Buddhist Wisdom, Modern Life

This week, we're sharing the second of two episodes from Inner Cosmos that explore the neuroscience behind our sense of self. Host David Eagleman investigates why our bodies, composed of trillions of cells, feel like a single, unified "me." These episodes offer a compelling scientific perspective on the Buddhist concept of anatta (no-self), providing a fascinating bridge between ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience.

Listen now to all of the wonderful episodes from Inner Cosmos: https://eagleman.com/podcast/

This week, we're sharing part one of two episodes from Inner Cosmos that explore the neuroscience behind our sense of self. Host David Eagleman investigates why our bodies, composed of trillions of cells, feel like a single, unified "me." These episodes offer a compelling scientific perspective on the Buddhist concept of anatta (no-self), providing a fascinating bridge between ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience.

Listen now to all of the wonderful episodes from Inner Cosmos: https://eagleman.com/podcast/

If you've finished your day of work -- or just want to take a relaxing break -- this guided meditation is here for you!

This meditation was recorded live as part of the Mind Body Spirit Institute’s Power of Community meditation series. To learn more and register (for free!), click here: https://geni.us/mbsipoc

May you and all beings be well.

This week internationally renowned spiritual teacher and author Andrew Holececk about his new book, Reverse Meditation, in which he shares a powerful form of spiritual practice that can transform our relationship to unwanted experiences. In the process, we open more and more fully to the luminous, spacious true nature of the mind. Toward the end of the episode, he offers a guided contemplation you can use next time you feel the urge to complain. 

Andrew’s website: andrewholecek.com

Check out his new book, Reverse Meditation, that offers instruction in both foundational practices like calm abiding meditations and open awareness practice, as well as the reverse practices you’ll hear about in this conversation.

On Sound True: https://geni.us/revmedst

On Amazon: https://geni.us/revmedam

If you enjoy our conversation, please share this episode and subscribe!

To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses

 Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

Barbie might be the last character you'd expect to be similar to the Buddha... but consider this:

The beginning of Barbie's journey into the "real world" comes when she begins to reflect on death and impermanence. Sounds a lot like the story of Buddha's life to me!

This episode offers a few thoughts for anyone about to see the hottest movie of the summer or who's just seen it and wants to reflect on its hidden spiritual meaning.

Want to learn more about Buddha's life story and basic teachings? Check out my free email course on the Four Noble Truths: https://geni.us/4NobleTruths

This Tibetan-style tonglen meditation on compassion was recorded live as part of the Mind Body Spirit Institute’s Power of Community meditation series. To learn more and register (for free!), click here: https://geni.us/mbsipoc

May you and all beings be well.

I used to think that Buddhism and trying to "manifest" what you want don't go together. But then I realized that actually Buddhist teachings on karma tell us how to put in place the causes for getting what we want. Mind blown!

Want to learn more about the basic teachings of Buddhism? You can check out my book, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

And my free courses on Buddhist basics for beginners here: https://geni.us/freecourses

May you and all beings be well.

Today’s episode is a little different. I’m sharing some “inspirational” writing I did for my own sangha, Dawn Mountain’s, newsletter a couple of weeks ago. This is my appreciation for the dharma’s ability to help us not just feel better but also navigate the difficult times in life without giving up. I’ll share the story of how bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara got 11 heads and 1,000 arms.

Want to reply? You can post on Facebook or Instagram and tag this podcast, @BuddhistWisdomModernLife.

To sign up for Dawn Mountain’s mailing list and learn more about my teachers, click here: https://www.dawnmountain.org/

To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses

 Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

To celebrate the Buddhist holiday of Vesak, which commemorates the birth and awakening of the Buddha, here’s a guided meditation on trusting and resting in our own buddha nature. You (yes, you!) are a buddha masquerading as a human, and the tragedy of human life is that we’ve forgotten we’re already everything we’re looking for.

This meditation was recorded live as part of the Mind Body Spirit Institute’s Power of Community meditation series. To learn more and register (for free!), click here: https://geni.us/mbsipoc

This episode is a guided meditation on relaxing into the spaciousness of our true nature, which I offered for the Mind Body Spirit Institute's Power of Community series (see link below to register for free). Learning to relax into spaciousness is at the heart of the Buddhist wisdom teachings —and one of the best things we can do for our health and happiness. This meditation introduces the beautiful practice of resting in open awareness and invites us to discover the vast, open expanse that is our already-awake, already-wise true nature. It's an especially good practice for people who find themselves too tight, too contracted, and out of touch with the natural goodness of their minds and bodies. If you enjoy this practice, please share this episode and subscribe! This meditation was recorded live as part of the Mind Body Spirit Institute’s Power of Community meditation series. To learn more and register (for free!), click here: https://geni.us/mbsipoc To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy May you and all beings be well.

In this talk, we explore Thich Nhat Hanh's interpretation of the Easter story of the death and resurrection of Jesus from a Buddhist perspective. While acknowledging that this interpretation is not representative of any given Christian interpretation, we use certain aspects of the Christian story and its interpretation for Buddhist purposes. In Christianity, Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, a concept that only applies to Jesus. However, in Buddhism, this applies to every living being. Each of us lives in both conventional and ultimate reality, and the sense of self that we think exists doesn't exist even conventionally. This sense of self obscures the reality of emptiness or Buddha nature. The Dharma path is about deconstructing the mistaken sense of self and "crossing out" the "I." This process can be painful, as it involves letting go of the human part of ourselves. However, this is what makes resurrection possible and leads to the release of our Buddha nature. Through the concepts of Anicca, Anatta, and Dukkha, we explore the tragedy of human life, in which we are both human and divine but have forgotten our divinity. We often go into the spiritual journey thinking we will become more spiritual or bigger, but at some point, we realize we have to let go of who we think we are in order to settle deeper into reality. Overall, this interpretation offers a unique perspective on the Easter story, emphasizing the universal nature of the concepts presented and the importance of letting go of the self in order to access our true nature. May you and all beings be well.

The biggest challenge most meditators face is finding enough time to practice -- and the Pomodoro Timer method is my favorite way to get around this. In this episode, I’ll dive into the Pomodoro Timer method and show you how it can help you get more time to meditate. So if you’re a meditator who always wishes you had more time for practice, listen now and download my free time tracking spreadsheet!

Get the free spreadsheet and future video trainings: https://geni.us/pom4meditators

Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DHxnTE11ADU

My favorite Chrome extension timer: https://geni.us/K1p1

The Pomodoro Timer method is a great way to get more time for meditation because it helps you break down your day into manageable chunks. Essentially, the Pomodoro Timer method works like this: you work for 25 minutes and then take a five minute break. After four “pomodoros” (i.e. working for 25 minutes and then taking a five minute break), you take a longer break of 15 minutes. If you use even a few of these breaks to meditate, you'll easy get 20, 30 or more minutes back from your day to nourish your spirit.

Using the Pomodoro Timer method also helps you refresh your mind and finish the workday less mentally fatigued. And you can reconnect with a positive motivation for your daily work tasks.

May you and all beings be well.

In today’s episode I’ll be speaking with Nina Simons, Co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer at Bioneers, who leads its Everywoman’s Leadership program. Throughout her career, Nina has worked with nearly a thousand diverse women leaders across disciplines, race, class, age and orientation to create conditions for mutual learning, trust and leadership development. 

Today we’ll talk about her book Nature, Culture, and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership. The second edition just came out in June, 2022, with an accompanying discussion guide and embodied practices.

You can find Nina’s book and information about Bioneers programs and events here: https://bioneers.org/ncs/

Nina mentions Deborah Eden Tull’s book Luminous Darkness: https://geni.us/5cqQ

Watch The Mycelium is Listening (that Nina mentions toward the end of the episode): https://youtu.be/X56fh6MfdOw

If you enjoy our conversation, please share this episode and subscribe!

