Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast
162 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 812 ratingsThe intention is to awaken, enlighten, enrich, and inspire. Timber Hawkeye, bestselling author of Buddhist Boot Camp and Faithfully Religionless, offers a secular approach to being at peace with the world, both within and around us. As the Dalai Lama says, "Don't try to use what you learn from Buddhism to be a Buddhist, use it to be a better whatever-you-already-are."
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Episodes
Ceasefire
March 15, 2024 21:21 - 4 minutes - 10.9 MBAs long as I think there is a war inside of me, the battle will continue, but struggle is not a requirement. We can call a truce, enter a peace agreement, and stop fighting. If we want inner-peace, we must be peaceful.
Already Forgiven
February 27, 2024 06:03 - 4 minutes - 10.8 MBWhat would life look like if we stopped beating ourselves up with guilt and shame, and started loving ourselves unconditionally?
Spiritual Practice
January 28, 2024 01:12 - 6 minutes - 14.1 MBSpiritual practice is not what happens at church or on the meditation cushion (that’s spiritual ritual), Spiritual Practice is how you behave throughout the day. Here’s a 6-minute episode kick-in-the-🍑 :) Enjoy and share with others.
Mind Shenanigans
December 29, 2023 22:50 - 6 minutes - 15 MBDon't believe everything you think because the mind can play tricks on you. Familiarize yourself with some of the mind's shenanigans, and you'll stop believing everything you think.
Beyond Right and Wrong
November 30, 2023 01:30 - 7 minutes - 17.7 MBWhen you can't understand why people do what they do (whether it's someone you know or atrocities on the news), try this shift in outlook, and I bet you'll immediately see yourself in everyone else. Don't try to use your logic, use your heart instead!
Safe Haven
November 10, 2023 01:19 - 5 minutes - 12 MBYour home and your friendships, relationships, or marriage, are to be your safe haven and happy place, not another battle you have to fight. May we all Live In Peace.
Pace
September 26, 2023 14:08 - 5 minutes - 13.6 MBMy nose was congested when recording this on the first day I finally felt well enough to tape this episode. If you don't make time for your wellness, you will be forced to take time for your illness. Case in point! Life is not a race. People say they want a life of leisure but rarely do anything leisurely... slow down!
Buddhist Activism
August 20, 2023 13:36 - 6 minutes - 15.5 MBCan Buddhists be activists? How? And to what end?
What Else?
July 27, 2023 00:44 - 6 minutes - 14.5 MBThis is a coping skill when we are overwhelmed by a strong feeling that overshadows everything else. My takeaway: if it's not time to hit the Panic Button, don't hit the Panic Button! :)
Wounded
June 20, 2023 12:55 - 12 minutes - 29.5 MBWe are all wounded in ways we don't always understand or even know about. You sometimes can't even see the wound, but you still experience its symptoms: your reactions, aversions, opinions, preferences, and biases, are often indicators of trauma, so don't ignore, escape, deny, or try to numb the symptoms, pay attention to them; awareness is the first step to healing.
Learning Curve
May 30, 2023 20:00 - 6 minutes - 15.8 MBEverything is in a constant state of change, and sometimes it can be very difficult for many of us to keep up. Resistance creates suffering, so acceptance is the only way forward, but some learning curves are steeper than others. Be gentle with yourself and with everyone else.
Nothing Personal
May 04, 2023 13:18 - 4 minutes - 10.4 MBSome people will like you, others will hate you, and neither would have anything to do with you. All Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast episodes are available with captions on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4J225QZyF0o
Snooze
February 04, 2023 16:29 - 6 minutes - 14.3 MBA worry that comes up in your mind is like getting a phone call from an unknown number. When you don't have all the information, you can just hit the red button to make it go away. They will either leave a voicemail and you will deal with it later, or they will hang up. Either way, there is nothing to worry about.
