Diggin' the Dharma: Recent Episodes
Jon Aaron and Doug Smith
Diggin' the Dharma with Jon Aaron and Doug Smith is a relaxed discussion of the Buddhist dharma between friends. Jon's interest centers around practice, while Doug's centers around scholarship of the early material, so their approaches balance practice with study. Their discussions will be approachable to a broad audience of Buddhists and those curious about Buddhism, and they welcome questions and comments. Jon is a teacher at Space2Meditate and NY Insight Meditation Center and a well known teacher and trainer of teachers of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Doug has a PhD in Philosophy and runs Doug's Dharma on YouTube and the Online Dharma Institute, where he gives courses on early Buddhism. Find them at: https://digginthedharma.com/
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Jon and Doug discuss the Buddhist Path, and how we can bring it into our lives.
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Jon and Doug discuss the element of space in Buddhist dharma, and how we can practice with it.
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This episode will be out on Mother's Day, so Jon and Doug discuss the complex role of mothers in the dharma, particularly the early dharma.
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The first two factors of the Noble Eightfold Path are the wisdom factors of Right View and Right Intention. As we practice meditation and bring our practice to life, we gain “wisdom” which refines our view. But what is wisdom really and do we know when we have it?
Jon and Doug have a lively and mostly wise discussion
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Jon and Doug discuss how language can both help and hinder our practice.
Doug's Dharma Video:
A Poem That Isn’t: Buddhist Mindfulness and Rumi's "Guest House" -- https://youtu.be/1E79pU6GzNs
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Sometimes we take ourselves (particularly our minds) too seriously. Jon is taking stand-up comedy classes in Chicago, so he and Doug discuss the role of humor in our practice.
Doug's Dharma video: Playfulness on the Path: The Buddha and Humor -- https://youtu.be/toZ-U26iCbc
The Late Wes 'Scoo' Nisker's - Crazy Wisdom Saves the World (again)
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Jon and Doug discuss the idea of the "realms of existence" in Buddhism. What are they, and how can we work with them?
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How do we manifest peace and compassion in the face of state brutality? Jon and Doug discuss with their special guest Ben Connelly, guiding teacher at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center.
Books By Ben Connelly
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The news nowadays can be overwhelming. Jon and Doug discuss ways we can practice with it, and some tips from Buddhism that can help us with navigating today's media landscape.
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Jon and Doug discuss the Buddhist peace walk from Texas to DC that is underway now. How can it inspire us in our practice?
Walk for Peace Blog Page
Interested in taking a class with Jon?
Check out:
When the Sh*t Hits the Fan- Broken Heart Dharma
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Jon and Doug discuss the role of "investigation" in our practice, one of the key factors of enlightenment or awakening. What are we actually investigating and how does this investigation lead provide energy and even joy?
Interested in taking a class with Jon? Check out:
When the Sh*t Hits the Fan- Broken Heart Dharma
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Refuge is an evergreen topic in our practice. How can reorienting ourselves towards refuge help in the new year?
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In this episode, Jon and. Doug discuss different styles of teaching meditation and dharma; how to find a teacher, and what it means to be a teacher.
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Jon and Doug discuss practicing kindness and elements of the other Brahmavihāras with their guest Bodhipakṣa, who has a new book out: The Heart’s Awakening: 108 Steps to a Life of Love.
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This week is a special episode, recorded thanks to Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho at Clear Mountain Monastery. Our conversation touched on themes Secular Buddhism vs Traditional Buddhism, the sacred, belief in rebirth, saddhā (faith), Mundane Right View vs Transcendent Right View, attachment to views, and much more!
Clear Mountain Monastery will release a video of this discussion on their YouTube channel in December.
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It's Halloween as Jon and Doug record their episode, so the discussion is about the supernatural beings in Buddhism, their history, how they reflect our own inner and outer states, and how we can practice with them.
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Mental proliferation or "papañca" is one key way the mind works overtime to keep us agitated and stressed out. Jon and Doug discuss how we get lost in our stories, and how sometimes it's good to spend time figuring them out, and other times it's best to figure out how to let them go.
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In many respects our practice aims towards equanimity. But if we force it, we may end up in indifference instead. Jon and Doug discuss these very different states and how our practice can help us navigate through them.
