This week is the first in our Off the Cushion and Into the World series. This series came from multiple requests for a course on Buddhist philosophy and psychology, and I wanted to offer this series on the foundational teachings here on the podcast. As the Dalai Lama said, you don’t have to be Buddhist to benefit from the teachings of Buddhism! You can use the tools to have less suffering in your life - no matter what your path is. 

In this first episode of the series, we explore the story of Siddhartha and the trials and tribulations that led to his Awakening; how he was a human who suffered just like us, and therefore how Awakening is something available to all of us. 

We explore the foundational values of inquiry and debate within Buddhism, and how we need to discover our own path and test things out for ourselves, not relying on blind faith. We also dive into the Three Refuges (aka the 3 Jewels) and why they’re essential on our journey, and how to explore our own versions of these refuges.

Most of all, you learn how to begin applying these things to this wild and whacky human life.

You will learn:

// Why we might want to study these teachings in the first place - even if we aren’t Buddhist or religious

// The story of Siddhartha (later know as Buddha) and why he’d leave a phat pad, buckets of money and a legacy of power 

// Why Buddhism is so unique in its practice of inquiry, questioning, debate, and no requirements or blind faith. (And why it often works well for atheists and agnostics as well) 

// The three jewels / refuges and why we need them on our journey

// One practice you can try this week to show up with curiosity around your own sources of refuge and resourcing 

Resources:

// Episode 122: Come See for Yourself – Ehipassiko

// Episode 136: Freedom to Change Your Mind

// Episode 198: WTF Is Enlightenment?

// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.

// Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!

// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I’d love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.