Pessimism
January 19, 2023 02:30 - 6 minutes - 14.8 MBI found myself surprisingly motivated by pessimistic thoughts, driven to action by what I previously thought was a "negative" perspective, but I now realize is neither "good" nor "bad," it's just another voice that needs to have equal say during the decision-making process. Now pessimism has a "seat at the table," so to speak. What motivates you?
Reflection
December 24, 2022 05:16 - 4 minutes - 10.5 MBThat which we don't like about someone else is often what we dislike about ourselves. So, next time someone triggers you, think to yourself "Thank you" instead of "F-you" because they are reflecting a side of you that you try to ignore.
Alignment
November 13, 2022 00:30 - 4 minutes - 10.3 MBWhat you DON'T do is as important as what you do (if not more so). So, instead of thinking you need to do MORE of something in order to be more mindful or spiritual or healthy, what do you need to STOP doing because it's working against you?
Coping Mechanisms
October 07, 2022 12:21 - 4 minutes - 10.9 MBDoes the way you cope with one challenge cause another problem down the line, sometimes even bigger than the initial difficulty with which your coping mechanism was designed to help? It's important to have multiple tools so we don't try to solve everything with food, for example, which would be like trying to build with only a hammer.
Off Script
September 10, 2022 13:10 - 3 minutes - 8.85 MBYou get upset with people as if life has a script and they need to play along. There is no script. And nobody is under contract to act according to you. When I get upset with someone, this is the 3-minute episode I bring to mind to calm down.
Happiness
August 18, 2022 15:52 - 5 minutes - 12.7 MBIf we chase happiness by seeking sense pleasures and avoiding unpleasant sensations, attachment to wealth and praise, or aversion to loss and blame, we may gain temporary happiness, but it will be accompanied by fear, restlessness, and concern, all of which make us miserable. But there is another way...
Heartache
July 30, 2022 16:41 - 4 minutes - 11.4 MBNothing hurts the same way forever, though sometimes it seems right that it should. Gauge your pain by monitoring its intensity, frequency, and duration.
Patience
July 12, 2022 14:41 - 4 minutes - 9.88 MBWhen we are emotionally triggered, we get tunnel vision and only see things from our perspective. We feel so wronged that our brains actually rationalize irrational behavior (like aggression) when we most need to remain calm and patient.
The People Upstairs
June 30, 2022 12:00 - 5 minutes - 13.1 MBIt's not literally about the people upstairs, it's about the few who make decisions that affect the many.
Perspective
June 06, 2022 14:53 - 4 minutes - 10.1 MBIs it possible to pay too much attention and lose perspective? Let's not miss the forest for the trees, nor the trees for the forest.
Conviction
May 29, 2022 04:12 - 8 minutes - 19 MBUndersting what's going on with people who don't walk the talk. Are they hypocritical or reasonable? Is it possible for us to be driven by conflicting intentions, or is it our old friend Cognitive Dissonance? Does doing this create turmoil within? Only you can answer that for yourself.
Neurodivergence
May 12, 2022 18:30 - 5 minutes - 12.8 MBGet curious about the many paths up this mountain of life, not just the trail most traveled. Neurodivergents are also known as being on the autism spectrum, processing data and feelings in ways that neurotypicals don't always understand, let alone accept. It's an operating system that works just fine, though not always compatible with others (like Android and Apple). This was one of the most difficult episodes for me to record, thank you for receiving it with gentle grace and kindness, I app...
Survivor's Guilt
April 28, 2022 17:04 - 6 minutes - 14.7 MBWhy do some survive when others don't? Is it just luck, or is there a bigger reason behind it? Do we look for the meaning behind a second chance, or do we give it meaning by what we do with it?
Personality
April 09, 2022 13:51 - 5 minutes - 12.2 MBAnswering the question "Who Am I?" (without confusing identity with personality) is a lifelong journey of development, creation, and realization.