To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses

 Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

This is a meditation I led for the Power of Community program hosted by the Houston Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute. It was recorded live, so you might hear background noises.

If you’d like to join the Power of Community for free weekly meditation sessions (in English and Spanish), you can register here: https://geni.us/mbsipoc

Free courses on Buddhist basics: https://geni.us/freecourses

My book for beginners on the Four Noble Truths: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

In today’s episode I’ll be speaking with Cynthia Kane, the Founder and CEO of the Kane Intentional Communication Institute, which provides services to help individuals and companies improve their communication skills and show up authentically in their most important relationships. She actually has an entire book on the topic of today’s conversation: How to Communicate Like a Buddhist.  Cynthia will share tips to help us all connect more authentically, plus she puts communication in the context of skillful speech, a vital part of Buddha’s teachings.  

You can find more about Cynthia and her team and the training services they offer here: https://kanecommunicate.com/ 

If you enjoy our conversation, please share this episode and subscribe!  

To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses  

Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy 

May all beings be well.

Welcome, friends, in today’s episode I’ll speak a bit about meditating to benefit those who have died, and then I’ll guide a short practice using the mantra of Amitabha Buddha: OM AMI DEVA HRI.

(See below for a short summary.)

More on Amitabha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit%C4%81bha

If you enjoy this practice, please share this episode and subscribe!

To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses

Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

_________________________________________________

With recent news about the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria (and so many other news events in which we hear about people dying suddenly), we have an opportunity to practice meditating for those who have died. You don’t have to be an expert meditator or know secret meditation practices to benefit folks in the state between death and rebirth, known in Tibetan Buddhism as the bardo state.

Beings in the bardo state are said to be very sensitive to any thoughts directed toward them, which means that we can help them by directing love and compassion to them through meditation practice.

In addition, the more we’re able to contemplate death and what comes after – which in Tibetan Buddhism is described as a time when our buddha nature naturally shines through since our ordinary self has been tripped away. So practicing for the dead helps them, and it helps us, too.

There are many different ways to meditate for the dead, but one of the simplest is to use the mantra of Amitabha Buddha, whose name means “Infinite Light.” This mantra is a prayer for the departed to be reborn in the Pure Land, a paradise realm.

The mantra is: OM AMI DEVA HRI.

To use this mantra, simply sit in a comfortable position and repeat the Amitabha mantra either aloud or silently to yourself, picturing the infinite light of this buddha wrapping those who’ve passed in comfort, love, and peace. You can do this for as long as you like.

You may find it helpful to practice this meditation regularly, especially if you are struggling with grief. It can be a very comforting practice, and it can bring you some peace of mind knowing that you are supporting the deceased on their journey.

Welcome, friends, in today’s episode I’ll be speaking with author, Zen monk, and founder of the Ithaca Zen Center Yoshin David Radin. Sylvia Boorstein (co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center) described his new book, A Temporary Affair, like this: “These short discourses by an old Zen priest facing his possible imminent death are relaxed and friendly in tone. They speak directly to the heart of human suffering, the confusion that comes from not understanding what is clearly available for us to feel directly and be liberated. It is a book I keep on my bedside table, at close hand when I need a dose of encouragement.”

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Yoshin David Radin. You can read an excerpt from A Temporary Affair on Tricycle’s website here: https://tricycle.org/article/zazen-relaxing-mind

Visit Yoshin David Radin’s center:https://ithacazencenter.org/

Find A Temporary Affair here: https://geni.us/tempaffair

May you and all beings be well.

If you enjoy our conversation, please share this episode and subscribe!

To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses

Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

New year, new you? Come get support and connect with fellow seekers at these live online events!

Impermanence and buddha nature with my lamas (and sometimes me) at Dawn Mountain's virtual temple: https://www.dawnmountain.org/teaching-tuesdays-2/

Bring your spirituality to work -- and de-stress your brain while you're at it: https://junghouston.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/junghouston/event.jsp?event=9873

Join me and other Mind Body Spirit Institute faculty members for short (free) meditations each Tuesday and Thursday: https://junghouston.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/junghouston/event.jsp?event=9816

The first two options are paid, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

May you and all beings be well.

We've probably all wished we had more time for spiritual practice, and you might have made a resolution to meditate (or journal, pray, etc.) more this year.   

But what do we have to give up to make space for what's most important?  

In this video, I share a big lesson from grad school that helps me prioritize what's most important... with some help from Marie Kondo!  

Happy New Year.  :)  

If you enjoyed these reflections, please share this episode and subscribe!  

To learn more about Buddhism through my free courses, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses  

Or get my book for beginners, The Buddhist Path to Joy, here: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy  

May you and all beings be well.

This meditation uses the imagery of descending into a sacred pool inside a sacred cave to offer an opportunity for renewal: letting the ego self dissolve to light, then emerging again and deciding which parts of our ordinary sense of self we want to keep carrying.

My friend Dent Gitchell, PhD, an educator, author, and meditation teacher in Arkansas, joins me today to bring a different perspective on reincarnation cases. After a childhood of being open to the unseen aspects of reality, Dent trained with Roger Woolger, a pioneer in past life regression therapy, which helps people recover from previous life traumas that are holding them back from healing and freedom in this life. Now, I’m not sure that all memories that come up in this form of therapy refer to actual previous lives, but many people find tremendous healing from it, and as you’ll hear, Dent found it helpful. This conversation also makes some connections between Buddhist teachings on karma and the previous lives Dent experienced.

To learn more about Dent, to find his book, and to learn more about the psychotherapy he offers, check out his website: http://www.dentgitchel.com

To find all my free courses on Buddhism, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses

May you and all beings be well.

Dent Gitchel is a therapist, educator and meditation instructor. He is a long-term meditator, primarily in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and has a strong interest in the intersection of traditional contemplative practices and modernity. He has formally trained in and been certified several meditation teacher training programs including Mindfulness Based Emotional Balance (MBEB) , Stanford's Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) and Dharma Moon's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher program. He is the author of Pursuing Purpose: Finding meaning Through Meditation.

I first met my guest today, Jake Loveland, when we recorded an interview for his podcast, Tenaciously Human, about the connections between Buddhism and success in life. (You can find that episode here: https://geni.us/mPbVnik.)

One thing Jake mentioned in that first conversation was that he’s a big fan of the Jewish and Christian idea of the Sabbath, and as I took time off this summer, I found myself thinking again and again about how rest and relaxation open more space for creativity. So why are these practices often so difficult?

Jake and I will discuss the Sabbath – and how we can work some Sabbath attitude into the rest of the week – as well as the Buddhist idea of retreat. I hope you enjoy and feel empowered to take time to rejuvenate in your own life. Here’s a link to Jake’s site: tenaciouslyhuman.com. Or find him on social media: @loveland_jake.

And you can find my free intro to Buddhism courses here: https://geni.us/freecourses

Jake Loveland is a business coach and the Host of Tenaciously Human Podcast. As a husband, father of 5, and former executive of a multimillion dollar company, he is primed to help leaders get out of the day-to-day so they can maximize the year-over-year - all while prioritizing faith and family.

May you and all beings be well.

Hi, friends, I’m excited to introduce you to Dr. Dent Gitchell, an educator, author, and meditation teacher – a guy with a lot of credentials and a lot of expertise. But what I recently learned about him is that he’s been a fan of The Grateful Dead since he was young, and along with that came a lot of consciousness-expanding experiences with psychedelics.

In this conversation with Dent, we’ll dive into those early experiences and how they’ve shaped the wise and kind teacher he’s become. To learn more about Dent, who’s a psychotherapist living in Little Rock, Arkansas, check out his website: http://www.dentgitchel.com

For a list of all my free courses on Buddhism, click here: https://geni.us/freecourses

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Dent.

May you and all beings be well.

