Secular Buddhism
194 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 2.4K ratingsDon't 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
187 - The Unseen Teachers
January 26, 2024 00:08 - 32 minutes - 45 MBIn this episode, I reflect on my transformative journey from intense frustration to effortless flying, drawing parallels between the challenges of paragliding and the introspective path of personal growth. Sharing insights from my experience with learning to ridge soar, I connect these adventures to the Buddha's spiritual quest, underscoring the essence of self-reliance and the lessons adversity teaches us. This episode is a reflection on the powerful, often unseen teachers we encounter in li...
186 - Renunciation: Gaining Through Letting Go
December 31, 2023 21:10 - 15 minutes - 21 MBThis episode discusses how renunciation is not merely about giving up material or physical pleasures but about a deeper understanding and release of attachments that cause suffering. The episode invites listeners to consider the ways in which they might be clinging too tightly to certain aspects of their lives and how letting go can lead to greater liberation and joy. Through personal anecdotes, practical tips, and thoughtful exploration of the middle way of attachment, the episode encourages...
Weathering the Storms Within
October 02, 2023 18:53 - 26 minutes - 36 MBIn this episode, I delve into the landscape of our emotions, drawing parallels between the ever-changing sky and our internal world. Journey with me as we explore the transient nature of emotions, taking cues from the wisdom of ancient Buddhist teachings and insights from modern psychology. Learn how emotional agility can serve as a beacon, guiding us through life's inevitable storms with grace, resilience, and understanding. Featuring parables, contemporary analogies, and practical tips, th...
185 - Weathering the Storms Within
October 02, 2023 18:53 - 26 minutes - 36 MBIn this episode, I delve into the landscape of our emotions, drawing parallels between the ever-changing sky and our internal world. Journey with me as we explore the transient nature of emotions, taking cues from the wisdom of ancient Buddhist teachings and insights from modern psychology. Learn how emotional agility can serve as a beacon, guiding us through life's inevitable storms with grace, resilience, and understanding. Featuring parables, contemporary analogies, and practical tips, th...
Emotional Equanimity and Antifragility
September 25, 2023 21:38 - 21 minutes - 29.5 MBIn this episode of the Secular Buddhism Podcast, Noah delves into the concept of emotional equanimity, likening it to the tale of monk Sona who learned to maintain a balanced approach to life's challenges, akin to finely tuning a musical instrument. Drawing from the Mangala Sutta and Nassim Nicholas Taleb's "Anti-Fragile," the episode emphasizes the value of antifragility, where challenges can enhance our emotional resilience, much like an astronaut needing physical stress to prevent muscle a...
184 - Emotional Equanimity and Antifragility
September 25, 2023 21:38 - 21 minutes - 29.5 MBIn this episode of the Secular Buddhism Podcast, Noah delves into the concept of emotional equanimity, likening it to the tale of monk Sona who learned to maintain a balanced approach to life's challenges, akin to finely tuning a musical instrument. Drawing from the Mangala Sutta and Nassim Nicholas Taleb's "Anti-Fragile," the episode emphasizes the value of antifragility, where challenges can enhance our emotional resilience, much like an astronaut needing physical stress to prevent muscle a...
183 - Six Words of Advice
September 11, 2023 20:45 - 14 minutes - 19.3 MBWelcome back to the Secular Buddhism Podcast, a globally top-ranked Buddhist show. Today, best-selling author and host Noah Rasheta delves into the topic of Tilopa's Six Words of Advice. Tilopa's 'Six Words of Advice' provide meditation guidance for people of all levels, including both beginners and experienced meditators. Despite their apparent simplicity, these six instructions hold deep meanings. One can spend a lifetime studying these simple instructions and still uncover new insights. ...
Six Words of Advice
September 11, 2023 20:45 - 14 minutes - 19.3 MBWelcome back to the Secular Buddhism Podcast, a globally top-ranked Buddhist show. Today, best-selling author and host Noah Rasheta delves into the topic of Tilopa's Six Words of Advice. Tilopa's 'Six Words of Advice' provide meditation guidance for people of all levels, including both beginners and experienced meditators. Despite their apparent simplicity, these six instructions hold deep meanings. One can spend a lifetime studying these simple instructions and still uncover new insights. ...