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Practice can often be most helpful when things in our life go sideways. Jon and Doug discuss practice in the context of doctors, dentists, and hospital visits.
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What are we doing when we "meditate"? It seems like there are so many different styles and approaches. Jon and Doug discuss ways to frame and understand the practices.
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There are many different approaches to practice within Buddhism, not to mention outside of Buddhism. How can we work with these different approaches? What are some of their key differences?
Doug's Dharma Video: Do All Religions Lead to the Same Goal? -- https://youtu.be/moGPUNfO8no
With One Voice- a film about different spiritual traditions lead to the same place.
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With the US holiday of July 4th upon us, Jon and Doug discuss dependence, independence, what freedom really means, and how to practice towards it.
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The actual instruction to "gladden" the mind is sdd in the Anapanasati (Mindfulness of In and Out Breathing) Sutta, in the third tetrad about the Mind.
What is the Buddha asking us to do here? Jon and Doug discuss what it means to gladden the mind in Buddhist practice, why it's important and how we can practice with this instruction.
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The second noble truth addresses the cause of Dukkha (suffering) as our nature to cling to our desires (or push away that which we don't want). The opposite of this is letting go. Ajahn Chah, the venerable Thai forest monk and teacher to many of today's wonderful teachers-- would say often:
Letting go a little brings a little peace. Letting go a lot brings a lot of peace. Letting go completely brings complete peace.And yet, letting go, is not always easy! Jon and Doug discuss this.
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These are difficult times, and our practice can be a true refuge and an opportunity to recharge. However, it’s also possible for meditation to become a means of escaping or bypassing what’s happening in the world or our personal experiences. Ideally, true refuge recharges us and increases our capacity to face the world and with what Bhikkhu Bodhi calls “conscientious compassion.” Jon and Doug have a lively discussion about how our practice supports us in these times.
Link to Bhikkhu Bodhi's Commentary on Protecting Human Dignity and the Threat of Moral Nihilism: https://www.lionsroar.com/commentary-protecting-human-dignity-from-the-threat-of-moral-nihilism/
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Jon and Doug discuss the Buddhist practice of acceptance. How would the Buddha have framed it? How can we work with acceptance today, and how might an attitude of acceptance make our lives better?
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The Buddha taught that guarding the sense doors is an essential part of practice. Of course, social media didn’t exist 2500 years ago. These days it’s so easy to get caught in the vortex of social media. Jon and Doug discuss how they guard (or not) the sense doors in the current media reality.
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Jon and Doug discuss the role of faith or confidence in Buddhist practice, how it can be useful and also how it can be misused.
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Silence and solitude are two forms of Buddhist practice of great depth, but also some difficulty for many. Jon and Doug discuss how they appear in the early texts, and how we can practice with them today.
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Joy is an essential aspect of Buddhist practice. And boy do we need joy right now! Jon and Doug discuss how joy can arise for us, and what attitudes and practices can help joy to arise.
Jon's Talk on Joy for Tricycle
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Jon has been on pilgrimage in India over the last few weeks. He reports in about all he's been experiencing at various Buddhist and other sites.
Links:
Jon's blog posts: JonAaron.net/musings
Where Are You Going: Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott https://whereareyougoing.podbean.com/
Doug's video: King Asoka: Buddhism's Great Political Modernist -- https://youtu.be/V4894Ug8Y3c
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How do we perceive time, and what can we learn from Buddhist teachings about it? How do we frame the past and the future, not to mention the present? Jon and Doug discuss this topic, inspired by the fact that Jon is currently in India, which is 9.5 hours ahead of the East Coast of the U.S., where Doug is.
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Jon and Doug have a wide-ranging chat with the dharma teacher and peace activitist, Stephen Fulder, founder of Tovana, the Israel Insight Society. We discuss his work in Israel and his new book, How to Thrive in Hard Times.
You can find his book here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-Thrive-Hard-Times-Buddhist/dp/1915672740/
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What is the role of community in our practice? The sangha is one of the traditional three refuges or jewels of Buddhism. The Buddha also advised at the end of his life to hold the self as our island and refuge, with the dharma as our island and refuge. Jon and Doug discuss how we reconcile these ideals.
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Three key aspects of the seven enlightenment factors are investigation, energy, and joy. What are they, and how can we touch them in our practice?