Dent Gitchel is a therapist, educator and meditation instructor. He is a long-term meditator, primarily in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and has a strong interest in the intersection of traditional contemplative practices and modernity. He has formally trained in and been certified several meditation teacher training programs including Mindfulness Based Emotional Balance (MBEB) , Stanford's Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) and Dharma Moon's Mindfulness Meditation Teacher program. He is the author of Pursuing Purpose: Finding meaning Through Meditation.

If you've heard of the three types of Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana), you might wonder: What are the origins of Vajrayana Buddhism? How is it similar to and different from Mahayana and Theravada? What are the practices and beliefs of Vajrayana Buddhists?

In this video, I'll cover the historical origins of the Vajrayana forms of Buddhism and talk about the one region where this type of Buddhism is dominant: Tibet and the Himalayan regions. If you’ve ever wondered what Buddhist tantra is, you’re in the right place because it’s Vajrayana Buddhism. But there’s no sex involved, lol!

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh

May all beings be well.

We’ve all heard of “enlightenment” in the context of spiritual practices like Buddhism. But in this episode, my colleague Deborah Eden Tull walks us through the equally important practice of “endarkenment” and other wonderful explorations from her new book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown. I very much enjoyed reading this book and appreciated her invitation to explore the realms of mind outside of our “daytime” consciousness as we practice receptivity and learn to be more comfortable as we encounter what’s unknown to us.  

Buy the book today on Shambhala’s site: https://www.shambhala.com/hello-darkness.html 

Or find it on Amazon: https://geni.us/5cqQ 

Read the transcript here: https://www.clairevillarreal.com/post/luminous_darkness

May you and all beings be well.

Y'all, get ready to meet a good friend and dharma sister of mine, Pam Stockton, as we discuss psychedelics and how they can be helpful on the spiritual path—in the right context, with the right preparation, for folks who can benefit from them, which isn't everyone. You can learn more about Pam at her website, which is linked below. And if you'd like to learn more about the basic teachings of Buddhism, there's a link to my free courses, too.

Pam Stockton is licensed as a professional counselor in Texas and New Mexico, and is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in private practice. Formerly a business lawyer, she was certified by Grof Transpersonal Training as a practitioner of Holotropic Breathwork in 2009 and is now a Grof Breathwork practitioner. In addition to degrees in law and counseling, she holds a Master of Theological Studies degree and Certificate in Women’s Studies from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

I hope you enjoy our conversation.

More about Pam: https://www.pamelastocktonlpc.com

Check out my free courses on Buddhist basics: https://geni.us/freecourses

May you and all beings be well.

Y'all, I'm so happy to share a conversation I had with Emily Anchia, the Digital Manager at my home sangha, Dawn Mountain. Her degree is in personal finance, so we talked money stuff, and she comes at the topic from a more spiritual angle that reminds me of Marie Kondo more than the finance bros on YouTube.  

If you'd like to learn more about the basics of Buddhism, please see the links below to my free courses for beginners and to my favorite comprehensive intro courses on Buddhism and Buddhist meditation.  

Emily is the manager of all things digital and broadcast at Dawn Mountain Buddhist Temple. She facilitates spreading the dharma as a profession, but she also has a passion for spreading financial literacy! She loves the art of storytelling in every form and especially all things spooky.  

You can find her on a Dawn Mountain livestream: dawnmountain.org  

Free mini-courses on Buddhist basics: https://geni.us/freecourses 

Great intro to the Buddhist traditions: https://geni.us/BSO101 

Similarly great intro to Buddhist meditation: https://geni.us/BSO102 

May you and all beings be well.

Hello, friends, and welcome to this interview with Moriah Williams, who's going to share with us some of their wisdom about the world we can see and how it connects to the unseen. If you've ever felt like there's more to the human experience than what our senses show us, you'll probably enjoy getting to meet this remarkable healer.

If you'd like to learn more about the basics of Buddhism, please check out the links below to my book, The Buddhist Path to Joy, and my free online courses for beginners.

Moriah Williams is a holistic practitioner who offers somatic and spirit-based online sessions education. They support people in making friends with themselves, deepening their connection to their bodies and their intuition, reclaiming their energy from old wounds and ongoing structural oppression, and trusting their own power. Moriah believes that the more we trust our capacities for healing, the more we can live lives of joy, wonder, and kindness.

Check out Moriah's website: moriahjwilliams.com

And connect with them on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter: @mjwintuitive

The Buddhist Path to Joy (a practical guide to the Four Noble Truths): https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

My free online courses & resources: https://geni.us/freecourses

May you and all beings be well.

A bodhisattva is one who has vowed to train to become fully awakened (enlightened) in order to benefit all beings. This spiritual aspiration has inspired countless people to devote their lives to developing their capacities for wisdom and compassion.

The starting assumption for Mahayana Buddhism is that all living beings have the same potential for awakening. Thus, we are all capable of becoming bodhisattvas.

In Mahayana Buddhism, the quality the bodhisattva cultivates is "bodhicitta": 'the mind (citta) of awakening (bodhi)'. The more common translation is 'enlightenment mind' or 'awakening mind'.

The awakening being's experience leads to the end of all suffering or dukkha whatsoever; hence, the bodhisattva's ultimate goal is to eliminate all suffering, the most profoundly compassionate motivation.

In this podcast episode, I’ll talk about one of the bodhisattva’s most important qualities: generosity. That doesn’t just meaning giving money or resources but also time and protection from danger. And I’ll share some verses from the Bodhicaryavatara, the classic guide to walking the path of the spiritual hero.

Curious about the basics of Buddhism? Please check out my book The Buddhist Path to Joy (https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy) and my free courses for beginners: https://geni.us/freecourses

May you and all beings be well.

Hello, friends. If you're interested in the basics of Buddhism and want a fun introduction to the history, beliefs, and practices of the various Buddhist lineages, I have a great new learning platform to share with you: Buddhist Studies Online or BSO.

Today I'm talking with Dr. Kate Hartmann, a Harvard PhD in Religious Studies and one of the folks behind Buddhist Studies Online and the instructor for BSO 101 about the history, philosophy, and practice of Buddhism.

Kate is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Wyoming. She received a PhD in Religious Studies, focused on Tibetan Buddhism, from Harvard University in May 2020. Her research focuses on the history of pilgrimage to holy mountains in Tibet. She also helped develop and launch Buddhist Studies Online, an educational platform aimed at making academic courses on Buddhism more accessible to the public.

If you'd like to hear more about her story of connecting with Buddhism as an undergrad, then traveling around Asia in the course of her studies, you can find a link in the show notes to an interview she did with Seth Powell who helped found BSO.

I hope you enjoy the conversation, and if you'd like to learn more about BSO 101 or 102, Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice, you can find links to both those courses in the show notes.

BSO 101 (intro to Buddhist history, philosophy, & practice): https://geni.us/BSO101

BSO 102 (Buddhist meditation in theory and practice): https://geni.us/BSO102

(Those are affiliate links. There's no cost to you when you click them, but you do support this channel/podcast.)

Listen to Kate's story: https://geni.us/katehstory

May you and all beings be well.

If you’ve ever wondered how to “get serious” about practicing Tibetan Buddhism, you might be relieved to know that you don’t have to become a monk or nun, and you don’t have to spend the rest of your life in a cave.

In this episode, I’ll talk with Aaron of the organization Dharma Gates on what’s involved when you want to become a serious student of Tibetan Buddhism, including how to connect with a teacher and community.

We’ll have a live conversation about this on June 30, and you can find registration info in the show notes. Plus if you’re new to Buddhism, I have some free mini-courses you might be interested in. There’s a link to them, too. I hope this conversation answers some of the questions you might have about getting started in this wonderful tradition.