Unraveling Suffering: The Four Noble Truths Explained
August 10, 2023 23:31 - 35 minutes - 48.6 MBPrepare to step onto a path of transformation and liberation as we unravel the most fundamental teachings of Buddhism - the Four Noble Truths. I'll break down each of these foundational truths, venturing into the realm of life's inherent suffering, understanding its root cause, and most significantly, the very possibility of liberation from this suffering by letting go of craving and attachment. The first Noble Truth states that life is characterized by suffering or dissatisfaction, the sec...
182 - Unraveling Suffering: The Four Noble Truths Explained
August 10, 2023 23:31 - 35 minutes - 48.6 MBPrepare to step onto a path of transformation and liberation as we unravel the most fundamental teachings of Buddhism - the Four Noble Truths. I'll break down each of these foundational truths, venturing into the realm of life's inherent suffering, understanding its root cause, and most significantly, the very possibility of liberation from this suffering by letting go of craving and attachment. The first Noble Truth states that life is characterized by suffering or dissatisfaction, the sec...
181 - Redefining Kindness
July 12, 2023 16:59 - 24 minutes - 34 MBIn the practice of self-kindness, we often overlook a profound truth: our relationship with ourselves sets the tone for our relationship with others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
180 - Meditation: The Pause Button for Habitual Reactivity
May 16, 2023 19:35 - 29 minutes - 39.9 MBIn this episode, I delve deeper into how meditation acts as a massive pause button for the cycle of habitual reactivity. I'll explore beliefs, thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions, and consequences, discussing how they influence our lives and the lives of others. We'll look at how we can cultivate skillful habits through meditation or mindfulness. By taking a pause from our habitual ways of living, we can achieve powerful self-reflection and lasting change. We also examine the two primary ...
179 - Notice Your Thoughts
March 28, 2023 21:03 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MB"All experience is preceded by mind"; that is to say, our mind determines whether or not we suffer. Knowing that we can't escape the consequences of our actions and that actions originate with thoughts, this episode will explore how and why we should practice noticing our thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
178 - The Four Investigations
January 30, 2023 21:20 - 19 minutes - 27.3 MBThis is episode #178. The topic I have in mind for today is the teaching of "The Four Investigations." This is a teaching that comes from the Yogachara school of Buddhism. According to Yogachara teachings, the key to understanding reality is to understand the mind. There are four investigations we can explore that are intended to help us to have a correct view or understanding of reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
177 - 10,000 Heroes Podcast Interview
January 24, 2023 03:34 - 1 hour - 90.2 MBIn this episode, I'll share the audio from an interview I did on the 10,000 heroes podcast. You can find the episode here: https://pod.link/1565667158/episode/f438b75d2dfc86e40c526270a4cd4975 Are you interested in trekking with me to Everest Base Camp? Learn more at mindfultrekking.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
176 - Working with our Propensities
January 04, 2023 21:05 - 34 minutes - 48 MBIn this first episode of 2023, I will talk about propensities and our relationship to our propensities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
175 - The Two Truths
November 02, 2022 17:36 - 25 minutes - 23 MBWhat are the two truths? There is the Truth of how things really are, and the truth of how things seem to be. These are sometimes referred to as Absolute truth and Relative truth. Relative truths are always dependent on HOW we perceive them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
174 - Be Whatever You Already Are
October 28, 2022 00:02 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MBA deep sense of unsatisfactoriness arises anytime we want to be other than how we are. It takes skillful effort to BE WHATEVER WE ALREADY ARE. In this episode, I will share my thoughts on the process of befriending our thoughts, emotions, feelings, and ultimately ourselves. "No one to be" "Nothing to do" "Nowhere to go" Some of the Buddhist concepts/topics shared in this episode: Emptiness Signlessness Formlessness Suffering/Unsatisfactoriness Interdependent co-arising Impermanenc...
