Buddhability

This week’s conversation is the perfect refresher for anyone who might be feeling like they could use a little fire or motivation right now.

Our guest is Shawn Lewis, of New Orleans, who tells us the story of a period in his life when he found himself coasting, and after losing a job, also financially struggling with no sense of direction. By solidifying his Buddhist practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, he dug deep to rediscover a childhood dream to work in the video game industry that opened up a most unexpected journey, and ultimately led to him building and selling a social media channel to create his dream career.

CHEAT SHEET

1:07 Introduction to Shawn

1:39 When and how he started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

5:24 The circumstances that led him back to his childhood dream 

9:11 How he began to build his channel

11:16 What the internal battle felt like as he balanced three jobs

12:44 How he developed a habit of winning

15:18 An unexpected opportunity

19:38 The impact of striving to encourage other people

25:27 His favorite Buddhist quote

30:48 The biggest internal change he experienced

32:34 Advice for anyone who feels like they are coasting or unhappy with their circumstances

References

• “The Strategy of the Lotus Sutra,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, pp. 1000–01
• Discussions on Youth, p. 22

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During the month of July, we're on short break and playing re-runs of our most popular episodes from the archives. We'll be back with brand new episodes the first Wednesday in August. This episode originally aired May 2021.

Today we are covering one of our most highly requested topics: boundaries and self-care.

Our guest is Jessica Riley, a mental health specialist in Florida, who most recently was a military psychologist. After struggling deeply with setting boundaries, an overwhelming workload and an inability to really take care of herself, she started chanting about her situation and came to a major realization about herself that changed everything. We’ll cover how she navigated her own experience and why caring for others doesn’t have to require sacrifice.

CHEAT SHEET

1:28 Jessica's journey to become a military psychologist

6:31 Why she turned to chanting

15:08 What the daily workload felt like

25:36 Two Buddhist concepts that shifted her perspective

27:45 How she found time to chant

31:12 What she realized about herself

41:36 What happened after she decided to prioritize self-care and boundaries

41:15 What believing in yourself looks like in practice

50:22 Advice for anyone struggling with self-worth or burnout

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During the month of July, we're on short break and playing re-runs of our most popular episodes from the archives. We'll be back with brand new episodes the first Wednesday in August. This episode originally aired November 2021.

Today we speak with Los Angeles-based actor Luca Manganaro, who shares his intertwined journey with acting and Buddhism and the lessons he learned along the way. 

Key takeaway: what you do, especially if you’re currently pursuing a big dream or goal that seems far away, isn’t who you are. Who you are is based on what you practice every day, how you show up in relationships, how you treat the people around you and what you base your self-worth on.

CHEAT SHEET

1:46 How Luca started practicing Buddhism

6:03 How chanting helped him transform a lifelong health challenge

13:27 How he decided to pursue acting in New York

21:05 What Buddhism taught him about dealing with the ups and downs of the business

30:25 Why he believes in having a Buddhist mentor

36:02 How he developed a foundation for his life through community

42:41 What caring for other people has to do with our own growth

51:27 Advice for anyone new to Buddhism who wants to feel fulfilled 

Mentioned references:

A Buddhability Guide to Self-Love

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During the month of July, we're on short break and playing re-runs of our most popular episodes from the archives. We'll be back with brand new episodes the first Wednesday in August. This episode originally aired August 2021.

Today we’re talking about work and more specifically, how to deal with feeling stuck. If you’re feeling trapped by your job or routine, or if you have a secret dream that you haven’t yet had the courage to pursue, this episode is for you.

Our guest is Clara Kitongo, a young woman who started practicing Buddhism at a time when she was really feeling stuck in her career and life. Her journey with chanting opened up an entirely new perspective on what a creative life means, and now she’s living the life she always wanted.

Cheat Sheet

1:04 Introduction to Clara

3:27 How she got stuck in a “treadmill type existence”

6:04 What her dreams had been before she got stuck

7:44 When and why she started practicing Buddhism

11:36 How to become free from the chains of your own mind

17:45 How she found her place in the workforce after school

33:39 How she dealt with her pain along the journey

35:36 What Buddhism says about opening the door to your life

42:18 What a creative life really means

44:49 How to deal with the opinions of others

49:55 Advice for anyone feeling afraid to open the door to their own life

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During the month of July, we're on short break and playing re-runs of our most popular episodes from the archives. We'll be back with brand new episodes the first Wednesday in August. Today we’re playing an episode that originally aired November 2020 but feels more relevant than ever. 