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The final aggregate in the set of five is consciousness. What is meant by consciousness/ As an aggregate of clinging, when does it get in the way?
Jon and Doug discuss.
Doug's Video:
The Problem(s) of Consciousness -- https://youtu.be/W1Pn65QZiZs
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In Buddhism the root of karmic action is in sankharas, a word with many uses in the dharma. As we practice, we can see the sankharas taking shape and then realize we have choices. But even the choices are related to other sankharas and the "wow' of this mind.
Jon and Doug discuss them and how we can view their role in our lives.
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Two days after the US Election, Doug and Jon discuss how they are handling the results. They also discuss how our practice can support us as we look to the future political landscape in the US and the world.
Jon offered this poem by Rilke as a support:
Let This Darkness be a Belltower
Rainer Maria Rilke
Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.
Doug's Video:
No Local Meditation Group? Six Solutions -- https://youtu.be/-rEKVKsV2iU
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Feeling tone, the pleasure or pain we take in experience, is a central part of dharma. As an aggregate, a foundation of mindfulness, a link in the chain of dependent origination, appreciating, understanding, and directly experiencing Vedana is a key to experiencing freedom.
Jon and Doug have a lively discussion on this topic.
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Doug and Jon continue to explore the Five Aggregates of Clinging (to self) and this week explore Form. How do we cling to form and at what point, does this clinging become suffering? Are doesn't it?
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Jon and Doug discuss perception and how it's mediated by past experience and the stories we tell. How does it become misperception? How can we work with our perception to live more skillfully and fully?
*this quote is attributed to the Roman poet Phaedrus but it is often used by various Zen teachers
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How does our concept of ourselves and others create suffering? What would it be like to soften this "conceit of self". Understanding and seeing through this conceit, is the last of the higher fetters, which needs to the released before awakening.
Jon and Doug discuss how this comes up in practice.
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The Buddhist attitude of "nibbidā" or "disenchantment"/"disgust" is central to the early teaching. What is it and how can it help us navigate our lives? Jon and Doug discuss.
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Doug and Jon discuss what forgiveness means in the contact of Buddhism. Is it Buddhist? It's a powerful and important practice but it doesn't seem to appear anywhere in the teachings.
Information on the Class offered by Jon:
Watering the Seeds of Forgiveness
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Doug has Covid, Jon has a bad microphone, but they're chatting about the Buddha and voting anyway, as well as Buddhist practice and voting. What does 2024 bring for us in the voting booth, and how should we frame our political choices?
To register to vote, and check voter registration in the US:
https://vote.gov/
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A recent podcast series at the Financial Times discussed serious problems several meditators have had at one popular ten-day Vipassana retreat system. Jon and Doug discuss this and some important work by Brown psychology professor Dr. Willoughby Britton.
Links:
The Retreat — an investigative podcast into the perils of meditation [Financial Times] -- https://www.ft.com/content/b3ec8e57-5cf9-4f96-9267-56c3bcd9c102
The Hidden Risks of Meditation — Dr. Willoughby Britton | The Tim Ferriss Show — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdmvoX1RZWA
Cheetah House: Help for Meditators In Distress -- https://www.cheetahhouse.org/
Book: Trauma Sensitive MIndfulness, David Treleaven
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With Jon's impending move to Chicago Jon and Doug discuss the beneficial practice of renunciation. What do we really need?
Video: George Carlin talks about "stuff" -- https://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac
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Silence is so important to Buddhist practice. Jon and Doug discuss how silence impacts practice as well as some of the early tradition around silence.
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How do we bring our Buddhist practice into our relationship with the arts and entertainment? The early Buddhist teachings, in particular, seem to look askance at this area of life. Doug and Jon discuss this interesting topic and how they integrate practice into their own interests in the arts.
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The Bodhisattva ideal really blossomed in the Mahayana traditions but the idea of the Bodhisattva was certainly present in the earlier traditions. Perhaps not in name but certainly in expression. When the Buddha spoke about himself before his Enlightenment, he referred to himself as a Bodhisattva. And, of course, the fact that he taught for 40 years after his Awakening points to his desire to awaken all beings. But how is the ideal expressed in us?