Register for the live call on June 30 (donations welcome): https://www.dharma-gates.org/upcomingevents

Check out my free mini-courses & resources: https://geni.us/freecourses

Recommended dharma centers and teachers in Tibetan traditions:

Dawn Mountain (dawnmountain.org)

Tara Mandala (taramandala.org)

Natural Dharma Fellowship (naturaldharma.org)

Mayum Mountain (mayummountain.org)

Lama Rod Owens (lamarod.com)

May you and all beings be well.

A bodhisattva is one who has vowed to train to become fully awakened (enlightened) in order to benefit all beings. This spiritual aspiration has inspired countless people to devote their lives to developing their capacities for wisdom and compassion.

The starting assumption for Mahayana Buddhism is that all living beings have the same potential for awakening. Thus, we are all capable of becoming bodhisattvas.

In Mahayana Buddhism, the quality the bodhisattva cultivates is "bodhicitta": 'the mind (citta) of awakening (bodhi)'. The more common translation is 'enlightenment mind' or 'awakening mind'.

The awakening being's experience leads to the end of all suffering or dukkha whatsoever; hence, the bodhisattva's ultimate goal is to eliminate all suffering, the most profoundly compassionate motivation.

In this podcast episode, I explain the terms bodhisattva and bodhichitta, and I'll share some inspiring verses from the Bodhicaryavatara, or Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, a famous text on how to become a bodhisattva by the great Indian saint Shantideva in the 8th century CE. The Bodhicaryavatara is one of the best introductions to the subjects of bodhicitta and compassion in Mahayana Buddhism.

Curious about the basics of Buddhism? Please check out my book The Buddhist Path to Joy (https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy) and my free courses for beginners: https://geni.us/freecourses

May you and all beings be well.

The previous episode was a live talk I offered on Insight Timer with some ideas for doing meditation practice for those who have died. Here's the guided meditation from the end of that talk so you can come back to it easily.

My free mini-course on the Tibetan teachings on death and rebirth: https://geni.us/bardoscourse

Amitabha’s mantra: OM AMI DEVA HRI

Watch this on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DwTaIWqwvtY

More on Amitabha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit%C4%81bha

More mantras: https://youtu.be/PuyE_S1UZhs

Check out my book on Buddhist basics: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

Write me: claire@clairevillarreal.com

May all beings be well.

If you've lost a friend or loved one recently -- or just want to offer some practice to help folks you hear about on the news who've recently passed -- here are a few simple suggestions, plus a little background from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. This is a longer, live version of the previous episode, for those who prefer a short talk.

I’ll explain how to prepare to support your loved one (or a stranger) who’s recently died, based on Tibetan Buddhist teachings as well as modern research on near death experiences and cases of reincarnation.

I’ll also show you how to use the mantra of Amitabha, the buddha of limitless light whose pure land is easy to be reborn into. And if the person you’re supporting isn’t Buddhist, you can use a variation of the practice.

My free mini-course on the Tibetan teachings on death and rebirth: https://geni.us/bardoscourse

Amitabha’s mantra: OM AMI DEVA HRI

Watch this on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DwTaIWqwvtY

More on Amitabha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit%C4%81bha

More mantras: https://youtu.be/PuyE_S1UZhs

Check out my book on Buddhist basics: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

Write me: claire@clairevillarreal.com

May all beings be well.

If you know someone who’s recently died (or want to help the people we all hear about on the news every day who die of COVID, in wars, or in gun violence), here’s an explanation and a short practice.

I’ll explain how to prepare to support your loved one (or a stranger) who’s recently died, based on Tibetan Buddhist teachings as well as modern research on near death experiences and cases of reincarnation.

I’ll also show you how to use the mantra of Amitabha, the buddha of limitless light whose pure land is easy to be reborn into. And if the person you’re supporting isn’t Buddhist, you can use a variation of the practice.

Amitabha’s mantra: OM AMI DEVA HRI

Watch this on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DwTaIWqwvtY

More on Amitabha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amit%C4%81bha

More mantras: https://youtu.be/PuyE_S1UZhs

Check out my book on Buddhist basics: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

Write me: claire@clairevillarreal.com

May all beings be well.

If you've ever wondered what the most important teaching in Buddhism is, now you know! If you understand impermanence -- that things are constantly changing -- then the rest of Buddha's teachings make sense.  

There are two levels to this constant change or flow: "gross" and subtle. The first level refers to the changes we notice, like when a wildfire burns through a community, transforming it overnight. At the subtlest level, science shows us that the subatomic particles that make up the atoms of our cells are constantly flashing into and out of existence.  🤯  

For more information on my new course on this topic, Ease into Change, click here: https://geni.us/changecourse.  

May you and all beings be well.

I was listening to a Radiolab episode recently (link & description below) that was all about nihilism and why it seems to be having a moment right now.   It got me thinking about the difference between Buddhism, with all its talk about how nothing is inherently existent, we're all going to die, etc., and proper nihilism.   

The difference? Buddha nature! After we strip away everything, there's still a luminous layer of reality according to Buddhist teachings.  

Radiolab episode: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/dust-planet-2204 

"Horror, fashion, and the end of the world … In this episode, first aired in 2014, but maybe even more relevant today, things get weird as we explore the undercurrents of thought that link nihilists, beard-stroking philosophers, Jay-Z, and True Detective."

Check out my book, The Buddhist Path to Joy: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May all beings be well.

Happy May the 4th, fellow Star Wars nerds! 🤓  

If, like me, you've ever wondered, "Is the Force real?" then this video is for you! I'll share a few thoughts on ideas from Buddhism and Asian martial arts about the life force energy (qi, chi, prana, etc.) that circulates through the body and through the world around us.  

And did you know that when George Lucas came up with the Jedi, he was inspired in part by Zen Buddhism? Yep.  

So nerd out with me, and if you have other Star Wars/Buddhism questions, please write me at claire@clairevillarreal.com!  

May all beings be well. 🙏

The Buddha taught that awakening is our ticket out of an endless round of deaths and rebirths. But these days, many folks don't believe in rebirth and wonder if nirvana is real. So let's talk about what full awakening means and the ways different traditions describe it.

For more on karma, rebirth, nirvana, and more basic Buddhist teachings, see my book, The Buddhist Path to Joy: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

The previous teachings in this mini-series:

Karma and how to tidy yours up: https://youtu.be/yWrOvRUodck

Rebirth: https://youtu.be/flJtSQkrAaE

May you and all beings be well.

There's no "self" in Buddhism, so what gets reborn? Do we keep connecting with loved ones lifetime after lifetime? And most important: what can we do now to optimize our chances of a good rebirth?

For more on karma, rebirth, nirvana, and more basic Buddhist teachings, see my book, The Buddhist Path to Joy: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

The previous teaching in this mini-series (karma and how to tidy yours up): https://youtu.be/yWrOvRUodck

May you and all beings be well.

Dukkha (unease or unsatisfactoriness) is the main problem the Buddhist tradition helps us solve. In this meditation, you'll be guided to notice mental and physical states of unease, stress, or discomfort and offer yourself compassion in response.

For more on Buddhist basics, see my new book, The Buddhist Path to Joy, available free through April 1 (2022): https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

If you’ve ever wondered what karma is or how to get rid of bad karma, you’re not alone. We all have felt the effects of bad karma in our life, but what is it and how do you get rid of it?

The term karma is a Sanskrit word that refers to a causality in Buddhism. Karma is not something that you can see; just like electricity, it is invisible. It is a process, a law of nature. The good news is that we can counteract negative karma from the past when we cultivate positive karma.

For more on karma, rebirth, nirvana, and more basic Buddhist teachings, see my book, The Buddhist Path to Joy: https://geni.us/buddhistpathtojoy

May you and all beings be well.

If you’ve decided to take refuge (become a Buddhist), what should you do to get ready? It’s not rocket science, but this is a significant commitment, so here are some ideas for anyone who wants to take this step.

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a Buddhist, this episode is for you! My friend and colleague Loppon Yudron Wangmo shares her insights on what refuge means – and if you want to take refuge with her, live on Zoom, then register at the link below.

