Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

By JoAnn Fox: Buddhist Teacher

Religion & Spirituality Buddhism

What's Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox about?

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox is a weekly podcast that shares how to put the teachings of Buddhism into practice to be happier, more peaceful, or to become the spiritual warrior this world so desperately needs. JoAnn Fox has been teaching Buddhism for 17 years and does so with kindness and humor.

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Episode 164 - Taking Refuge...

03.29.2023

Taking refuge in the Dharma means we turn to the spiritual teaching of Buddha to help us solve our problems to alleviate pain. It means we commit to working on ourselves. Having taken refuge in the Dharma, reality itself becomes ...

Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox episodes:

03.29.2023 Episode 164 - Taking Refuge in Dharma Taking refuge in the Dharma means we turn to the spiritual teaching of Buddha to help us solve our problems to alleviate pain. It means we commit to working on ourselves. Having taken refuge in the Dharma, reality itself becomes ...
03.23.2023 Episode 163 - Refuge in Buddha At the start of this three part series on Refuge, this episode explores what it means to take refuge in Buddha. The most simple way to take refuge in Buddha means relying on Buddha as a teacher. This requires studying ...
03.13.2023 Episode 162 - Overcoming Fear Fearlessness is much talked about in Buddhism, particularly the idea of becoming fearless. In this episode we look at that which causes us fear, antidotes to fear, and tapping into our own bravery. It’s important to begin a discussion on ...
03.04.2023 Episode 161: Manifesting Dreams and Goals Sometimes we find it hard to reach goals or put effort into things we desperately want to improve. Why is this—when the wish is there? Attachment to what is meaningless or nonvirtuous might be the obstacle when the wish to ...
02.08.2023 Episode 160 - Attachment To What Is Non-virtuous Buddha said, “with effort, we have all attainments.” We can achieve any goal, no matter how lofty, with enough continued effort, even becoming a bodhisattva and attaining enlightenment. So why do such noble goals seem so hard to achieve? Because ...
01.30.2023 Episode 159 - Let Go Of The Past Present and Future One way of practicing non-attachment can be expressed with the popular phrase, “Let go.” In verse 348 of the Dhammwpada, Buddha says, “ Let go of the past, let go of the future, let go of the present.” But what ...
01.02.2023 Episode 157: Constant Craving Versus Letting Go Buddha taught that no chains are as powerful as attachment, and nothing bonds us to suffering like our attachment. In the First Noble Truth, Buddha didn't just say, "Life is pervaded by suffering," but defined suffering: In short, the five ...
12.13.2022 Episode 156 = Practicing Non-attachment with Family We must work on our minds to overcome the habits of attachment--which always bring suffering--whether one is a monk or a family man. The context of a monastery versus a home with young children will make the practice different in ...
11.17.2022 Episode 155 - The Heart of Awakening When we’re being selfish, our actions are motivated by attachment to our happiness, reputation, opinion, expectations being met, etc. As we practiced after the last episode, we again practice cherishing others as an opponent to attachment. This time, however, we ...
10.30.2022 Episode 153 - Root of Attachment In this episode and subsequent mindfulness practice, we are working toward severing the root of craving (also known as attachment). What is the root of craving? Suffering is said to have three roots: anger, attachment, and--the root of anger and ...
10.25.2022 Episode 152 - Examining Attachment To Our Self Attachment to the self causes suffering, just as suffering invariably follows attachment to any object. In general, attachment arises when we perceive an object we find attractive and become fixated on it; we exaggerate its qualities until we become glued ...
09.19.2022 Episode 151 - The Three Steps To Lessen Attachment In this episode, we look at a three-step process to lessen attachment. The first step is to notice the craving mind and examine it. The craving mind focuses on its object of desire, exaggerates its good qualities, and fixates on ...
09.07.2022 Episode 150 - Happiness and Attachment Once Buddha was staying near the Himalayas in a place where the people were being very poorly treated by three cruel and ruthless kings. Buddha had the thought, ‘I wonder if there is a way to get the kings to ...
08.14.2022 Episode 149 - Friendship and Buddhism With stories of yogis who spent years practicing alone in isolated mountain caves, it might seem like Buddhism promotes a solitary path. But in reality, Buddha spoke many times of the importance of good friends. Friends that are a good ...
