Among the factors of the Eightfold Noble Path is Right Effort. This is part of the meditation path, and for many, finding the right energy in our meditation practice is a big challenge. Doug and Jon discuss how they approach this and hopefully give some useful tips. Right Effort Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
Many folks with western religious upbringings find discomfort when faced, at least in a practice context, with a Buddha Rupa (statue) or other images and of course even more so when bowing or offerings are encouraged. In this episode we'll talk about Buddha images: their history, practices we might use with them, as well as discuss the show on display at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC on early Buddhist artwork. Two of Doug's Videos: Buddhism and Icons: Prohibition to "Idolatry" -- https://youtu....
We decided this week to speak about the Two Truths-- the Relative and the Absolute, or the Mundane and the Ultimate. Are they real or just another construct? How did they find their way into the Buddhist teachings? How can we practice with them today? Is there even something to practice? Doug's Videos on the Two Truths: The Buddhist Doctrine of Two Truths: Origins -- https://youtu.be/qL_sspJzQx8 The Buddhist Doctrine of Two Truths: Abhidharma and Nagarjuna -- https://youtu.be/yBKK1HvieqU Is the ...
There are many ways of investigating experience, including the six elements of earth, water, fire, air (wind), space, and consciousness. In this episode, we discuss how these practices can lead to a direct insight into the nature of self. Playlist of Doug's Dharma videos on the elements: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0akoU_OszRhAhUt9nXmf4wfgkBdHRAfx Book Recommendation: Living as a River, by Bodhipaksa Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see furth...
Exercise is important for our bodies and minds. How do we approach exercise as a meditation ? Can we exercise mindfully, and what would that look like? In fact, any activity we do can be a meditation practice if we remember. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Being in the present moment also means acceptance of the present moment whether we like it or not. This is a key to Buddhist practice and a key to freedom. It's also a challenge, mainly when what is present is unacceptable. In this episode, we discuss how we practice (or not) acceptance. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
Dealing with wildfires associated with global warming turns our mind to one of the Buddha's most famous and trenchant suttas, his third discourse, the Fire Sermon. Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato: https://suttacentral.net/sn35.28/en/sujato Translation by Bhikkhu Bodhi: https://suttacentral.net/sn35.28/en/bodhi Doug's video: https://youtu.be/dhTULnK8BWo Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
Doug and Jon respond to three member questions on how to reconcile non-judgment in our practice with the role of ethics, as well as how we can best deal with personal criticism and even aggression from co-workers. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
In this listener Q&A, Doug and Jon answer two questions: teachers' roles in guiding their students in the dharma, and how our past trauma might influence our journey. We don't pretend to have specific answers, but these wonderful questions elicited a wonderful discussion. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
The time we are living through just now has been termed a poly-crisis. A combination of existential crises happening all at once. Whether it's climate change, the war in Ukraine, pandemics, worldwide hunger, refugees, civil strive. . . we are experiencing it all directly or indirectly. How can our practice help? Does it help? Doug and Jon reflect on their own experience of this. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://diggin...
How do we negotiate the Buddha's teachings on craving and clinging with our deep love of family and friends? What is the difference between true love and "attached love," and when does attached love lead to dukkha? This is an ongoing question. The Buddha did expect monastics to be celibate and to leave their families but he did not expect this of householders. Later traditions had other options. Still, the teaching asks us to beware of love based on attachment and clinging. Support the show Go t...