Two papers:
Bhikkhu Anālayo, Genesis of the Bodhisattva Ideal — https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/genesis-bodhisattva.pdf
Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas” — https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/arahantsbodhisattvas.html
Videos from Doug's Dharma:
What is a Bodhisattva? -- https://youtu.be/bs1XtNrNXpM
The Early History of the Bodhisattva Ideal -- https://youtu.be/ECI_3ytgxcQ
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Stream-entry, once returning, non-returning, and arahantship are the traditional four stages of progress along the Buddhist path. What do they mean? Are they historical? Are they necessary for us to know about? Jon and Doug dive into this topic, which always raises questions about the value and the pitfalls.
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The Buddha described humanity as tangled like string, knotted like a ball of thread. This tangle is a result of not seeing clearly the dependent co-arising— paticca-samupadda-- of phenomena. This is one of the most important of the early teachings. It can be seen through the lens of individual dissatisfaction and of course, through social, political and cultural dissatisfaction.
Doug and Jon explore the teaching and how we bring it into our practice.
Dhivan Thomas Jones's book: This Being, That Becomes
Videos:
Playlist on dependent origination at Doug's Dharma: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0akoU_OszRjcEvO6Gt2MSKF-u7Y8XaNc
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Equanimity- Upekkha has an important place in many of the key Buddhist teachings. It's the fourth of the Divine Abodes, the seventh Factor of Awakening, the last step of the 16 Step teaching in the Mindfulness of Breathing and in the 10th of the Parami- the Perfections of the Heart. Doug and Jon discuss the various facets of this important quality.
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How can we work with our thirst for clinging and identification that seems unquenchable? We will discuss various aspect of letting go related to desire and thirst.
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We can't let go of letting go so we continue discussion from the prior episode.
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What is Insight (Vipassana) practice? Doug and Jon discuss its origins and how it orients our approach to the dharma. They also discuss some exciting potential developments with livestreaming the podcast.
Book:
Erik Braun, The Birth of Insight
Our new YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8HnYof8CejuOkLsr86EjRQ
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Right Livelihood is one of the factors of the Buddha's Eightfold Noble Path. Of course, times have changed in the last 2500 years, so what does this mean today? Doug and Jon look at the teaching and do some head-scratching over certain parts of it.
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The refrain in the teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness refers to contemplating internally, externally, and internally and externally. Jon and Doug talk about how they receive that part of the teaching, which doesn't appear in any obvious way in other suttas but is actually a very important part of mindfulness.
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What is free will? Do we have free will? What does it mean to be free, and what does this have to do with our ethical and karmic responsibility?
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Truthfulness is one of the Paramis or perfections of the heart. In this episode we dig into what it means to not only be factually true but how the truth finds expression in appropriate ways-- both in our external and internal speech.
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Buddha Nature: what is it and how is it a controversial concept in some understandings? Jon and Doug discuss this as well as concepts and words generally.
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The second noble points to the cause of dukkha—craving and clinging. It's also related to the uncertainty of life and the desire for it to be otherwise. Sometimes, the wisdom we gain, even after years of practice, seems to vanish when confronted with the inevitable change. Our discussion was sparked by Jon's pending move to Chicago and the dukkha this has manifested.
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Doug and Jon discuss the "Golden Rule" (do unto others as we would have them do unto us) and its role in Buddhist practice and the precepts.
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The recent death of Alexei Navalny sparked this discussion on courage. Navalny is one example-- similar to people like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Nelson Mandela. We see acts of courage from many daily but don't necessarily consider them in the same way.
What is courage, and does it play a role in our practice? Can meditation and the dharma, cultivate and strengthen this quality?
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If one were to describe a word that illustrates the meaning of onomatopoetic, papañca fits the bill. There are a number of words in Pali that do this, but papañca which means mental proliferation, is one of the best. In this episode, Doug and Jon look at this familiar pattern of the mind and how to work with it.Support the show
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In our last few episodes, we've been discussing the Buddha's Noble Eight-Fold Path. The last three factors of the path are about meditation. It's always good to remind ourselves why we meditate and what meditation actually is. What meditations are presented in the early Buddhist teachings, and why are they important?
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Right Effort --one of the factors of the Noble Eightfold Path is an important aspect of the practice of meditation, and the teachings related to this are worth looking into.
Jon and Doug discuss strategies and practices that may be useful for us to consider along the path.
