Buddhability

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Today we’re addressing a feeling that can be experienced universally: feeling disconnected from yourself. Sometimes, our life looks pretty good on paper and we’re lucky enough to have meaningful work and relationships, but still, deep inside, we feel…nothing.

Our guest is Rodrigo Carvalhedo, an animator and writer based in Los Angeles who started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism a few years ago, when he moved to the U.S. from Brazil to pursue an artistic career.

Ever since then, he has been taking steps forward in his career, but halfway through the pandemic, he started to feel a deep sense of inertia. You know, that feeling that you’re going through the motions, and while you look okay, inside, you’re really struggling?

We discuss how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the essential practice of SGI Nichiren Buddhism, can help you reconnect with yourself and find a sense of purpose again.

CHEAT SHEET

2:40 How Rodrigo discovered Buddhism through Instagram

4:40 What motivated him to dive into the practice

7:27 How he saw himself change once he started chanting

10:45 The roots of his dream to become a writer and animator

15:06 How the daily practice of chanting affected his work, both internally and externally

20:32 When the inertia and emptiness set in during the pandemic

23:23 What he did to address his feelings

26:27 What happiness means in Buddhism

30:32 How he reconnected with his practice

35:36 A Buddhist quote that captures his experience

37:12 How making an internal shift translated to a shift in his environment

39:28 Advice for anyone who is feeling disconnected or empty right now

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Today we’re speaking with Krystal Kalima, a 22-year-old college student from Hawai’i who started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism when she was in high school.

Krystal’s story is a lesson in what it takes to overcome shame and become proud of where you’re from. Growing up, she and her mom experienced extreme financial hardship, which led her to feel ashamed about sharing her circumstances with other people.

Around this time, she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to address the deeper feelings she held about her circumstances, and one by one, she tackled each thing that made her feel less than, turning each one into fuel for her dreams.

CHEAT SHEET

1:28 Introduction to Krystal

2:07 How she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

5:48 The financial challenges she faced growing up

12:58 The epiphany that helped her change her perspective

15:48 How she began to tackle feelings of shame through her Buddhist practice

21:14 How her family’s situation started to change

24:55 What it means to transform family karma

26:08 How she decided what to challenge next

30:29 Battling her own self-doubt

35:05 Battling stigma in her environment 

42:58 How being part of a Buddhist community has helped her become who she is

47:46 Advice for anyone struggling with feelings of shame or powerlessness about their background

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Today we’re talking about music and creativity with special guest Nikolai Fraiture, who is best known for being the bassist of The Strokes.

He also created a new theme song for Buddhability, which we’re so excited for you to hear!

Nikolai started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the core practice of SGI Nichiren Buddhism, just a few years ago. Today he shares how he has seen his Buddhist practice impact his life and his work.

Plus, this year, which is the 20th anniversary of their breakout album, Is This It, The Strokes won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album for their newest album titled The New Abnormal. Nikolai discusses his experience recording the album, as well as his journey with the band from the age of 19.

CHEAT SHEET

0:35 Buddhability’s new theme song by Nikolai Fraiture

2:13 How Nikolai started practicing Buddhism

5:03 How chanting first felt to him

6:49 The changes he noticed in himself

10:33 How Nikolai got into music as a teenager

15:02 The first two years of being The Strokes

18:38 What the hardest part of the creative process is

22:35 How he dealt with his health challenges

30:03 How Buddhism helped him change preconceived notions and judgments 

33:47 When his bandmates noticed he 37:21 The evolution of his creative process as a musician

43:12 How Buddhism resonates with what he learned from one of his first bass teachers

48:25 What went into recording The New Abnormal

52:20 Key concepts from Buddhism and basketball

56:36 Advice for aspiring young musicians

59:30 How Nikolai’s relationship with his brother changed due to Buddhism

1:07:28 Where to check out Arts Elektra

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Today’s episode is about the power of believing in yourself, even if the people around you don’t. 

Having the courage to pursue the life you want isn’t easy, and it’s especially hard when the people around you put you in a box, or limit what they believe you can do. But Buddhism teaches us how to live a life of unlimited courage. 

Our guest is Jenny Ye, of Michigan who started her practice of SGI Nichiren Buddhism as a teenager in South Korea.

After being given little choice about her career options because of her gender, she decided to chant to transform her relationship with her family and believe in her own dreams. 

Today, she shares that journey and how, after conquering her fears back home, she was able to navigate entering a male-dominated industry in the United States, where she faced similar disbelief. Still, she won over it all.