We speak with Abe Uccello about working for change in Florida’s prison system, even when he couldn’t see any forward movement. He explains how chanting can help you build trust and respect with anyone, and what unity actually means. Hint: You have to unlock your own wisdom and compassion first.

Cheat Sheet

1:50 What we’re trying to understand today

4:02 Introduction to Abe

5:02 How chanting helped him feel like he had control over his life again

10:54 His experiences working with the prison system

16:20 How chanting helped him figure out what to do

17:20 What a tenacious effort to build trust helped him achieve

25:10 Why he didn’t give up

28:32 How to maintain hope even when you see the darkest parts of humanity

32:33 What the end goal in Buddhism is

35:46 Advice to anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed by uncertainty

38:02 What “happiness for self and others” means

45:39 What else to read on Buddhability about feeling stuck and making change

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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: karma.

References:

• Outshining Our Karma With the “Sun of Wisdom”
• For more in-depth study of the karma, check out An Introduction to Buddhism, second edition, p. 40

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Today’s episode is about learning to live your truth. Chris, of Detroit, shares the incredibly moving journey to affirm himself and how his Buddhist practice helped him find the courage to come out as a trans man. A foundational element of Chris’s experience was learning to believe that his life has unlimited value and worth, upon which he has been able to build a foundation for new dreams.

CHEAT SHEET

1:18 How Chris encountered Buddhism and why he started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

8:29 The experiences that lead to Chris affirming himself

17:53 How Buddhism helped him find the courage to pursue happiness

25:14 What it was like to come out 

30:10 What it took to break out of lifelong limitations 

33:16 Continually reaffirming himself through chanting

36:17 Chris’s favorite Buddhist concept

42:17 Building a foundation upon valuing your life

45:05 Advice for anyone struggling with self-conflict

References: 

• December 2016 Living Buddhism, p. 40
• Soka Education: For the Happiness of the Individual, pp. 209-10

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Today’s topic is pessimism, which can be defined as a lack of hope or confidence in the future. At different times in our lives, all of us might experience pessimism, especially if our future is uncertain or we find ourselves in a situation where the odds seem stacked against us. This can be compounded by societal conflicts and current affairs, and increasingly, teens and young adults feel a sense of worry, anxiety or futility about the future. Today, we'll unpack the Buddhist perspective on optimism. Our guest is Stuart Adams, a firefighter in California who shares the story of how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped him transform pessimism into a life of confidence and action.

CHEAT SHEET

1:47 Why Stewart started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

6:17 How he discovered his dream to become a firefighter

9:56 What it took to challenge his fear 

16:52 What faith means in Buddhism

23:32 How chanting helped him take initiative

32:05 Addressing mistakes without hesitation

36:33 The role of Buddhist friends 

40:28 The Buddhist perspective on optimism

45:53 Advice for anyone who struggles with pessimism

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Today we’re talking about self-trust, which, if you’re the type of person who is constantly berating themselves internally, can feel really hard to build. Our guest is Anivat Chanachanchai, of Hawaii, who shares how taking his Buddhist practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo seriously helped him finally let go of a cycle of toxic relationships and environments. Once he tapped into his Buddhability, he finally began to trust himself and take the steps to respect his life.

CHEAT SHEET

1:18 Why Anivat started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

5:17 Having a dialogue with yourself

9:11 His experiences with bullying and coming out

21:03 The challenges he faced in Hawaii

30:05 What it means to take full responsibility for your life

35:26 How chanting helped him through the hard days

45:39 Advice for anyone new to chanting

References:

• Discussions on Youth, p. 9
• Discussions on Youth, p. 291

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"Tips & Insights” is a 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 mutual possession of the Ten Worlds.

References:

• The Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds 
• Every Situation is the Best Situation for Elevating Our Lives
• What do I do about the parts of myself I don’t like?