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The Rubin is an important institution in New York with a very significant collection and many special exhibitions of Tibetan and Himalayan art, specifically related to Buddhism and Buddhist culture in that part of the world. We received the sad news recently that they are closing the New York space and basically becoming a virtual and traveling museum. Jon and Doug discuss the closing and the nature of anicca-- impermanence.
https://rubinmuseum.org/
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The Eightfold Path, the fourth of the Four Noble Truths, lays out a map to become free from suffering. In our last episode, we explore the second fact on the Right Intention. In this episode, we discuss Right View and how we generally hold views. After all, if you don't have the right view, if you don't know where you're headed, you'll likely get lost along the way.
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As we continue our wondering through the Noble Truths we discuss aspects of the Fourth Truth the 8-Fold Noble Path with a particular interesting Right Intention. This is the second factor, but who says we need to start with the first?
Japanese Bowl, Poem by Peter Mayer
VIdeo on the Art of Kantsugi
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The New Year is a good time to return to the core teachings. And it's good to start with the Four Enobling Truths, from which much becomes clear. In this episode, we spend most of the time talking about the first two,
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In this episode for the last day of 2023, we look at concepts of time from a Buddhist perspective in the relative and absolute sense. It's a fun topic and seemed appropriate as we move into 2024-- at least in some calendars.
George Carlin on TIme
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Perhaps this is a perennial question, but it's always worth asking. What's so special about Buddhism and why have we chosen it as a guide for how we live? We speak about our personal experience ask questions that might be helpful for you.
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What is meant by re-birth?? Who is reborn and when? There are a number of interpretations and Doug and Jon explore some of them. More important is how our understanding of rebirth and death impacts the way we live now.
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Depending on your interpretation of what a miracle is, there are certainly times when miracles seem to happen due to our practice. In fact, one of the most-read books on Buddhism and mindfulness is Thich Nhat Hanh's classic Miracle of Mindfulness. Do you notice miracles happening? What did the Buddha have to say about this?
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Jon and Doug discuss how living ethically in the context of the five precepts is a considerable mindfulness practice. At first glance, the precepts seem rather obvious, but the more we look and the more we bring them into our moment-to-moment experience, the more we realize how much deeper we can go.
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Inspired by taking the side of peace, Jon and Doug look at taking sides and the Buddha's teachings on clinging to views and opinions. How does taking a side often exacerbate the problem of division and conflict? Is there another route?
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What do you have to be thankful for? How can a practice of gratitude impact your life for the better? Thanksgiving week is a good time to reflect upon such questions.
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What are some techniques we can use to develop a regular meditation practice? Doug and Jon's guest Bodhipaksa has taught a course on this and is in the process of writing a book about it. Lots of good advice in this episode!
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Doug and Jon have a spirited discussion with our guest, writer and Buddhist meditation teacher, Bodhipaksa, on Fake Buddha Quotes. How important is it to get the Buddha right? What is a "Fake Buddha Quote" anyway?
Bodhipaksa's Websites:
https://www.wildmind.org/
https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/
Book:
https://fakebuddhaquotes.com/buy-i-cant-believe-its-not-buddha/
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Is there such a thing as collective karma? Doug and Jon will consider the picture of karma given in early Buddhism, and compare it to the idea of collective karma, or alternately to a notion of 'aggregate' karma. How does karma work among groups of people?
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The world events of the past week, added, perhaps to our own personal challenges, may bring up the question of how to respond. Meditation is not meant as an escape from these challenges. Rather, when integrated with the teachings of the Dharma, it can set the groundwork for an appropriate response to arise within any circumstance.
This week, Doug and Jon explore how this works for them in practical and and spiritual ways.
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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
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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.be/qRqxuxS1qUg
Tree & Serpent: New Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum -- https://youtu.be/RG3VjmMe6tY
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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 Two Truths Doctrine a Problem for Early Buddhism? -- https://youtu.be/q5nHLz1xoSU
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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.
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A recent comment on our website prompted a discussion about whether certain Buddhist practices (Lovingkindness for instance) involve magical thinking.
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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).
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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.
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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?
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"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.
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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
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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 impact on the secular mindfulness movement.
Link to Jon's upcoming MBSR Classes
Receive a 10% discount using: MBSR10
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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 with the kind of love.
In this episode, we discuss the benefactors in our lives and how the impact they can have.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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One of the various lists of the Dharma is the 10 Fetters. In this episode, we discuss the first five of these and none of them will be a surprise because they are so common. Despite being common that doesn't make them easy break away.