Register to take refuge: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o1p1l8

Watch part 1: https://youtu.be/wfxfQNiaj-Y

Watch part 2: https://youtu.be/Z2IVf6yKmPQ

Some recommended reading (affiliate links):

What Makes You Not a Buddhist, https://amzn.to/3D5cMpi

Words of My Perfect Teacher, https://amzn.to/36bZN9j

Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience, updated: https://amzn.to/36kvIEn, older (less expensive): https://amzn.to/3JzjBll

Loppon-la’s refuge video: https://youtu.be/R8LCpYo-ARQ

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb

May you and all beings be well.

Taking refuge is how you become a Buddhist and commit to waking up out of samsara (the endless cycle of deaths and rebirths). You can meditate and get lots of benefit from Buddhist practices without taking refuge, but deciding to walk the dharma path is a significant moment in the spiritual path.

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a Buddhist, this episode is for you! My friend and colleague Loppon Yudron Wangmo shares her insights on what refuge means – and if you want to take refuge with her, live on Zoom, then register at the link below.

Register to take refuge: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o1p1l8

Watch part 1: https://youtu.be/wfxfQNiaj-Y

Some recommended reading (affiliate links):

What Makes You Not a Buddhist, https://amzn.to/3D5cMpi

Words of My Perfect Teacher, https://amzn.to/36bZN9j

Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience, updated: https://amzn.to/36kvIEn, older (less expensive): https://amzn.to/3JzjBll

Loppon-la’s refuge video: https://youtu.be/R8LCpYo-ARQ

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb

May you and all beings be well.

What does it mean to take refuge in the three jewels (Buddha, dharma, and sangha), and what’s the benefit of taking refuge? Do you have to be Buddhist to practice meditation?  

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a Buddhist, this episode is for you! My friend and colleague Loppon Yudron Wangmo shares her insights on what refuge means – and if you want to take refuge with her, live on Zoom, then register at the link below.  

Register to take refuge: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o1p1l8 

Some recommended reading (affiliate links):  

What Makes You Not a Buddhist, https://amzn.to/3D5cMpi  

Words of My Perfect Teacher, https://amzn.to/36bZN9j

Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience, updated: https://amzn.to/36kvIEn, older (less expensive): https://amzn.to/3JzjBll 

Loppon-la’s refuge video: https://youtu.be/R8LCpYo-ARQ   

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/ 

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb 

May you and all beings be well.

In the third part of my conversation with my dharma friend Loppon Yudron Wangmo, she explains how to request teachings and make a good connection with a spiritual teacher. Did you know that it’s traditional to ask a teacher for instructions on a certain topic? And Loppon-la shares why it’s good not just to learn from famous teachers (like the Dalai Lama, Pema Chodron, and so many others) but also to have a teacher who knows you personally.

I hope you’ll join us for more of this conversation with a wonderful contemporary female Buddhist teacher.

Part 1 (this is part 3): https://youtu.be/I38-aTSceiY

Part 2: https://youtu.be/rSrxUSmEbiA

Loppon-la is on YouTube! Find her here: https://www.youtube.com/c/YudronWangmo

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb

May you and all beings be well.

In the second part of my conversation with my dharma friend Loppon Yudron Wangmo, she explains the lineage she teaches in, the Dudjom Tersar, and her approach to teaching at Mayum Mountain, her foundation. Plus she shares the benefits of ngondro or the foundational/preliminary practices students of Tibetan Buddhism do before engaging in Vajrayana practices, Dzogchen, or Mahamudra.   

I hope you’ll join us for more of this conversation with a wonderful contemporary female Buddhist teacher. 

Part 1 (this is part 2): https://youtu.be/I38-aTSceiY

Loppon-la is on YouTube! Find her here: https://www.youtube.com/c/YudronWangmo 

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/ 

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb 

May you and all beings be well.

In this meditation, we start with connecting to the earth to cool down excessive fire, then use the breath to fan the embers of deficient fire. Finally, we rest in a warm heart.

Y’all, I’m so pleased to introduce you to a dharma teacher I follow and admire, Loppon Yudron Wangmo. She’s a Western-born teacher who’s now based in California, and in this conversation she shares how she became a Buddhist in the first place, how her practice deepened, what it’s like to do long retreat in the Tibetan tradition, and what it’s been like becoming a teacher (Loppon) in the Nyingma lineage.

Stay tuned for next week’s conversation with Yudron Wangmo about what it means to take refuge in the Buddhist tradition. And spoiler alert: she’s going to offer refuge online to anyone who’s interested! Stay tuned for more details.

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb

May you and all beings be well.

This past Thursday I offered an afternoon meditation for the Mind Body Spirit Institute of the Jung Center Houston. It was all about using earth energy at the end of a workday, and I want to offer it to you now!

If you'd like to sign up for the live weekly meditations the MBSI offers, click here: https://bit.ly/3KF1gmK

And to register for my free Four Noble Truths course, click here: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

May you and all beings be well.

For the next two weeks, it's Losar (Tibetan New Year), a special time to reflect on who we want to "grow up" to be this year.

In this quick talk and meditation (starting at 6:08), I'll explain why it's not just spiritual narcissism to aspire to become a fully awakened being. Instead, a vast aspiration like that points us in the direction of our true selves.

Then I guide a meditation to lead you through the process of connecting with your deepest aspirations and receiving blessings from your wise inner self to help you practice in alignment with your buddha nature.

Happy Water Tiger Year! May we all be safe, well, and free from suffering.

Happy Losar (Tibean New Year)! May this new year bring you and yours safety, growth, wisdom, and all auspicious things. ⁠

⁠

These next two weeks are a perfect time to reconnect with your own sacred energy and cultivate positive qualities as much as possible. If you're making a donation to support Ukraine, take a moment to rejoice in the difference it can make in someone's life. If you're sitting down to meditate, set an intention not just to get calmer for the next 20 minutes but to transform your mind -- and with it, your world.⁠ Your "challenge": try this shift in mindset or motivation for the next two weeks and see what happens.  :D

⁠

Wishing you all the best for the Year Of The Tiger!

Tomorrow Losar begins, so let's shed some negativities to start the year right! 

This guided meditation uses imagery of luminous blessings flowing down through the body, energy system, and mind to cleanse our entire system. It's also an opportunity to open to our deep wisdom.

Happy Water Tiger Year! May you be well, safe, and planting the seeds of happiness.

#TibetanNewYear (#Losar) is a time for reflection and for setting new intentions. A great way to start the New Year is by purifying any negativities from the old year, and you can do this by writing out all of the negativities from the old year on a piece of paper, then burning the paper in a ritual fire.⁠
⁠
This ritual can help to clear out any negative energy, and it can also help to set the tone for a fresh start in the New Year. If you’re interested in performing this ritual, here are the steps:⁠
⁠
1. Write out all of the negativities from the old year on a piece of paper.⁠
⁠
2. Burn the paper in a ritual fire.⁠
⁠
3. As you burn the paper, visualize all of the negative energy from the old year being consumed by the fire and transformed into light and warmth.⁠
⁠
4. Feel yourself becoming lighter and more free as you let go of the negativity from the past year and share the positivity of the ritual with all living beings.⁠
⁠
Performing this simple ritual can help you to start the New Year with a clean slate, and it can set the tone for a happy, positive year ahead.⁠

May you and all beings be well.

Probably the question I get asked the most is: “How did you end up Buddhist?” And I get it! Coming from a Christian family in small-town Texas, Tibetan Buddhism isn’t where you might think I’d end up finding my spiritual home. But here we are!   

And Kyohei (whose channel is great! link below) grew up Japanese but wasn’t seriously drawn to practice until he was in college, too. We were both drawn in by teachings on emptiness and dependent origination – and maybe we both had previous lives that gave us certain predispositions in this lifetime.  

