93 - Buddha's Teachings 12: The Five Hindrances – Part 2
The Buddha taught that there are five main "hindrances" we encounter in our spiritual practice. In this 2nd episode of 3, I start going into detail about each hindrance and recommended ways to abandon...
23 Mar 201931min
2019-03-15 Off-Week Book Review: Why Buddhism Is True
I review Robert Wright's Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. While it's not necessary to know the "why" of things in order for Buddhist practice to be eff...
15 Mar 20197min
92 - Buddha's Teachings 11: The Five Hindrances – Part 1
Meditation and other aspects of Buddhist practice can be difficult. According to the Buddha, it's useful to pay attention to exactly what's going on when we're feeling challenged. Any obstacle can be ...
9 Mar 201936min
91 – Unethical Buddhist Teachers: Were They Ever Really Enlightened?
The list of supposedly-highly-realized Buddhist teachers who have abused their power and acted in harmful ways – particularly in the realm of sex – is long, and getting longer all the time. Unethical ...
1 Mar 201930min
90 - Buddhist History 11: Early Indian Buddhism - Stupas and Devotional Practice - Part 2
In Part 1 (Episode 82), I defined Devotional Practice as extending beyond demonstrations of respect, gratitude, and reverence to practices believed to result in real benefits – perhaps intangible but ...
23 Feb 201938min
89 – Buddhist Practice as a Lifelong Path of Growth and Transformation
Traditionally, Buddhist practice has been more than something you do to make everyday life more pleasant; it's a path of training and study aimed at becoming an awakened, liberated, wise, compassionat...
15 Feb 201928min
88 – Nyoho: Making Even Our Smallest, Mundane Actions Accord with the Dharma – Part 2
Nyoho practice is looking for opportunities to act in accord with the Dharma in the midst of our daily lives, in very practical, physical ways. We view no act as too mundane or insignificant to perfor...
2 Feb 201934min
87 – Nyoho: Making Even Our Smallest, Mundane Actions Accord with the Dharma – Part 1
We have a practice in Zen of trying to make even our smallest actions reflect the deep truths of the Dharma, including interdependence, impermanence, no-self, suchness, and Buddha-nature. I'm going to...
28 Jan 201922min