CHEAT SHEET

2:07 Why Jenny started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

4:08 How she knew chanting worked 

5:13 How her relationship with her father changed

10:40 What it took to begin a new career-path on her own terms

17:35 How she dealt with feeling like an outsider in the U.S.

19:55 How she learned to believe in herself

24:20 Her favorite Buddhist concept about individuality

28:37 Her dream for the future

30:37 How her dad feels about her Buddhist practice now

33:32 Advice for anyone who feels limited by their environment or circumstances 

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You’re invited to a conversation hosted by Buddhability on how to overcome negative self-talk. We teamed up with Celebrity Makeup Artist Janice Kinjo, Former NFL Player Josh Scobey and Learning Behavior Specialist Jennifer Cook who will share their stories of overcoming self-doubt and negative self talk. 

When: Saturday, August 28, 2021 @ 11am PT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET

Register here: https://buddhability.org/practice/buddhability-talk-how-to-overcome-negative-self-talk/

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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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Today’s episode is an in-depth conversation with actor Vinessa Shaw, who is known for her success as a child actor in movies such as Ladybugs and Hocus Pocus and then, as an adult, in Eyes Wide Shut and most recently, 12 Mighty Orphans, which is in theaters.

Vinessa has been practicing Buddhism since childhood, and today she shares her honest experience dealing with success at a young age, struggling with perfectionism and finding true self-worth.

She also shares advice on auditioning and rejection for actors, and her three favorite Buddhist quotes.

CHEAT SHEET

1:59 Why Vinessa started practicing Buddhism

7:06 How she got into acting and the challenges of success as a child actor

24:28 The role that chanting played in dealing with depression and anxiety

33:45 What is self-esteem when you’re in the spotlight?

40:07 How Buddhism helped her navigate taking a break from acting

47:30 How she feels about acting now

51:38 How chanting helped her battle negative self-talk

57:32 Advice on rejection, especially for actors

64:01 Being in rhythm and how she got 12 Mighty Orphans

66:58 Three Buddhist quotes on believing in yourself

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Tomorrow, we are kicking off our 31-Day Chanting Journey so today’s episode is filled with practical tips and advice on how to make the most of it, especially if one of your reasons for doing it is to address negative self-talk.

Out guest is Erin Harris, who grew up practicing Buddhism in the Bay Area. Erin’s own story is so moving. She grew up with a stutter and at a young age, realized that the only time she felt she could really be her authentic self and not stutter was while chanting. Today, she breaks down how chanting works, and how it can help address questions of self-esteem, inner negativity and making every day a quality one.

If you’re listening to this in August, join the chanting journey by signing up for our daily newsletter at www.buddhability.org.

You’ll get daily prompts that you can combine with your chanting to fuel your growth, a downloadable calendar, as well as inspiration from others in the Buddhability community.

CHEAT SHEET

1:47 How Erin started practicing Buddhism

3:15 Her experience with stuttering and how chanting helped

6:18 How to chant and what it means

9:02 The purpose of the Gohonzon and your altar

10:47 What you can chant about

15:02 Some tips on intention-setting if you are just starting out

18:28 The role of the Buddhist community

22:25 How to address negative self-talk

26:35 Erin's own experiences overcoming negative self-talk through a chanting challenge

32:18 Where to start if your struggle with self-esteem feels overwhelming

39:01 Why it is important to be consistent with chanting

42:16 One piece of advice for anyone starting the chanting journey

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Just a short announcement today to share that starting August 1 we are doing another 31-Day Buddhability Journey where we invite you to try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the month of August! Sign up at www.buddhability.org/journey

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Today we are addressing how to navigate the loss of a loved one or support them through serious illness. While everyone's experience and circumstances are different, our guest, Jonathan Teran, shares his family's story, and the takeaways feel truly universal.           

In August 2020, Jonathan lost his father to pulmonary fibrosis, and today he shares how his family used their Buddhist practice to navigate the journey, from finding him care, to supporting him during hospice, to dealing with the grief that came afterward.

On top of all of this, his father’s battle took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas, all while Jonathan himself was in his first few months as a resident physician.

CHEAT SHEET

1:30 How Jonathan started practicing Buddhism

4:16 Why he decided to pursue a career in medicine

10:29 His father's battle with illness

17:30 How his family used their Buddhist practice to navigate the experience

24:15 What they learned by studying Buddhism together

30:04 What his darker moments felt like and how chanting helped

35:06 How he is navigating grief

38:52 The impact it had on his work as a doctor

45:54 How chanting can help you bring out your best self

49:42 What his dream is for the future

51:38 Advice for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one