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Here is a new episode after an unexpected pause. I’m moving to a new house and that has stirred disorientation, emotional complexity, and a break from familiar patterns. The truth is, I just didn’t know if I had anything of use to say. Also, I was in a bad mood? Needy! It happens! It turns out that this unsettled place provided a good context to consider a question raised in our Open Heart Project sangha: do Buddhists pray? If so, to whom?

In a non-theistic tradition, rather than being directed toward an external deity, prayer becomes a way of relating to awareness itself. The images, rituals, and expressions of devotion are not about reaching for something outside us, but about connecting to the wisdom, compassion, and courage already present.

In this episode, I explore prayer as communion rather than asking, and how everyday acts of attention, care, and listening can deepen our relationship with the divine.

Highlights

• What it means that Buddhism is non-theistic
• Why you can practice meditation without adopting a belief system
• Buddhist deities as reflections of your own wisdom mind
• Prayer as communion rather than petition
• Everyday life as an expression of prayer
• Listening, presence, and awareness as the heart of practice

Send me your questions:
You can keep the conversation going or send your reflections via Instagram DM or through our form — I’d love to include them in future episodes.

Watch this episode on video
If you’d like to watch the podcast, the video version is here.

Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path Retreat 

Join me at Drala Mountain Center in the Colorado Rockies for a meditation retreat exploring the bodhisattva path and what it means to live with courage, compassion, and clarity in everyday life. Through guided meditation, teachings, and conversation, we’ll reflect on how to recognize and express basic sanity in the midst of our actual lives. All are welcome, and no prior meditation experience is required.

Learn more and register here.

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Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

©Open Heart Project