Check out Kyohei’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Wagenai5 

Start learning about Buddhism with my free mini-course on the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh 

May you and all beings be well.

Washing away the old is a great way to get ready for the Tibetan New Year (Losar). Whether you're purifying yourself spiritually, mentally, or emotionally, water can help you wash away the old and make way for the new. You can take a bath, go for a swim, or even wash your car. Whatever helps you feel refreshed and ready to start anew is the right way for you.⁠ ⁠ 

Join me for a live Losar meditation on YouTube Wed., 3/2, at 3 p.m. EST. And join my mailing list to get invited to a live Zoom call on March 3 at 1 p.m. EST.

May you and all beings be well.

As we approach Losar this year (March 3), there's so much gunk from the old year to clear out! Between political division and now the invasion of Ukraine, the world needs cleansing now more than ever.

In this short episode, I talk about the magic of clearing out what's no longer serving us well, then holding space for our innate positive qualities to emerge instead.

What do you want to clear from your life? Tag me on Instagram (@namastehyall) and let's talk!

Grab a free course to start this new year with meditation or learning the basics of Buddhism: https://www.clairevillarreal.com/free-courses

Check out Marie Kondo's work: https://konmari.com/

Listen to my talk on the space element: https://plinkhq.com/i/1531179284/e/1000551320892

Kyohei and I continued our conversation about Buddhism, pop culture, and philosophy. In this episode, he asks me about my earlier video on the 1999 Keanu Reeves film The Matrix, and I get nerdy about Tibetan epistemology (the study of how we know what we know).  

Check out Kyohei’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Wagenai5 

Start learning about Buddhism with my free mini-course on the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh  

May you and all beings be well.

Everyone knows meditation is good for you, but how do you make time to meditate in daily life? In this video, I’ll share how to meditate with the pomodoro timer to get regular 5-minute breaks you can use for meditation, mindful breathing and stretching, prayer, or any other contemplative exercise.  

Listen to the full talk on organizing your meditation practice: https://bit.ly/3LH23VL

Check out the pomodoro technique: https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique 

Get my free course on Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh 

Join my mailing list: https://bit.ly/CVmailing 

May you and all beings be well.

Mindfulness, compassion, insight: there are so many kinds of meditation and often it feels like there’s not enough time in our busy lives to fit them all in!   

Too often, people feel like they have to meditate for hours every day in order to start reaping the benefits of mindfulness. But that's not the case!   

In this video, we explore how to structure your meditation practice -- both daily and long-term -- so that you can get the most out of it, no matter how busy you are.  

Grab the weekly planner to set your practice aspirations and track your progress: https://bit.ly/3LGZR0k 

Join my email list to get resources and invitations to live events: https://bit.ly/CVmailing 

Check out the pomodoro technique: https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique 

Get my free course on Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh 

May you and all beings be well.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the space element is understood as emptiness or the nature of mind, and it is this emptiness that allows for everything to manifest in its own unique way.

Space is an essential part of our existence, the field in which all things exist. Because space is empty, anything can manifest in it.

In meditation, practitioners may focus on the space around them as a way of becoming aware of their own mind and the vast potential for transformation that exists within it. When we experience space and emptiness deeply, it can be quite liberating. We let go of our attachments and see things as they are, leading to a sense of freedom and peace.

Join the five elements mailing list: bit.ly/5elemts

Blog post with teachings on all five elements: bit.ly/3oW7LcK

Guided space meditation: bit.ly/3uTAkeq

May you and all beings be well.

Maybe you've heard that Buddhism teaches that attachment is the root of suffering. In that case, how can you love someone or be in a relationship?

Don't worry, you can still love the important people in your life, and with this short Buddhist meditation on loving-kindness (metta) you can cultivate true love and caring for yourself and others.

Buddhist Practice on Western Ground by Harvey Aronson: https://amzn.to/3gIOQgL

Kristin Neff's work on self-compassion: https://self-compassion.org/

Get my free course on Buddhism's four noble truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

Learn more about the basics of Buddhism: https://bit.ly/3nvo3Hi

May you and all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.

Intellect, curiosity, change, and transformation: these are all important qualities on the spiritual path, and in Tibetan Buddhism they’re related to the air element. The air element can help us to move with greater flexibility and grace through life, making changes in our lives when we need to and releasing that which is no longer serving us.

Too much air energy can lead to constantly swirling thoughts and anxiety as we meet life’s challenges. Too little air and we have trouble making changes and greeting life with curiosity and the willingness to learn.

In its subtle aspect, air is the energy that flows through the channels of our subtle body and connects the physical body with the mind. To balance your air energy, gentle chi kung exercises are great!

To connect with the air element in the natural world, you can go outside and feel the breeze on your skin, notice the air you breathe in, or watch leaves dancing in the wind.

Get the free email course: https://bit.ly/5elemts

Get the book (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3GPUx83

Get my free course on the basic teachings of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

May you and all beings be well.

My new friend and PhD student in the University of Chicago's Divinity School Kyohei Mikawa explains the ideas of the immanent and transcendent in the philosophy of religion and how they apply to Buddhism. Then we use those terms to talk about our two fields of interest and expertise… and how they relate to The Matrix!

Along the way, Kyohei will also explain the Lotus Sutra (which is very famous and important for Mahayana Buddhism) and how his practices based on it help him live a happier life. Even when it comes to dealing with rude drivers!

Find all of Kyohei’s videos applying the Lotus Sutra to modern life: https://bit.ly/kyoheilotus

And connect with him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinmccauer/

Get my free intro course on the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

May you and all beings be well.

Tibetan Buddhism describes five elements and their qualities as a way of understanding ourselves and the world around us. Fire drives our creativity and enthusiasm, and when it's balanced we naturally find an energized, blissful joy. We'll talk about cultivating balanced fire in our lives.

In meditation, if the fire element is too strong we'll have thoughts and ideas popping up constantly. There are different techniques for dialing back the fire element, but one effective way is to do practices that cultivate the earth element, like a body scan or breath meditation that enhances your mind's ability to rest on its object. This will turn down the intensity of thoughts appearing constantly. To enhance the fiery quality of your practice, explore new kinds of meditation (like mantra practice or guided visualizations), new teachings, or a new spiritual podcast.

To cultivate balanced fire energy in daily life, you can try:

- spending time outside in the sun

- thinking about what excites you creatively and then taking steps to pursue it

- noticing the warmth of your body

Get the free email course: https://bit.ly/5elemts

Get the book (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3GPUx83

Get my free course on the basic teachings of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

May you and all beings be well.

We all want to flow more easily through life, with grace and ease. Did you know that flow in Tibetan Buddhism is associated with the water element?

In this talk, I'll explain the basic qualities of the water element in Tibetan Buddhism (ease, flow, and emotional connection), what happens when this element is imbalanced, and how we can balance our water in daily life and meditation practice.

Just like the other elements (earth, fire, air, and space), water has a wisdom that can support our meditation practice. Because water represents the qualities of flow and comfort, it can help us settle joyfully into life and meditation practice.

Water is also associated with heart-opening meditation practices like loving-kindness or compassion meditations, or with opening to the blessings of our practice lineage. When we meditate with the water element, we can become more aware of when we are holding back from true connection and when we feel integrated with the rest of our world.

Get the free email course: https://bit.ly/5elemts

Get the book (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3GPUx83

Get my free course on the basic teachings of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

The "heaviest" of the elements, earth symbolizes stability, equanimity, and rootedness. Love and acceptance are fundamental elements of earth energy. By connecting with this energy, you can access a deep sense of stillness and peace.

You can connect with the earth element in daily life by immersing yourself in a natural environment, such as a forest, field, desert, or mountain. Try walking barefoot, sitting on the ground, or lying on the earth.