173 - The Causes Of Unsatisfactoriness
October 02, 2022 22:33 - 34 minutes - 47.1 MBUnsatisfactoriness exists and it has a cause. What is the cause of unsatisfactoriness? In this episode, I will talk about craving and the role it plays in how we feel about life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
172 - Practicing Acceptance
September 25, 2022 22:10 - 33 minutes - 46.3 MBPsychological acceptance is "the active embracing of subjective experience, particularly distressing experiences." In this episode, I will discuss practicing acceptance and using the OODA loop as decision-making tools to help us act more skillfully during difficult or stressful times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
171 - How To Feel Whole And Complete
August 28, 2022 17:20 - 43 minutes - 60 MBSomething whole is comprised of ALL its undiminished parts or elements. We are a combination of our body and mind (hardware and software). The key to feeling whole is to understand and embrace all of the parts that make us who we are. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
170 - The Five Remembrances
June 28, 2022 17:37 - 41 minutes - 57.3 MBThe 5 remembrances are wake-up calls that help us to see more clearly, the nature of reality. They are wake-up calls that help us to live more intentionally and skillfully. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
169 - 84000 Gates
May 22, 2022 17:08 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MBIn this episode, I will share my thoughts about the 84,000 gates and the notion of Emptiness. In the last 2 episodes, I shared my thoughts around Signlessness and Aimlessness and now I will share my thoughts around Emptiness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
168 - Signlessness
April 26, 2022 17:05 - 26 minutes - 36.2 MBThe three doors of liberation refer to Formlessless, Signlessness, and Aimlessness. In this episode, I will talk about signlessness and what this teaching means to me and how we can practice signlessness in our day-to-day lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
167 - Aimlessness
April 12, 2022 20:50 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MBThe three doors of liberation refer to Formlessless, Signlessness, and Aimlessness. In this episode, I will talk about Aimlessness and what this teaching means to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
166 - Welcoming The Unwanted
March 06, 2022 18:10 - 23 minutes - 32.7 MBCraving for and attachment to feelings is what leads to suffering; on the flip side of that, awareness and understanding of our feelings can lead to Enlightenment. In this episode, I will share my thoughts around the Buddhist concept of feelings tones / Vedana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
165 - Unlearning
February 20, 2022 20:35 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MB"A student of Buddhism tries to unlearn something every day." What does it mean to "unlearn"? In this episode, I will share my thoughts around the notion of learning and unlearning in the context of practicing Buddhism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
164 - Thrown Out Of The Nest
February 07, 2022 17:50 - 21 minutes - 28.8 MBOne of the final teachings the Buddha gave, had to do with becoming an island unto yourself. In a way, he was telling his followers that it was time to leave the nest and to take refuge in themselves. In this episode, I will share my thoughts on this teaching. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
163 - Sticks And Stones
January 16, 2022 17:40 - 33 minutes - 45.3 MBIn this episode, I will talk about the story of Sundari, an ascetic who was killed in an attempt to frame Sidhartha and bring dishonor to him and his followers. How the Buddha handled this ordeal sheds light on the Buddhist approach to words and accusations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
162 - The Games We Play
January 02, 2022 17:10 - 18 minutes - 25.4 MBThe games we play...some thoughts about Right View. Thich Nhat Hanh says: "Our happiness and the happiness of those around us depend on our degree of Right View. Touching reality deeply -- knowing what is going on inside and outside of ourselves -- is the way to liberate ourselves from the suffering that is caused by wrong perceptions. Right View is not an ideology, a system, or even a path. It is the insight we have into the reality of life, a living insight that fills us with understanding,...
161 - The Backwards Law
December 14, 2021 19:49 - 21 minutes - 28.9 MBThe backwards law proposes that the more we chase after something, the more difficult it becomes to catch it and the more disappointed we feel. In other words, the harder we try, the less likely we are to succeed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
160 - Gratitude And Patience
November 28, 2021 18:04 - 18 minutes - 25 MBIn a culture that tends to feel gratitude for only the pleasant things in our life, the Buddhist approach is to feel gratitude for all things, even the unpleasant ones. Gratitude develops patience and patience is an antidote to the poison of greed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
159 - When Things Fall Apart
November 21, 2021 18:08 - 15 minutes - 20.6 MBThe nature of reality is that things come together and things fall apart and then things come together and things fall apart and that cycle goes on and on. Instead of running from the difficulties and the pain, the Buddhist approach is to move toward the painful situations and become intimate with them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
158 - I See You Mara
October 31, 2021 16:25 - 22 minutes - 31 MBMara is "the personification of the forces antagonistic to enlightenment." Mara wants to be feared. We tend to run from the things that we fear, but what happens when we stop running and we look at Mara and say "I see you, Mara!"In this episode, I will share my thoughts about the interaction between the Buddha and Mara. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
157 - This Is Because That Is
October 25, 2021 19:53 - 21 minutes - 29.9 MBDependent Origination is a Buddhist notion that is common among all schools of Buddhism. It's the doctrine that states that all phenomena arise in dependence upon other phenomena. In other words, "this is because that is and this is not because that is not". In this episode, I will share my thoughts about how this concept can be beneficial in our day-to-day lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
