Turning: Everyday Buddhism

In this podcast we're going to talk about "Right Intention" or how to be less of a jerk. Trying to be less of a jerk requires action ... not just thinking.

We typically have trouble self-correcting, because we do things habitually or from a reactionary pattern. We never actually see ourselves doing them, until we complete the action. Being mindful is the process needed to accomplish change.

Discover the "magic power" of equanimity and learn about Thich Nhat Hanh's 4 practices of right intention.

In this podcast I'm talking with Noah Rasheta of the Secular Buddhism podcast and author of the books: Secular Buddhism and No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners: Clear Answers to Burning Questions About Core Buddhist Teachings.

Noah has a great story to share about a crisis of faith, existential angst, and a wondering if everything was falling apart. You won't be disappointed in his story of how he discovers how you can be comfortable in uncertainty through his exploration of Buddhist teachings and practice. You can find out more about Noah on his website: https://secularbuddhism.com/

In this episode, as a fun diversion, I'm going to talk about "the Buddhist answer to everything. And the answer is: "Maybe."

A loose quote from The Lankavatara Sutra: "Things are not what they seem; nor are they otherwise" … which is really saying things are as we label them and we label them as perceive them at the moment. But someone else may perceive them in a different way and we, also, may very probably perceive them in a different way, at a different time, under different circumstances. Yep, that's a maybe.

Buddhism is experiential. You must practice to find out the answer. You must apply it to understand it. You need to ask the questions of yourself and find your own answers. "Maybe" puts certainty on hold ... giving you time to find your own truth.

In this podcast, we'll look at the Buddhist concept of "No-Self", or Anatta, I introduced in episode 2. Where is your "self"? Is it something you can describe? It's hard to describe or identify as a discrete and non-changing thing, yet we sometimes cling to ideas of self that cause us to be stuck and miserable in life.

Do you wear an internal label that "brands" you forever in your own mind, your own sense of identity? Are you trapped wearing the label of chronically ill? Victim? Old and useless? What if you could see life outside the shadow of that label?

What if you could catch a glimpse of life happening without that "you" getting in the way? In this episode, I offer 3 short mindfulness exercises that will allow you to slip away from yourself for a few minutes and feel how peaceful it is!

This episode is about finding your WHY. How do you feel about your life? Is it motivated by a big story, something bigger than yourself and your own little ego-driven, perceived wants and needs? The Buddha offered his followers an opportunity to become part of a big story. Being part of a big story is the answer to your WHY. It's a story of how our afflictions are met with a noble response.

Do you complain about everything? Your aches and pains, your busyness, the weather? In our culture it seems complaining is the natural way of communication. A constant drone of whining. We wear our complaints like badges of honor.

The Buddha offered another way in his big story. The story of how our thoughts and feelings—which sometimes can feel and be so destructive—can actually be transformed into happiness, by following a path that teaches us to see life as it is, not as we would like it to be.

Instead of having a whiny response to life, the Buddha taught us to see life exactly as it is: A noble response.

In the first podcast episode of Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better we'll talk about what it means to be an "insider." The Tibetan word for Buddhist is called Nangpa. Nangpa means "insider."

Everything in our lives is about how we look at things and nobody makes us see things another way. We have to own our own perspective. We can't blame anger, sadness—or even happiness—on anything on the outside. Nobody made you feel angry, sad, or happy. You made yourself angry. Something might've happened outside of you to make you the anger arise, but it came from inside of you.

It is only in our looking inside will we discover answers to any of our questions or solutions to any of our problems. Change your mind; change your life.