Learn Buddhism with Alan Peto

By Alan Peto

Alan Peto hosts an informative and helpful podcast for anyone who is interested in Buddhism and beginning a Buddhist practice. Alan is a Buddhist layperson who explains Buddhism and Buddhist teachings... more

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The podcast currently has 115 episodes available.

Best of Learn Buddhism with Alan Peto

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Number 1: Buddhist Practice: Introduction (Special Episode & Series)
This episode will give you an overview of what the next 14 episodes (days) will cover for our Buddhist practice, and what you will learn. Be sure to get the FREE planner that compliments the practice: https://gum.co/BuddhistPlannerCOVID More on Alan Peto: https://alanpeto.com/about More on Sanathavihari Bhikkhu: https://www.casadebhavana.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/alanpeto/message
December 29, 202019min
Number 2: 93 - Buddhism in 10 Steps (Audiobook Special Edition)
This episode is the full audiobook reading of my book Buddhism in 10 Steps. Many of you have already listened to the shorter podcast/video version, which offered a quick overview of the ten foundational steps. This episode is different — it’s the complete, long‑form narration of the actual book. If you prefer listening over reading, or you enjoy deeper, uninterrupted explanations, this audiobook version is for you. It walks through each step (topic) with more detail, context, and guidance than the condensed episode, making it a great companion for new Buddhists, curious listeners, or anyone wanting a clearer path into Buddhist practice. You can also find the book and eBook here: alanpeto.com/books/buddhism-10-steps/ or BuddhismStarterPack.com Settle in, relax, and enjoy the full journey through the ten steps! Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcast Podcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer
July 25, 20261h 16min
Number 3: Buddhist Practice: Day 1 - Right View (Special Episode & Series)
Daily Buddhist Practice: Right View "Those who view the unreal as real and the real as unreal reach not up to the real, mislead as they are." ~ The Buddha (Dhammapada 11) Mara is the embodiment of fear, confusion, and delusion in our lives. While portrayed as an actual entity that the Buddha challenged before his enlightenment, Mara is also referred to as the actions of our own mind. Our mind constantly deceives us and leads us to paths of wrong action. You may think of the unskillful actions created by yourself, and others, during this time as Mara. Mara is feeding off the anxiety, fear, and suffering like fuel to the flame. Understanding this is occurring is the first step in dousing the three fires of delusion/confusion/ignorance, greed/sensual attachment, and aversion/anger. The first step of the Buddha’s Eightfold Path is a good place to start with the current COVID-19 pandemic. We must understand the nature of things is impermanent, that we are a temporary grouping (non-self/the five aggregates), and that fear is an illusion. Today's Focus: * Realize fear as being an illusion. It is a manufactured response to uncertainty, love of the concept of ‘self’, and attachment to the idea ‘self’. * Impermanence affects everything in life, and this is not always bad. While we may see impermanence as “we will die one day”, it also means “things will end”. While many things about COVID-19 are not yet known, it is likely to ‘end’ (even if that means there may be recurrences, like the seasonal flu). Focus on not only are we impermanent, but our suffering, fear, and uncertainty is also impermanent. * Realizing the truths of Buddhism are “Right View” and can lead you away from the causes and effects that create the three fires (poisons). Today's Practice: * Begin each day reciting the Five Remembrances (see page 22) to help with humbling ourselves, and understanding that our ego is fabricated. This will be part of your daily “exercises” to fortify your mind against Mara. Through knowledge and realization, you can build your defense. * Meditate at least once a day, starting with being mindful of the breath (refer to page 8). If you are an advanced practitioner, you can add insight meditation to your daily practice by focusing on the suffering, fear, and confusion people are facing, and it is causes as it relates to Buddhist understanding. * Realize the collective suffering. The pandemic is the latest in a series of suffering that sentient beings face. Your view of it in this way will let you understand we are all in this together, and that we need to support one another through loving kindness/compassion. Learn more about the Eightfold Path: https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-eightfold-path/ Video daily practice: https://youtu.be/AveK4mAP5NQ View the entire 14-day playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxlqwF6P6GE... Free 14 Day Buddhist Planner for Buddhists: https://gum.co/BuddhistPlannerCOVID Join us for a daily Buddhist practice via Zoom. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/126631375746490 Your hosts: *** More on Alan Peto: https://alanpeto.com/about *** More on Bhikkhu Sanathavihari Los-Angeles: https://www.casadebhavana.com/ Teaching in graphic comes from Venerable Master Hsing Yun --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/alanpeto/message
December 30, 202026min
Number 4: 94 - Engaged Buddhism
"Engaged Buddhism" is Buddhism lived in the world through compassion in action, wisdom applied to real life, and mindfulness extended beyond the meditation cushion! In this episode, we explore how Engaged Buddhism developed from the Buddha’s own teachings and practices 2,600 years ago, and then through the reform movement of Venerable Taixu and Humanistic Buddhism, to Thich Nhat Hanh’s modern mindfulness‑in‑action approach and the 14 Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing that were created during the Vietnam war. We also look at Master Hsing Yun’s global humanitarian work with Fo Guang Shan, showing how Engaged Buddhism can be both deeply personal and profoundly communal. This is a great episode if you have heard of 'Engaged Buddhism' before and are wondering how your Buddhist practice can help respond to suffering, support our communities, and live the Bodhisattva ideal in everyday life. 📖 Read the article: https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/engaged-buddhism-buddhist/More about Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh: https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/biographyMore about Ven. Master Hsing Yun: https://hsingyun.org/bio/index.phpContact Alan: alanpeto.com/contactPodcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcastPodcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer
August 21, 202634min
Number 5: 90 - Science & Buddhism
Many Westerners are drawn to Buddhism because it feels rational, experiential, and compatible with science. But Buddhism also includes teachings—like karma, rebirth, and cosmology—that don’t fit neatly into a scientific framework. So how do these pieces fit together? In this episode, we explore why Western culture often wants Buddhism to be “scientific,” what the Buddha actually taught about direct experience in the Kālāma Sutta, and why Buddhism still includes a healthy form of confidence (saddhā) rather than blind belief. We also look at where Buddhism and science genuinely overlap, where they don’t, and how to approach teachings that can’t be tested in a laboratory. Using a clear analogy from medicine—where we often trust what works long before we understand how it works—we examine why unprovable teachings like rebirth aren’t dismissed in Buddhism, and why the tradition encourages open‑minded investigation rather than rigid belief or rigid skepticism. Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcast Podcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer
May 01, 202643min