Stability
March 27, 2022 18:38 - 6 minutes - 14.8 MBWe either actively create the balance we seek or we are creating the imbalance we try to escape. To listen with captions, watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/N80LPA6mN3U
Accountability
March 11, 2022 16:31 - 7 minutes - 17.9 MBAre you what the Buddha called a Hungry Ghost? If you expect the world to run according to you, that expectation is the source of your misery, not anybody or anything else. And if this accountability feels like an attack to someone, they are not yet ready to acknowledge their own behavior. This episode is about the entitlement, the greed, the self-centeredness, and general preoccupation with our own desires at the expense of others.
The Path of Love
February 25, 2022 15:39 - 6 minutes - 16.4 MBHow far must you go off the path before you realize you are off of it? If you define it well enough and frequently check, the reward of being on the path is enough motivation not to veer off.
Practice
February 09, 2022 13:10 - 3 minutes - 9.44 MBBuddhism is called a practice, and we are practitioners. As such, we exercise mindful conduct, speech, resolve, livelihood, effort, and so on, the same way athletes exercise their skills between games. We are not perfect, but even professional basketball players don't make every shot.
Greed
January 19, 2022 19:32 - 5 minutes - 13.3 MBIt's impossible to stop wanting things, but there is a difference between wholesome desires and being blinded by greed. Buddhism is a practice of discernment with the intention to reduce suffering (for ourselves and others). It's easy to spot greed out in the world, but if we are mindful, we can spot it in our own thoughts and actions as well.
Rise
January 01, 2022 17:00 - 5 minutes - 12.6 MBThis is a call for us to rise as Soldiers of Peace in the Army of Love and put mindfulness into action, which instills a sense of purpose into our every thought, word, and action, because our beliefs alone don't make us "better people," our behavior does. So.. buckle up!
Trauma Response
December 20, 2021 16:58 - 5 minutes - 12.8 MBThe defense mechanisms we developed during one time in our lives in order to protect ourselves can work against us if we don't let them go when they no longer serve their initial purpose. If you find value in these videos, please show your support at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support or with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp
Not Knowing
December 09, 2021 18:37 - 5 minutes - 13.4 MBLiberate yourself from anguish and anxiety by embracing uncertainty. After all, anything else is an illusion, isn't it? 🤔
Why We Hang On
November 25, 2021 17:38 - 5 minutes - 12.7 MBNobody will choose to let go of what they still believe has value. We often get stuck thinking something improves our lives, we lose sight of how our lives might improve if we let go of it completely. And some people don’t let go of what is detrimental to them because they don’t know how; they don’t have the tools or skills or.. the screwdriver with which to unscrew themselves. To keep the podcast sponsor free, show your support at https://patreon.com/buddhistbootcamp
Composure
November 11, 2021 12:42 - 7 minutes - 17.9 MBMost of us like being in control, yet the only thing we actually CAN control is the one thing we don't: our composure. Imagine responding to emotions and events with grace instead of reacting with rage. To listen with captions, visit https://youtu.be/XQzFCsqRq8I
Big Deal
October 19, 2021 13:39 - 6 minutes - 16.2 MBIs it a big deal? Well.. that depends... Getting into the habit of asking yourself this question throughout the day will change the way you eat, drink, argue, text, relate to others, and dare I say... it will change your life (it's changing mine).
We See What We Seek
October 09, 2021 16:17 - 5 minutes - 12.2 MBWhat we focus on, grows, and I made the mistake of focusing on what I wanted to change about myself, which only made it worse. What we think about, we bring about! So, what I needed to do (and will start doing from now on), is promote what I love instead of bashing what I hate (about myself and the world), because we see what we seek. I know there is beauty in the world (and in me), so if I don't see it, it's because I'm not looking at it. Seems so obvious now, but I failed to apply it to my...
Elaborate
September 22, 2021 13:50 - 6 minutes - 15.9 MBGive yourself the gift of depth by elaborating to better understand yourself and others, and strengthen your connections.
