The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: Ep. 70 – Wake Up Sleepy Buddha with Noel Coakley and Victoria 'Vee' Wikler

   From wrathful love to Buddha-nature, Noel Coakley and Victoria ‘Vee’ Wikler discuss the next generation of Buddhism and waking up the ‘sleepy Buddha’ in us all. In this episode, Noel, Vee, and David explore:The creation of Noel’s book, Wake Up Sleepy BuddhaThe concept of ‘wrathful love’Inherent goodness and the Buddha-nature within us all Living with both relative and ultimate truthTaking a feminist perspective on Buddhism Looking to the next generation of BuddhasDirect practice as the real teacherBlending together psychology and Buddhism Therapy as an external mindfulness practiceSign up for Dharma Moon’s world-class 100-hour mindfulness meditation teacher training About Victoria ‘Vee’ Wikler: Victoria B. Wikler (Vee) is a mindfulness meditation teacher, peer counselor, doula, tattoo artist & Thai-American witch. She has over 10 years of training in Mindfulness and Zen meditation, 6+ years of Tarot consulting experience, and expertise in supporting altered state experiences. Check out Vee on Instagram. About Noel Coakley: Noel is a mental health counselor (LMHC) with a Master's degree in Counseling from Lesley University and Special Education from UMass Boston. He is also a certified yoga instructor, supporting a holistic, mind & body approach to wellness. His experience from years as a special education teacher benefits his ability to support differentiated learning styles and needs. Noel has been practicing meditation since 1996, beginning initially with the Indo-Tibetan traditions and then the Yundrung Bön tradition since 2013. Over the years, Noel has been fortunate to learn from over 100 teachers, including HH the Dalai Lama and HH the 34th Menri Trizin. Noel recently authored the book Wake Up Sleepy Buddha, which provides a 600+ page, fully illustrated guide to Buddhist practice beyond mindfulness. Noel’s book bridges ancient wisdom, modern psychology, and everyday life. “We all feel weird and alienated when we’re in this story of not realizing our Buddha nature…but we’re just hidden from our Buddha nature. I think about this in my psychotherapy. Anybody I meet with, the task is: can I see their already perfectness, their level of being where nothing needs to be improved or changed?” – Noel Coakley See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

   September 17, 2026·1h 22min
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   Number 2: Ep. 69 – Rude Awakenings: Walking the Buddhist Path with Samuel Bercholz

   Founder of Shambhala Publications, Samuel Bercholz, reflects on a lifetime of dharma and encourages us to challenge our often distorted perceptions of reality. Check out Dharma Moon’s free online talk this September, Light & Shadow on the Spiritual Path. This time on the CSM podcast, Samuel and David explore:Samuel’s new book, Rude Awakenings: An Unconventional Guide to the Buddhist PathShaking up our concepts of reality and social phenomena Working with our addictions and habitsThe unpredictability and spontaneous manifestations of Chögyam Trungpa RinpocheLearning how to walk the Bodhisattva pathIntergenerational dharma and having an enlightened family Practical Buddhism and simply being ‘dharmic and decent’ How Buddhism has traveled from East to West Sign up for Dharma Moon’s world-class 100-hour mindfulness meditation teacher training and join Dharma Moon this fall to learn about The Business of Teaching Meditation. About Samuel Bercholz: Sam Bercholz is the founder of Shambhala Publications, one of the leading independent publishers of Buddhist and Eastern spiritual literature. He started the company in Berkeley in the late 1960s and later moved it to Boulder, Colorado, where it grew into a major publishing house for authors like Chögyam Trungpa and Pema Chödrön. A senior teacher in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, Bercholz studied closely with both Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, who empowered him to teach dharma. He has taught Buddhist philosophy and meditation across North America, Europe, and Australasia for over forty years, and is also the author of the new book, Rude Awakenings: An Unconventional Guide to the Buddhist Path. “The way I perceive and most humans perceive is 180 degrees from the way things actually are. For the most part, we live in a fantasy world of make-believe, and we believe it.” –Samuel Bercholz See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

   August 27, 2026·1h 18min
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   Number 3: Ep. 58 – Bringing Depth to Our Lives with Emily Esfahani Smith