Buddha Nature is a concept that arises primarily in the Mahayana Buddhist teachings, though without using that language, specifically, could certainly be interpreted within the early teachings as well. The most famous Koan on this is "Does a Dog of Buddha Nature?" Doug and Jon have a spirited and at times confusing discussion on this. Join in with us! Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
The present moment seems to come and go, but is that the case? What is the present moment anyway? This is a deep philosophical question and certainly a central point of Buddhist practice. Doug and Jon look at the topic from a number of different points of view . It's always a fun discussion! Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
In these days of divisiveness, it's easy to get into political arguments or, at the very least, think ill thoughts about some of our leaders. The Buddha's words on wise speech can be a useful guide. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
A recent comment on our website prompted a discussion about whether certain Buddhist practices (Lovingkindness for instance) involve magical thinking. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Doug and Jon discuss two natural abilities we have to skillfully maneuver through the world. The Buddha discussed them as "guardians of the world" (Iti. 42). Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
The Pāli word Sati literally means "remember' but also has the meaning of Mindfulness. The question of memory in mindfulness practices is the starting point of our discussion in this week's episode. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Recently we discussed a kind of secularized Buddhist practice with Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Today we discuss the topic of secular Buddhism. What do we mean by "secular" or "religious"? How can such concepts (and they are just concepts) be helpful or not? Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
"Not mine, not I, not myself" is a phrase that appears in various suttas. It can be a useful reminder to let go. We cling to material things, people, and of course ourselves. When we lose something or someone, or when that idea of who I am suddenly shifts, it can manifest in significant suffering. In this episode, Doug and Jon discuss how they relate to this sutta and how it can be a helpful reminder when we find ourselves in the jaws of dukkha. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comm...
What is non-dualism all about? Is it a practice? Is it a way of looking at the world? Or is it just words? Yes and. . . We'll discuss the dharma and practice of non-dualism. Was it found in the early texts? How do we understand and use it? Doug's YouTube video on the topic: Non-Dualism and Early Buddhism -- https://youtu.be/43v6lLweukg Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
The training called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late '70s and could be credited with the concept of "secular mindfulness." It is taught worldwide by hundreds of teachers and has been the topic of well over 1000 scientific research papers. Is it Buddhist? Is it effective? Jon Aaron is one of the prominent teachers of this curriculum and a trainer of new teachers. He and Doug talk about the Buddhist underpinnings of this curriculum as well as it's impa...
What are the Buddha's views about views? How are the ways we hold opinions about politics, people, food, etc, different from clinging to spiritual views? The Buddha had a lot to say about this but how do we put it into practice. How does our clinging to views, most importantly views about ourselves, impede our progress on the path? Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
The Seven Awakening Factors are a fundamental teaching in the early Buddhist Suttas. In an active form, these factors can be a valuable antidote to any of the Five Hindrances. In a passive way, as we meditate, they can act as signposts informing us both where we are and what is needed at any given moment. Throughout our day, they can work in the same way. Each of these factors warrants its own podcast, but here we discuss them as a whole. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, bu...
In Buddhist practice, direct experience is a key component of mindfulness and the development of wisdom. Can AI actually have direct experience? And if so, does it actually develop true wisdom? Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
With the hyper-driven developments in Artificial Intelligence, we wonder, is AI becoming sentient? What is sentience anyway? What are the determining factors? How do we hold these developments in the Buddhist context of Anatta, not self? Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
Metta--the quality of unconditional love is considered one of the boundless qualities of the heart. We often have beings in our lives who embody this quality and have been there for us regardless of how we are, or what we have done. These beings could be grandparents, an aunt or uncle, perhaps our parents (though most parents knowingly or not have conditions to their love), our 1st-grade teacher, or even a family dog. Recalling these benefactors is of great help if we have trouble connecting wit...
As Jon returns from his heart surgery and recovery, we discuss the practice of patience, which is considered one of the Perfections of the Heart (Parami). While heart surgery itself is miraculous, perfecting the heart by cultivating this quality of patience (among others) is no less so. We look at ways to develop patience throughout our day. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/...
We'll discuss a fun early sutta where two ascetics, one practicing as a dog, the other as a cow, come up to the Buddha to ask for his opinion about the merit of their practices. What does this show us about our own attitude to practice? Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Some folks believe that Buddhism requires us to let go of all desires. This is actually a misinterpretation of the teachings. There are undoubtedly healthy and unhealthy desires, and if one desire turns into greed, we have crossed the line. That line is only sometimes as apparent as we might think. In this episode, we discuss what the Buddha says about this and how what we have to learn from these teachings. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further n...
This episode will be aired the week Jon faces significant surgery. It seems like an appropriate time to look into fear and how to work with it. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