Relapse
September 10, 2021 16:24 - 5 minutes - 12.7 MBWe all slip off the path from time to time. It's important to remember that a relapse is just a bruise, not a tattoo. In sports terms, it's like being down a point, not losing the game, and we are all still in the game.
Nonattachment
August 23, 2021 09:00 - 6 minutes - 14.8 MBLove and attachment are not the same thing, they are the healthy and unhealthy versions of the same thing. We get attached to items, people, ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The more attached we are, the less free we are. This episode is an abbreviation of a talk I gave on Sunday about the beauty of love without attachment, not because the love will last forever, but because nothing ever does.
Guiding Principles
August 08, 2021 15:05 - 7 minutes - 16.7 MBThese principles are helpful guides to ensure our actions are aligned with our beliefs. You can either accept these guidelines or reject them, amend or append, uphold or release; there is no wrong answer. The Buddha never told us WHAT to think, he told us to think! His intention was for us to contemplate WHY we do what we do. This is so we aren't even tempted to do certain things in the first place, not because we are told not to, but because doing them would be incongruent with mindful livi...
The Absence of Judgment
July 26, 2021 16:19 - 6 minutes - 14.4 MBPeople seldom ask themselves if they are ready to love before they decide to get into a relationship or to have kids, they just want to BE loved and simply assume they will be able to love in return. For some, loving comes easily because they aren’t judgmental, but for many, judgment comes easily, making love difficult to find. What’s in question is no longer whether or not we can love freely, it is suddenly a discussion about us judging compulsively. Thankfully, we are not limited, restrict...
Not Up To Me
July 11, 2021 09:30 - 5 minutes - 12.7 MBIt's a huge relief to distinguish between what is for us to decide and what is out of our hands. Some things are not up to us, yet we try to control every step of the process AND the outcome, which causes unnecessary stress and anxiety. The simple mantra "It's not up to me," keeps me grounded, and I hope it helps you as well. To listen to the episode with captions, visit the Buddhist Boot Camp YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/jE9l6FHocH4
Pride Month
June 23, 2021 18:08 - 4 minutes - 10.1 MBIn celebration of Pride Month, many people ask "What is the Buddhist view on homosexuality?" Here is the answer you can share with everyone you know: https://youtu.be/9WP3534V83Y
Fear
June 12, 2021 14:10 - 6 minutes - 14.5 MBFear will run and ruin your life if you let it. The trick is to see fear as a speed bump, not a dead-end street. This episode is only five minutes long, but it can stay with you for a lifetime. The Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast is commercial-free without ads or sponsorships thanks to listeners like you who donate as little as $1 a month through patreon.com/buddhistbootcamp Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.
Am I Normal?
May 23, 2021 12:00 - 8 minutes - 20.7 MBWhat does "Normal" even mean? To what lengths are we willing go to fit in? From a very young age, I was told something was wrong with me simply because I was different. Would you pretend to be someone you're not in order to be liked and admired, celebrated or accepted? Would you commit a crime? Do drugs? Work 80 hours a week? Wear certain clothes to fit-in? Have kids? Sign a 30-year loan? Would you do what feels unnatural to you simply because it's expected of you? To what end? As Ani DiFran...
Why We Share
May 06, 2021 12:34 - 6 minutes - 16.4 MBHave you ever wondered why you have the urge to share your opinion with people without being asked? Even some of the information we THINK is helpful, caring, and kind, is actually demoralizing, hostile, and reeks of a superiority complex lurking behind our urge to share. All too often, we have ulterior motives when we dump our opinions on others unsolicited.
Bouncer
April 20, 2021 15:19 - 5 minutes - 13.4 MBAll sorts of random thoughts show up during the day and even while meditating, so we need a bouncer to decide which thoughts get to enter our minds, which have to stand outside, and which are banned for life. To listen with captions, visit: https://youtu.be/XnUAJB3Y0Xk