   Dissecting the process of her book, The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith joins David to explore bringing depth to our lives via belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling. Pick up Emily's book, The Power of Meaning, HERE. This time on the CSM Podcast, David and Emily discuss:Positive Psychology: shifting from a focus on what’s wrong to the science of well-being and human flourishingHow connecting to something greater than ourselves can lead to self-transcendence and deeper meaningWhat scientific research reveals about activities that create a meaningful lifeMaking intentional, values-aligned choices instead of following external pressuresEmily’s four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytellingFinding true community and belonging without reinforcing exclusion or “othering”How cultural values are evolving toward greater empathy, compassion, and collective careThe bodhicitta aspiration: working toward the end of suffering for all beingsStart your journey from meditation practitioner to meditation guide via Dharma Moon’s course, Deepening Your Practice to Teach or step on into their 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training. About Emily Esfahani Smith: Emily Esfahani Smith is the author of The Power of Meaning. A psychotherapist and writer, her articles have appeared in The Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Her TED Talk, 'There's more to life than being happy,' has been viewed over 15 million times." Learn more on Emily’s website. “The more I got into the research, the more that I saw that maybe it’s not happiness that we should be pursuing and glorifying, but maybe it’s this concept of leading a meaningful life.” – Emily Esfahani Smith About David Nichtern: David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy Award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and an honorary member of the Bhakti community. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

   August 06, 2025·52min
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   Number 4: Ep. 53 – The Four Powers of Confidence with Ethan Nichtern

   Exploring the themes in his new book, Confidence, Ethan Nichtern chats with his dad, David, about vulnerability, truth, and the state of the world. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, David and Ethan speak about:Ethan’s new book and what real confidence isFalse confidence and manipulationThe current political environment and seeking the truthWhy authenticity is so importantExamples of people who radiate confidence and light the candles of othersHow sadness can be an authentic response to the state of the worldThe Eight Worldly Winds and practicing confidenceHow we are all vulnerable to imposter syndromeAwareness and tuning into our inner knowing to avoid being caught in emotionsRemembering our powerful and tender heartsCheck out these on-demand online courses from David Nichtern and an upcoming course from Ethan Nichtern based around his new book HERE. About Ethan Nichtern: Ethan Nichtern is a Buddhist teacher, and is the author of the acclaimed book The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path, which was selected as one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2015, and one of Tech Insider’s “9 Books That Define 2015.” He also wrote The Dharma of The Princess Bride: What The Coolest Fairy Tale of Our Time Can Teach Us About Buddhism and Relationships and most recently, Confidence: Holding Your Seat through Life’s Eight Worldly Winds. For the past 20+ years, Ethan has taught meditation and Buddhist psychology classes and workshops around New York City and North America and Europe, along with working with students privately. He has primarily studied in the Shambhala and other Tibetan traditions, but has also studied Theravadan and Soto Zen Buddhism. He is also an avid yoga practitioner. He served as Shastri, or Senior Teacher-In-Residence, for the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York, from 2010-2018. Continue listening to Ethan on his podcast, The Road Home. “I think there is a compassion element to genuine confidence where you’re using your own confidence to light other people’s candle.” – Ethan Nichtern See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

   June 19, 2024·1h 6min
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   Number 5: Ep. 50 – A Mindful Approach to Panic with Dan Harris

   Discussing his experience with panic attacks, Dan Harris describes the tools that have helped him move from resistance to acceptance. Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow In this episode, David and Dan dive into: How Dan went from experiencing panic attacks to finding meditation Dan’s definition of happiness Stabilizing our well-being The compounding effect of meditation practice Navigating difficult external experiences Working on a loving-kindness practice Pith instructions from spiritual teachers Allowing feelings instead of resisting The fear of death and all pervasive suffering Temporal experiences and observing the pause of time Impermanence and not taking everything so seriously Equanimity and looking at our emotions as passing weather Grab your copy of the 10th-anniversary edition of Dan's book, 10% Happier, HERE to learn more about the benefits of meditation in his life. About Dan Harris: Dan Harris is an author, podcaster, and a retired American journalist for ABC News. He was an anchor for Nightline and co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America. After an on-air panic attack, Dan dedicated himself to meditation and spreading the word about its benefits. His “10% Happier” podcasts feature interviews with other meditators. Dan’s book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Really Works – a True Story, was published in March 2014. “Panic is just a set of physical sensations, which as a panic sufferer, I have experienced countless times and always survived. So, it’s okay, just let it go. Let the sensations be there, it’s okay to feel it. What is making it worse is my resistance to it.” – Dan Harris See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

   March 15, 2024·1h 4min
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