When we meditate on earth, we strengthen our ability to focus the mind and let it settle into its own rich, abundant nature. Practices like focusing the mind on the breath, bodily sensations, or a mantra can help generate earth-like stability. And meditating on equanimity strengthens that aspect of earth energy.

In this teaching, I talk about the qualities of balanced earth energy -- and the drawbacks of unbalanced energy, like feeling scattered or sluggish.

Get the free email course: https://bit.ly/5elemts

Get the book (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3GPUx83

If you've ever tried to overcome anxiety through mindfulness alone, you might know it's not so easy. But according to Tibetan Buddhism, all emotions are expressions of the elements -- earth, water, fire, wind, and space -- and each has its own wisdom.  

We can learn a lot about ourselves when we allow ourselves to feel our difficult emotions. Anxiety, for instance, can alert us to negative messages we may have internalized when we were young, but we can now use awareness to overcome those limitations.  

In this meditation, we'll call on sacred support to explore and undo anxiety.  

Learn more about the basics of Buddhism with a free course on the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh  

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal  

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).  

May all beings be well.   

clairevillarreal.com

What do you need to do to set yourself up for success for your first time doing a DIY meditation retreat? Here are a few DIY retreat ideas you can use, even if you've never tried this before!

And you can sign up to get notified of other resources for DIY meditation retreats and be the first invited if I offer a group retreat experience: https://bit.ly/DIYretreat22

1) Integrate retreat into your practice

Before you leave for retreat, start reading about and practicing the topic you're going to practice on retreat (like calm abiding, loving kindness, or whatever you'd like to work on).

2) Go somewhere else

Life at home is different from life in a monastery or community setting, and if possible, go somewhere else (like a cabin or even tent in nature) to do your retreat. If you need to do your meditation retreat at home, create a special space for it -- not where you work or play daily.

3) Go offline

Don't waste your precious retreat hours stirring up the same old concerns in your mind! Put your phone in airplane mode and let your mind settle.

00:00 Intro 

01:46 Integrate retreat into daily practice 

02:42 Go someplace different 

04:45 Go offline

If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to start meditating… for years now… then this course is for you! We’ll do short practices together as a group, all of them oriented toward helping you experience moments of waking up out of a distracted, rushed state of mind into the present moment. Then you’ll experiment with one practice each week as you go through your days and share at our next meeting what’s happened.

We’ll focus on the breath, movements of the body, and even words that can help us get centered again in the midst of daily life. With your new set of tools to bring mindfulness to daily life – whether you ever sit on a cushion or not! – you’ll be ready to kick 2022 off right.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3F0AkuF

When: Mondays at 6-7:30 p.m. CST

Where: Zoom

How much: $100 ($80 for Dawn Mountain members), no one turned away for lack of funds

The Matrix is full of Buddhist themes! In the movies, we're dreaming, not interacting with the real world because the machines (read: AI) are using humans as batteries and actively keeping us asleep.

In Buddhism, it's because we have countless lifetimes' worth of mistaken assumptions about the world. We see everything through the tinted lenses of our past.

But you can wake up! In The Matrix, you have to know the right person and get lucky to wake up, and when you do, the real world is grim and grey and no fun. In Buddhism, you don't have to rely on anyone to wake up. Each of us contains basic luminosity, and Buddhist path shows us how to wake up. As we walk the spiritual path, the real world is amazing, splendid, and the more we clear off our lenses, the more vivid the world gets.

May you and all beings be well.

In traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the bardo states, the bardo of this life is the first one mentioned. It’s the one we’re in now, and it’s the best time to train our minds. But in the process of transitions, it’s the part of the process that seems to get the least attention, maybe because we never seem to realize we were in a stable period of life until that ends. So we’ve left it until last on this podcast because often we appreciate this lifetime – or a stable period in it – most fully only after it’s over. We’ve talked and imagined our way through the bardos of death, clear light, and becoming now (see previous episodes if you missed those talks), so hopefully we can appreciate the bardo of this life properly.

This episode mentions a free mini-course I put together with resources on training calm abiding and special insight in meditation. Here’s the link to enroll: https://clairevillarreal.teachable.com/p/essential-tools-for-meditation

The book that’s mentioned in this episode is Mind Beyond Death by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.

And here’s the link to register for my free email course on Tibetan rebirth teachings: https://bit.ly/bardocourse

Today’s episode is all about the most famous part of the death and rebirth cycle in Tibetan Buddhism: the bardo between death and rebirth, also called the bardo of becoming. We start with a summary of the traditional description of this bardo state, in which we’re said to have a mental body. We start off still connected with the identity of the life that just finished and end up connecting with the life we’re about to begin. This bardo is said to be a dreamlike state in which we’re blown around by our thoughts and emotions (which sounds like daily life sometimes, but moreso).

There are two books I highly recommend if you want to read more on this bardo: Tulku Thondup’s Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s Mind Beyond Death. If you’re new to all this, Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth is an easier one to start with.

And here’s the link to register for my free email course on Tibetan rebirth teachings: https://bit.ly/bardocourse

The bardo of clear light is the one moment in our life-death-and-rebirth cycle when we naturally have a direct experience of our true nature. It’s a moment we can prepare for during this lifetime by getting in the habit of noticing and appreciating the glimpses we get of our deeper nature. (Meditation helps with that.  ;)

Recommended reading for this episode is from Mind Beyond Death by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.

And here’s the link to register for my free email course on Tibetan rebirth teachings: https://bit.ly/bardocourse

Tibetan teachings on the death process are profoundly inspiring. Yes, it’s a sad and possibly scary time of letting go of our ordinary sense of self – but what really dies is everything except our true self, which gets to shine through clearly into our experience. Today’s teaching episode centers on Tibetan teachings about the death process, but we’ll also discuss why it’s difficult to let go into transitions and how we can prepare daily.

And here’s the link to register for my free email course on Tibetan rebirth teachings: https://bit.ly/bardocourse

In the episode, I mention a couple of books and an important concept, so here are links:

And you can read more about Max Weber’s concept of disenchantment here.

Transitions often take us through loss and darkness, but we come out the other side transformed and more in touch with our light.  In this episode, I briefly outline the four bardo (in-between) states that the Tibetan Buddhist tradition uses to talk about death and rebirth, the biggest transition we face.  And I introduce the structure of transitions, a way of applying these teachings to the “deaths and rebirths” we all experience within this lifetime.

And here’s the link to register for my free email course on Tibetan rebirth teachings: https://bit.ly/bardocourse

May you and all beings be well.

If you've ever tried to overcome anxiety through mindfulness alone, you might know it's not so easy. But according to Tibetan Buddhism, all emotions are expressions of the elements -- earth, water, fire, wind, and space -- and each has its own wisdom.

We can learn a lot about ourselves when we allow ourselves to feel our difficult emotions. Anxiety, for instance, can alert us to negative messages we may have internalized when we were young, but we can now use awareness to overcome those limitations.

In this talk, I'll explain the connections between anxiety and the elements of air and space.

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).

May all beings be well.

clairevillarreal.com

In this introduction to the origins and basic beliefs of Buddhism, Karim Ali interviews monk Ajahn Punnadhammo and me (Claire Villarreal). Listen for his take on the Buddha’s life story, the Four Noble Truths – and some questions I’ve never thought to address, like is there a Buddhist “creation story”?

Check out Karim’s podcast, History Encoded, to learn more about the world’s religions.

And you can find more of Ajahn Punnadhammo here: https://www.dharma.org/teacher/ajahn-punnadhammo/

Get my free email course on the Four Noble Truths: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

If you've ever tried -- and failed -- to "let go" of anxiety, anger, or sadness, you might know it's not so easy. Buddhism offers a different way to deal with these emotions. First we need to recognize the wisdom within them, and then we can learn to express that energy in a healthy way.

