and Buddhism

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Today we're talking about what it takes to live your life as the main character or protagonist. Our guest is Nadia Ullah Morin, of Texas, who shares her journey practicing Buddhism after an unexpected series of events took her off the life path she had envisioned for herself. Through consistently chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, she found the courage to create a new path for herself.

CHEAT SHEET

1:10 How Nadia encountered Buddhism

3:50 Why it felt hard for her to continue practicing

12:26 How becoming a young mom impacted her life and self-worth

14:12 What drove her to begin chanting consistently

20:28 The role the Buddhist community played in her life

24:08 The turning point that transformed her marriage

37:00 How she came to love her life

39:54 Living life as the main character

45:27 Her favorite Buddhist concept

49:52 Why community is so important

52:41 Advice for anyone who feels like they’ve lost their way

References

• Daisaku Ikeda
• Mindfulness and Buddhism

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Today's episode is a conversation with psychologist Elizabeth Merrick about anxiety, therapy, Buddhism, and how they all connect. Sometimes it helps to examine what Buddhability looks like from different perspectives, identifying  parallels between the work of experts in different fields and how Buddhism views the potential of human beings.  

Elizabeth's insights are unique because she has experience counseling young adults, training mental health professionals and being in therapy herself, all while practicing Buddhism.

CHEAT SHEET

1:27 How Elizabeth started practicing Buddhism

5:23 Context about her professional background as a psychologist

8:34 The most common mental health challenges she sees young adults struggle with today

11:22 Natural questions during different developmental stages

14:21 When you think something is wrong with you

21:16 Connections between Buddhism and psychology on our potential for change

27:58 What anxiety is and why we experience it

32:47 Overcoming anxiety

38:52 Why the core elements of Buddhist practice are effective

44:16 Chanting vs. mindfulness

47:00 The biggest change she’s experienced through chanting

54:49 The value of having a community

1:00 A favorite Buddhist quote

1:03:20 The difference between human revolution and self-improvement

1:08:01 Advice for anyone who is struggling with anxiety

References

• Discussions on Youth, p. 5
• “Letter to Niike,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 1027