156 - Circle Of Skills
October 11, 2021 19:26 - 18 minutes - 25.7 MBWithin any given discipline, we all have a circle of skills. In order to grow the circle of skills, we need to do things that are just outside the circle and once we master a new skill, that circle grows. The key to safely growing the circle is to go slowly and not attempt skills that are too far outside the current circle we have. I believe this is also the case with how we can approach Mindfulness practice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
155 - The First Meditation
September 22, 2021 20:27 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBIn this episode, I will talk about "The First Meditation" a story about an experience that Siddhartha (the Buddha) had when he was 9 years old. I believe this experience shaped his understanding of the importance of experiential vs intellectual understanding and I believe there are some good lessons to be learned by us as we hear this story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
154 - Taking The Long View
August 23, 2021 20:59 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBIt can be easy to get caught up "in the thick of thin things" when our perspective is too narrow or zoomed in. When we take the long view, we learn to zoom out and see things from a different perspective. In this podcast episode, I will talk about taking the long view and also discuss the parable of the lute and the analogy of tuning the strings of an instrument. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
153 - The Beauty Of Not Knowing
August 06, 2021 04:42 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBZen Master Seung Sahn said "I do not teach Buddhism. I only teach don't know." The beauty of not knowing arises when we understand that reality is unknowable as a complete picture. First, because it's always changing, and second, we are limited in our perspective in terms of space and time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
152 - A Liberated State Of Mind
July 07, 2021 18:23 - 30 minutes - 41.2 MBLiberation is not a destination we strive to reach, it's a state of mind that is available to us right here and right now. When we fully understand the reality of emptiness, signlessness, and aimlessness, we become liberated from the type of thinking that has us trapped in the prison of our own mind. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
151 - Observation and Action
May 22, 2021 04:10 - 16 minutes - 22.3 MBObservation in Buddhist practice is an active thing, it's not passive and it's not a form of resignation. The skilled observer, observes precisely in order to be able to act more skillfully. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
150 - Buddha Nature
April 21, 2021 21:14 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBIn this podcast episode, I share my thoughts about "Buddha nature" and what it means to me. I also share the story of the little rock in my backyard that had a Buddha painted on the rock. When the paint started to fade, I was able to see the buddha nature of that rock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
149 - Firsts And Lasts
March 31, 2021 23:17 - 22 minutes - 30.5 MBEvery moment that arises is simultaneously the first time and last time that moment exists. I used to value moments based on their pleasantness or unpleasantness but now I see the beauty of the uniqueness of each moment. In this episode, I will be vulnerable and share my thoughts as I process the recent loss of a loved one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
148 - The Dance Of Life
March 04, 2021 01:33 - 26 minutes - 36.4 MBI love thinking about life as a great song, with high notes and low notes and quiet pauses in between each note. I like to think of my relationship to this song as the dance of life. In this episode, I will share my thoughts about going through life as if it were a dance instead of a fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
147 - Dharma Cat
February 18, 2021 20:53 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBLife has a funny way of teaching us lessons even amidst circumstances or events that we don't particularly find to be pleasant. In this episode, I will share the story of how we ended up with a 3-legged cat as a pet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
146 - The Freedom To Be You
February 03, 2021 14:12 - 20 minutes - 28.2 MBIn this episode, I will talk about the idea of "branding". The story we have about ourselves is our personal brand and we do a lot to influence the way others perceive us. Practicing non-attachment to our brand may allow us to experience greater freedom to be ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
145 - The Quest For Answers
December 22, 2020 20:54 - 30 minutes - 41.2 MBIn our search for answers to life's big questions, what if the question is actually more important than the answer? In this episode, I will talk about the quest for answers and how it may be more beneficial to focus on the quest for understanding the question. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
144 - The Game Of Emotions
November 23, 2020 22:16 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBIn this podcast episode, I will share some thoughts around the idea that we can change our relationship to our emotions by pretending that we're playing a game where the goal is to experience the full range of possible emotions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
143 - Eye Of The Beholder
October 21, 2020 01:11 - 26 minutes - 35.7 MBIn this episode, I will talk about perception and the role it plays in how we experience our reality. Reality is in the eye of the beholder. “Dependent on the eye and forms, eye-consciousness arises...The meeting of the three is contact.”With contact as a requisite condition, there is feeling. What one feels, one perceives. What one perceives, one thinks about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
142 - Wisdom and Fear
October 13, 2020 20:31 - 21 minutes - 29.8 MB"Some see something to fear where there is nothing to fear, and some see nothing to fear where there is something to fear." In this episode, I will talk about fear from a Buddhist perspective. Fear is universal but there are perhaps some fears that are skillful and others that are unskilful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.