The actual instruction to "gladden" the mind is sdd in the Anapanasati (Mindfulness of In and Out Breathing) Sutta, in the third tetrad about the Mind.

What is the Buddha asking us to do here?    Jon and Doug discuss what it means to gladden the mind in Buddhist practice, why it's important and how we can practice with this instruction.

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The second noble truth addresses the cause of Dukkha (suffering) as our nature to cling to our desires (or push away that which we don't want).  The opposite of this is letting go.   Ajahn Chah, the venerable Thai forest monk and teacher to many of today's wonderful teachers-- would say often:
Letting go a little brings a little peace. Letting go a lot brings a lot of peace. Letting go completely brings complete peace.
And yet, letting go, is not always easy!  Jon and Doug discuss this.

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These are difficult times, and our practice can be a true refuge and an opportunity to recharge.  However, it’s also possible for meditation to become a means of escaping or bypassing what’s happening in the world or our personal experiences.  Ideally,  true refuge recharges us and increases our capacity to face the world and with what Bhikkhu Bodhi calls “conscientious compassion.”  Jon and Doug have a lively discussion about how our practice supports us in these times.

Link to Bhikkhu Bodhi's Commentary on Protecting Human Dignity and the Threat of Moral Nihilism: https://www.lionsroar.com/commentary-protecting-human-dignity-from-the-threat-of-moral-nihilism/

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Jon and Doug discuss the Buddhist practice of acceptance. How would the Buddha have framed it? How can we work with acceptance today, and how might an attitude of acceptance make our lives better?

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The Buddha taught that guarding the sense doors is an essential part of practice.  Of course, social media didn’t exist 2500 years ago.  These days it’s so easy to get caught in the vortex of social media.  Jon and Doug discuss how they guard (or not) the sense doors in the current media reality.

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Jon and Doug discuss the role of faith or confidence in Buddhist practice, how it can be useful and also how it can be misused.

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Silence and solitude are two forms of Buddhist practice of great depth, but also some difficulty for many. Jon and Doug discuss how they appear in the early texts, and how we can practice with them today.

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Joy is an essential aspect of Buddhist practice. And boy do we need joy right now! Jon and Doug discuss how joy can arise for us, and what attitudes and practices can help joy to arise.

Jon's Talk on Joy for Tricycle

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Jon has been on pilgrimage in India over the last few weeks. He reports in about all he's been experiencing at various Buddhist and other sites. 

Links:

Jon's blog posts: JonAaron.net/musings

Where Are You Going:  Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott https://whereareyougoing.podbean.com/

Doug's video: King Asoka: Buddhism's Great Political Modernist -- https://youtu.be/V4894Ug8Y3c 

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How do we perceive time, and what can we learn from Buddhist teachings about it? How do we frame the past and the future, not to mention the present? Jon and Doug discuss this topic, inspired by the fact that Jon is currently in India, which is 9.5 hours ahead of the East Coast of the U.S., where Doug is.

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