Rather than trying to push them away, we can investigate the wisdom they offer. In this guided meditation, we'll invoke protective blessings before exploring sadness in our own experience. Beneath the surface messages of sadness or loneliness (e.g., "No one loves you," "You'll never be happy again") is a deeper intuition of connection and the capacity for love. 

I recorded this meditation from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).

May all beings be well.

clairevillarreal.com

Many people try to avoid sadness and even judge ourselves when we feel sad. But it's an important emotion, and when we feel it with full attention, it may offer us unexpected wisdom.  

In Tibetan Buddhism, the water element is a symbol of connection and feelings; in the Western imagination, it's related to emotions and the unconscious. Drawing on these related understandings of water, we can look for its wisdom in our moments of loneliness and sadness.  

Join my email list and get invited to Monday's group call (and future ones): https://bit.ly/CVmailing 

In this episode, I mention this beautiful understanding of sadness: https://onbeing.org/programs/katherine-may-how-wintering-replenishes/ 

This video was recorded from a live session on Insight Timer. Follow me there to get notified of future live talks and meditations: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal

Recorded live from an Insight Timer meditation, this session is all about meditating with anger. According to Tibetan Buddhist teachings, emotions contain wisdom, and rather than trying to suppress the ones we don't like, this approach emphasizes feeling emotions and working skillfully with them instead.

How does Zen Buddhism connect emptiness and buddha nature? What is Pure Land Buddhism, and how do its followers practice?  

Zen and Pure Land Buddhism (like all other branches of Mahayana Buddhism) teach that emptiness and buddha nature are the basic qualities of reality. "Emptiness" means that we're empty of inherent existence -- in other words, the small selves we identify with aren't our true nature. Instead, all beings have buddha nature, a luminous aspect of our being that is what we truly are.  

In this video, I'll explain how these two major schools of Mahayana Buddhism bring the doctrines of emptiness and buddha nature into their practice to help followers wake up to joy.  

New to this series? Listen to my intro to Mahayana history (https://plnk.to/buddhist-wisdom/e/1000543892579) and emptiness and buddha nature (https://plnk.to/buddhist-wisdom/e/1000544097915).  

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal 

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh 

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).  

May all beings be well.  clairevillarreal.com

If you've ever tried -- and failed -- to "let go" of anxiety, anger, or sadness, you might know it's not so easy. Buddhism offers a different way to deal with these emotions. First we need to recognize the wisdom within them, and then we can learn to express that energy in a healthy way.

In this guided meditation, I’ll guide you through settling the mind and energy, then intentionally bringing up a difficult emotion so you can feel it, understand its wisdom, and then let it go.

This meditation is part of a series on understanding the wisdom of emotional energy; if you'd like to read more on this topic (and about the energies used in profound Tibetan practices), please check out Healing With Form, Energy and Light by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Here's an affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3DAYlrz. (If you click it and buy the book, you don't pay extra, but you support this podcast.)

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).

May all beings be well.

clairevillarreal.com

Mahayana Buddhism has a lot in common with earlier forms of Buddhism (like belief in samsara and nirvana, lack of inherently existent self, dukkha, impermanence, etc.). But in this episode I'll explore two of the distinctive philosophical innovations that make Mahayana Buddhist schools like Zen and Pure Land distinctive: emptiness and buddha nature.  

These two philosophical ideas work together: buddha nature is our true "self," and the small sense of self that we usually grasp at doesn't really exist (i.e., it's empty of true existence).  

If you missed my earlier video on the origins of the Mahayana schools, you can catch that here: https://youtu.be/R7Gc2rDbgb4 

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal 

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh 

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).  

May all beings be well.  

Chapters: 

00:00 Intro 

00:33 Connections between Mahayana and Early Buddhism 

02:25 Emptiness 

07:55 Buddha nature

Welcome to this introduction to the origins and history of the Mahayana schools of Buddhism! I’ll discuss how the Mahayana grew organically from earlier Buddhist teachings and the connections it shares with what’s now called the Theravada lineage.   

Plus I’ll briefly explain how this tradition spread throughout North and East Asia and how it’s adapted to the various cultures it’s encountered.  

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal 

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh 

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).  

May all beings be well.

If you've heard of the three types of Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana), you might wonder: What are the origins of Mayahana Buddhism? How is it similar to and different from Theravada? What are the practices and beliefs of Mahayana Buddhists?

In this video, I'll cover the historical origins of the Mahayana schools, the historical development of the Mahayana and how it grew organically out of early Buddhism. Then I’ll introduce two major Mahayana innovations, emptiness and buddha nature, before explaining how two important lineages – Zen and Pure Land – and how their practices integrate emptiness and buddha nature.

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).

May all beings be well.

Being gentle with yourself as you begin to practice meditation, then staying curious as your mind shows you what's really going on in your head -- these two qualities together can keep meditation fun and help you stick with it until it becomes a habit.

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).

May all beings be well.

Often folks new to meditation feel as though they have to do it "right" from the get-go, which can be super frustrating. In this episode, I'll share some tips for relaxing into practice.

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).

May all beings be well.

What is Theravada Buddhism? It's the oldest surviving school of Early Buddhism, and it's still centered on the earliest teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.  But now it's spread throughout South and Southeast Asia and the rest of the world, and because it's the basis for the mindfulness movement, modern Theravada teachings have had a huge impact on spiritual practice globally.  

In this video I'll talk about the history of Theravada Buddhism, its core beliefs and practices, and the ways it influences modern life.  

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal 

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh 

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).  

May all beings be well.

What are the origins of mindfulness meditation? The mindfulness movement has become so ubiquitous that it seems as though it's always been around!

But actually the roots of mindfulness meditation are in the forms of Theravada Buddhist practice found in South and Southeast Asia. In this video, I'll explain how the founders of the Insight Meditation Society (Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and Jacqueline Mandell) adapted what they learned in Asia to benefit modern Western society.

Of course, there's more to the story of the adaptation of Buddhist meditation into the mindfulness movement, but I think the story of the IMS founders -- and then further adaptations by Jon Kabat-Zinn and others -- is a good illustration of the way people have brought some parts of the Buddhist tradition West and secularlized them.

This audio comes from a video I recorded during a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).

May all beings be well.

#theravada #buddhism #mindfulness

The Theravada Buddhist tradition has wonderful resources on meditation, like the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in the Satipatthana Sutta. But put simply, what makes meditation Buddhist? Or Theravadin?  

In this video, I'll talk about two basic factors: samatha (calm abiding) and vipassana (special insight). These two work together and can be difficult to distinguish from each other, so I'll clarify their meaning a bit. I learned about all this in the Thai forest tradition, so my explanation might sound different from what a student of Burmese or Sri Lankan dharma traditions would say.  

Also, because the mindfulness movement has borrowed so heavily from Theravada meditative traditions, it can be difficult to get back to the original intent of meditation in a Buddhist context: to notice our mistaken assumptions about the world and ourselves and begin to uproot them. If meditation leads in the direction of awakening, it's probably drawing on samatha and vipassana.  

I recorded this video from a live Insight Timer teaching; you can find me there and get notified of future talks: http://insig.ht/clairevillarreal 

To get the resources associated with this teaching series on types of Buddhism and get notified of upcoming live events, join this mailing list: https://bit.ly/typesBuddh 

To support my work, you can join my Patreon insiders (https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2) or make a one-time donation (https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe).  

May all beings be well.

The core teachings of Buddhism are all here! Samsara is the Buddhist term describing the cycle longing for something or someone we think will make us happy, getting what we want, and being dissatisfied again before too long -- and then we start the cycle over again. Nirvana (Pali nibbana) is what happens when we wake up out of that cycle to find lasting joy.

And what do we wake up to? The three characteristics of phenomena! Teachings on impermanence, lack of inherently existent self, and unsatisfactoriness help us wake up our of our trance.

Grab the "handout" with more context on Theravada Buddhism: https://bit.ly/311Xm67

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