08.08.2022 Episode 148 - Mindfulness for a Happy Life Mindfulness can be used to train the mind: to make the mind more peaceful and see your world differently. Mindfulness, in this way, is used to remember things we’ve learned and intend to put into practice. For example, we may ...
08.01.2022 Episode 147 - Be Grateful To Everyone The practice of Lojong has the literal translation of “mind training.” The great Buddhist master Atisha taught mind training over 1,000 years ago in the form of slogans. These 59 slogans are designed to be practiced in the hustle and ...
07.24.2022 Episode 146 - Caring For Our Parents The Buddha taught that certain factors strengthen the karmic results of our actions. One example is that the effects of actions we do toward certain types of people are intensified because of their special relationship to us and the benefits ...
07.18.2022 Episode 145 - The Nature of The Mind The word enlightenment is a translation of two Pali words that mean “awakened” and “freed from all fetters.” To become enlightened then means we wake to the true nature of reality, and we free our mind from all the shackles ...
07.13.2022 Episode 144 - How To Turn The Other Cheek Many of the great religious leaders have asked us to practice non-retaliation, to turn the other cheek, and practice nonviolence. The Buddha explained that non-retaliation is not only important for the person who harms us, but for the protection of ...
07.05.2022 Episode 143 - Right Thinking This episode is the last of a three part series on the ten nonvirtuous actions, and the focus is on actions of mind. Actions of mind you say! Yes, actions of mind do create karma. In fact, mental actions are ...
06.20.2022 Episode 142 - Mindful Speech When the Buddha explained the ten nonvirtuous actions to abandon, four are devoted to our speech. Our words are an incredibly powerful tool; they can build ourselves and others up. Or they can tear ourselves and others down. In a ...
06.12.2022 Episode 141 - Body Karma Buddha explained the Ten Nonvirtuous Actions as a way to guide our actions of body, speech, and mind. "Nonvirtuous" means that it brings suffering to us in the future by way of negative karmic results. Yet it is easy to ...
05.31.2022 Episode 140 - Happiness Training Where we place our thoughts is how we produce happiness, calm, and peace. The real trap we're all in is believing that we will be happy when_______. Think about how many times we've said this: "I'll be happy when I ...
05.16.2022 Episode 139 - How To Purify Bad Karma There is a way to purify negative karma! Phew. Buddha taught the Four Powers of Purification. The first power is healthy regret. This type of regret stands in contrast to guilt. Healthy regrets teaches us that we should try to ...
05.02.2022 Episode 137 - Being Tender with Our Anger When Buddha was accused of sexual relations with a young, beautiful woman named Sundari, and his followers were accused of murdering her, Buddha remained unphased. Buddha merely used it as an opportunity to teach about karma. If only we could ...
04.11.2022 Episode 135 - Buddha-Nature Buddha asserted that all living beings have Buddha-nature, a consciousness that is the seed of enlightenment. No matter how deluded someone is at this moment, they have within them the potential to become a fully enlightened being. Our nature is ...
04.05.2022 Episode 134 - Good Karma Have you ever wondered how to practice karma? In this episode, we look at how to practice karma by maintaining mindfulness of the law of karma and acting in accordance with it. The word karma literally means action. Every action ...
03.23.2022 Episode 133 - A Simple Happiness Practice It could be said that all of the Buddha's teachings are about suffering and how to end suffering. In this episode, we hear the story of a monk who, standing alone in his monastery while the rest of his city ...
03.14.2022 Episode 132: Cherishing Others, The Basis of All Good Qualities The Buddha said that the minds of his followers should “constantly, day and night, delight in spiritual practice.” What practice can we weave through our days and use our own life as a spiritual path? What practice can we do ...
03.07.2022 Episode 131 - Harmlessness The Buddha spoke many times of the importance of practicing harmlessness. The most harmful mind is the mind of anger. The nature of anger is that it wishes to harm its object. Just as the nature of fire is to ...
03.04.2022 Episode 130 - Mindful of The Body In this episode we explore mindfulness of the body. Many of us spend our work days sitting in front of a computer, disconnected from our bodies. Sometimes we are in a beautiful place but not really present. Mindfulness of the ...
02.21.2022 Episode 129 - Ultimate Refuge In this episode, we look at the meaning of going for refuge. Typically when we think of refuge, it means a source of protection. Refuge is comfort and safety in the storm. The way a person becomes a Buddhist is ...
02.07.2022 Episode 128 - The Middle Way The Buddha sometimes spoke in metaphor to convey very deep and complex truths. In this episode, we examine a beautiful verse that describes how we can attain freedom from suffering and difficulties. In particular, the episode is devoted to understanding ...
