Handful of Leaves | Mindfulness & Buddhism in Everyday Life

Good and bad, isn't exactly black and white. 

Transcript: link

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Timestamps: 

(02:19): Bad people deserve love

(08:23): The wise use of our limited amount of compassion

(13:33): How to see the human behind the evil act

(18:38): Reconciling the cognitive dissonance between ideals and the reality.

(22:05): Precepts - why breaking the 'rules' can help you to understand them.

(28:05): Having good intentions is not good enough

(35:00): Compassion must be accompanied by wisdom

(37:15): Anger is a manifestation of compassion

(41:18): The 4 divine abodes to turn anger into a force for good

(43:49): Good people are punished and bad people get away doing evil things. Really?

(45:49): Standing up for oneself 

(53:50): What is the opposite of anger?

(55:52): Can a peaceful person garner the same amount of support for change vs an angry person?

Correction: Venerable Angulimala was stoned during alms round but was not stoned to death. 

Special thanks to Tan Key Seng, Lynn Leng, Alvin Chan for sponsoring this podcast.

Are you a good person? Who exactly defines what is good/bad and what is right/wrong? 

In this episode, Sister Sylvia Bay shares what it means to be good, the tipping point when good turns bad, and how to develop wisdom along the path to happiness. 

About the guest speaker: 

Sylvia Bay has been dedicated to the study and practice of Buddha's teaching since 1992. She graduated with a B.A. (Hons) First Class, in Buddhist Studies, from the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka in 2000 and joined the teaching staff of the Buddhist and Pali College (Singapore) in 2001. Since 2002, Sylvia has also been a regular speaker on Buddhist doctrine, Buddhist history, and the practical application of the Buddha's teachings in daily life, at the invitation of various Buddhist organisations in Singapore.

More about Sylvia Bay's work: 

Website

Books 

Talk - Dhamma is hope

Article - Cultivating faith in fearful times

Transcript here: link

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Useful resources: 

Paññāsutta - Discourse on wisdom

Dhamma roadmap talk - morality and effort

TIMESTAMP:

(03:07) What is the definition of good?

(06:26) Relooking at Righteous Anger

(11:08) Who defines what is good and bad? Isn't it subjective?

(19:09) Invest in the purity of the act, not the outcome.

(19:58) How does one not be invested in the outcome?

(26:42) Can desire be good? 

(29:34) Dealing with moral shame. Am I good enough to be a Buddhist? 

(36:30) Being patient with oneself 

(39:46) The four mental states to cultivate

(42:59) The difference between having faith in the Buddha and having faith in oneself

(46:25) Dealing with our inner critic

(49:45) How do you know when to give in to desires and when to not give in?

(57:45) What is wisdom?

(1:00:45) Actionable steps to grow in wisdom

Terms: 

Jia lat (in Hokkien) - terrible 

Akusala (in Pali) - Unwholesome 

Special thanks to Key Seng Tan, and Lynn Leng for sponsoring this podcast. 

Would you like to support Handful Of Leaves? Email us at [email protected]

1 in 3 Singaporeans work at least 10 hours a day. Because we spend most of our waking hours working, inevitably our identify is defined by our profession and career achievement. But is that all to life? Who are you beyond the work that you do? 

In this episode, we have our special guest, Sis Amy Tong! 

We discuss how we can humanise the corporate life, when to quit and when to stay always and exploring the 3 P+P framework to achieve corporate success.

ABOUT AMY TONG:

Amy has 14+ years of local and international working experience in a foreign investment bank. She has a diverse career background across Finance, Relationship Management as well as Strategy & Change. She currently leads the regional team in APAC with key focus on institutional priority clients and driving digital transformation for the corporate bank.

Apart from her professional work, she is also a strong advocate for charitable causes, diversity and inclusion, youth development, and is a regular volunteer with Singapore Buddhist Mission. Find out more about her efforts in bringing the Buddhist Community together to plant seeds of joy, wisdom & compassion.

International Women's Day: 

Express our gratitude to the amazing women who have nurtured Join here

SBM Dhamma Fellowship Circle

Network with young adults and working professionals from the Buddhist Community to discuss current challenges and share successes as we learn the Dhamma and practice together. upcoming activities.

Buddhist Mentorship Programme

Empower Buddhists through mentoring and fellowship, and to support our spiritual development by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path (Season II:Class of 2022 application will open in June). 

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TRANSCRIPT: here

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RESOURCES

Book - Awaken Everyday

What got you here won't get you there

Terms:

Chiong - to rush

TIMESTAMP:

(1:59): Joy is more meaningful when shared 

(3:37): Balancing the strive for tangible success with the joy of giving

(7:37): The 3P framework for corporate promotion 

(13:36): Knowing when to strive and when to take rest

(14:49): Pivot not quit

(17:42): How to find the job you love 

(25:02): Knowing when to leave the organisation taking care of your mental health

(29:20): Prevent burnout

(37:33): Hustling culture: yay or nay?

(40:07): FOMO vs JOMO, and a healthy way of comparison

(46:22): Overcoming procrastination and precrastination

(53:19): How can we find our self-worth beyond work

How do we know if we're contented or just complacent? How can we strive for success without the stress? 

Tan Chade Meng, the author of the international best-selling book - search inside yourself, shares with us how.

Get connected here: 

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Resources and useful links:

Chanda Samadhi Sutta

Learn about meditation 

30-day meditation challenge

Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute 

Colloquial terms (in Hokkien) mentioned in the Podcast: 

Buay tahan: Cannot tolerate 

Lao Kui: ashamed or embarrassed

Lugi: Lose out

More on Tan Chade Meng and his books:

http://chademeng.com

Book - Joy on Demand

Book - Search Inside Yourself

Timestamps: 

(03:49): Contentment and Ambition - are they are odds with each other?

(06:56): Desires help you in meditation. What?!

(10:31): The level 5 leaders have ambition and humility in the same person.

(13:12): How to be wholesomely ambitious while being hired.

(19:18): Are you complacent or contented?

(23:01): Too busy to meditate! How?

(30:24): Being too peaceful doesn't allow you to function in the fast-paced world?

(35:46): Why is meditation weird?

(39:51): Focus on career first, then get spiritual when retire?

(41:28): Reflect on your mortality daily. 

(44:15): Short guided meditation by Tan Chade Meng

You’ve got the Handful of Leaves Podcast here to tackle all these big and small issues in life from a Southeast Asian perspective! We cover topics like mental health, finance, career, to the juicy details of sex, and we are not afraid to ask the tough questions. 

Hosted by two friends Kai Xin and Cheryl who crossed paths and bonded over a shared curiosity of “Is there more to life?”, we hope to share practical Buddhist wisdom that uplifts your mind and heart for a happier life!

Join us as we laugh and cry and embark on a roller coaster of an episode.

In Episode 0:  We learn more about the two hosts, Kai Xin and Cheryl as we dig deep into our hopes, fears, insecurities and bare it all out for you! We also talk about why having representation as an Asian Buddhist Podcast is so important and share our hopes and aspirations for this season!

Transcript here: link

Resources: 

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery (UK)

Article on Spiritual bypassing - I have let go. Or have I?

Article: Which type of Buddhist are you?

Get connected here:

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Facebook

Timestamps:

(01:31): Why start a podcast? 

(02:58): The 2 conversations that broke Cheryl's assumptions.

(06:11): A life changing story - What is the purpose of life?

(11:04): Childhood crushes, being Asian, breaking spiritual idealism.

(18:47): Everyone's path is different. So is yours!

(21:21): How did we meet? Awkward encounter to being good friends.

(25:37): Get to know Kai Xin 

(40:53): Get to know Cheryl