01.31.2022 Episode 127 - Embracing The Spiritual Path The 3 obstacles to effort Procrastination Attachment yo what is non-virtuous or meaningless Discouragement The toxins multiply For the insolent and negligent Who reject what they should do And do instead what they should not. But the toxins come to ...
01.25.2022 Episode 126 - Forgiveness To forgive, seek: Your own Freedom. Want your own freedom from pain Compassion. Compelled by their delusions The Lesson. How can I learn from this? Forgiveness means stopping the cycle of anger and harm. On analysis of whether the object ...
12.31.2021 Episode 125 - Making Positive Habits Stick, The Buddhist Way The Buddha taught that small, good karmic actions lead to great results in the future, a powerful motivation for making even small positive changes in our lives. In this episode we look at the Four Powers of Effort, a process ...
12.20.2021 Episode 124 - Mindful of Our Own Impermanence Our modern culture tends to make us turn away from thoughts about death and even our own aging. Yet death is something that all of us, without exception, will experience. In Buddhism, there is a focus on coming to terms ...
12.06.2021 Episode 123 - Attachment To Self In this episode we look at attachment to self. In particular, we try to identify what attachment to self is and how to lessen it so that we experience more peace and light-heartedness. To recognize attachment to self, we can ...
11.22.2021 Episode 122 - Non-attachment In this episode, we explore attachment and some simple ways to practice non-attachment. The concept of non-attachment is often misunderstood. For example, we still love people even while practicing non-attachment. We still have homes, jobs, and goals even as we ...
11.15.2021 Right Concentration In this episode we look at Right Concentration, one part of the Noble Eightfold Path. In general, concentration in meditation is single-pointedness on the object of meditation. Like a laser, concentration eliminates distraction. When one attains a state of single-pointed ...
11.08.2021 Episode 120 - Right Mindfulness In this episode we explore Right Mindfulness, one of the Noble Eightfold Path. In general, mindfulness means awareness, presence of mind, or attentiveness. What sets Right Mindfulness apart from secular mindfulness is that it is taught as a skill that ...
10.25.2021 Episode 119 - Right Livelihood This episode dives deep into Right Livelihood, one of the Noble Eightfold Path as laid out by the Buddha. The Eightfold Path is a spiritual path that leads us to deeper and deeper levels of peace and happiness. Ultimately, following ...
10.18.2021 Episode 118 - Right Action In this episode we take a deep dive into what Buddha meant by Right Action or conduct. Right Action is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, which lays out the gradual path to enlightenment. Right action means a abstains from ...
10.13.2021 Right Speech - Episode 117 This episode explores Right Speech, as part of a series on the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path. In the context of the spiritual path, Right Speech is more than just an ethical discipline of behavior. Right Speech is a vital part ...
10.05.2021 Episode 116 - Right Effort This episode focuses on Right Effort, one part of the Noble Eightfold Path. Buddha repeatedly taught the importance of effort, for realizing the rest of the eightfold spiritual path depends on effort. In this context effort means energy directed toward ...
09.29.2021 Episode 115 - Right View In this episode, we explore Right View connoting the realization of emptiness. Right View is part of the Noble Eightfold Path, laid out by Buddha as the gradual path to enlightenment. All eight parts of the path are practiced concurrently ...
09.12.2021 Episode 114 - Karma Bandits This episode is dedicated to Right View, one part of The Noble Eightfold Path. Right View has two parts to it: a mundane right view and a superior right view (emptiness).Today we look at mundane right view which adopts the ...
09.05.2021 Episode 113 - Right Intention Part - 3: Harmlessness In this last of a three episode series on Right Intention, one of the Noble Eightfold Path, we look at how to practice the aspect of harmlessness. Right intention has three parts: Renunciation, Loving-kindness, and Harmlessness. Buddhist Teacher, JoAnn Fox, ...
08.28.2021 Episode 112 - Right Intention Part 2 - Good Will In this episode, we look at one aspect of Right Intention—loving-kindness. Buddhist Teacher, JoAn Fox, teaches how to practice loving-kindness in daily life, as well as a way to cultivate it through meditation. She teaches and guides the metta meditation, ...
08.21.2021 Episode 111 - Right Intention Part 1 This episode begins a series in which we take a deep dive into the practice of each part of the Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path is Buddha’s guide to a gradual path to happiness and, if one chose ...

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