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For our first episode of the 2023, we offer support just in case you've resolved to develop a daily meditation practice.
Maintaining a daily practice is difficult, so we hope these tips might help the process.
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In our final podcast of 2022 we'll take another look at embodied meditation, following a retreat that Jon was just on. As a special gift, Jon will lead us on a wonderful guided meditation illustrating how seeing this embodiment can work in our practice.
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Jon has just got back from a long retreat, so we discuss his experiences, as well as offering a few book recommendations for the holidays and New Year. Go to our website for titles and some links!
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Is our "Diggin' the Dharma" logo a problem? Doug and Jon react to some recent comments on a thread at Doug's YouTube channel that expressed the concern that the logo was offensive in depicting the Buddha with a shovel. It's an opportunity to look at the teachings of "rites and rituals" as well as the concept of spiritual materialism.
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"Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, endowed with perception and cognition, that I declare that there is the world, the origination of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the world.” In this quote from the Rohitassa sutta the Buddha addresses the knowing body. All that we know and experience is in this body.
So embodied practice is not the practice of cognitive understanding (though this is important) but rather a result of our direct experience. Embodied practice is when our actions are a result of heartfelt wisdom. Where the rubber meets the road.
Doug and Jon discuss what is meant by embodiment and how do we know when we know.
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As we head out of the week of Thanksgiving we consider eating and food in the context of early Buddhist practices. For those of who are used to eating three meals a day--a very western European way-- the notion of eating on the early Buddhist monastic schedule of one basic meal a day before noon would seem rather strange if not impossible to hold to. Of course, we don't go out for alms rounds to obtain our food and our daily schedules are quite different. There is also the question of our attitude toward food and eating. In this episode Doug and Jon explore eating as a practice and how meditation and Buddhism impacts (or not!) their food habits.
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For our listeners in the US, we are beginning Thanksgiving week. It's a perfect time to consider gratitude and how it integrates into our lives. And if you're not in the US it's still a good time!
As always, thank you all for listening, and for your continued support!
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Perception is one of the Five Aggregates of Clinging and critical to our understanding of self and the world we live in. It is through mindfulness and our meditation practice that we start to see through the trap of our own perceptions. We don't see things as they are, we things as we are" (attributed to Anais Nin).
Bhante Gunaratana's book is: Meditation on Perception.
Sutta:
https://suttacentral.net/an10.60/en/sujato
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With the upcoming election in the US we will look at politics and Buddhism. Should we allow our Buddhist ideals to influence our voting? What would the Buddha himself have said in the midst of so much partisanship and how do the teachings on "holding to fixed views" fit into our own political dialogues? Jon and Doug have an animated discussion on this important topic without implying how you should vote. But you should vote!
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As we record this episode, Elon Musk has recently purchased Twitter. His purchase raises all sorts of questions relevant to Buddhist practice, perhaps most importantly of Right Speech. What should be allowed online? How should we practice on Twitter or other social media platforms? Does our written communication actually inline with our intent and do we have a sense of how it might land with others? This is where our mindfulness practice truly makes a difference.
Someone is wrong on the Internet! https://xkcd.com/386/Key and Peele Text Gone Wrong Small Kindnesses
By Danusha Laméris
I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.”
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The Buddha became a pretty famous guy, but what did fame mean to him? Did he even think about it? Fame was not something he sought. He just taught and became well known through his teachings. If he had access to social media would he have used it? Fame and renown is certainly not the secret to happiness but so many strive for it. Join us as we discuss this interesting topic and what it means to us.
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Doug and Jon discuss the five hindrances that the Buddha had to overcome on the night of his enlightenment. We find them not only cropping up in our formal meditation practice, but in our everyday lives as well. How should we deal with them? We have lots of tips.
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The Five Reflections are a teaching which confronts us directly with the realities of life. These reflections are the great equalizer-- no matter your status in life, your income, your age, your race, your sex, or any of your identities, these Five Reflections are a reminder of what's really true.
This podcast is a perfect follow-up to Dying before you Dye!
A link to the sutta in which the reflections occur:
https://suttacentral.net/an5.57/en/sujato
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Turning toward death through various meditation practices can be transformative and liberative. In this episode Doug and Jon discuss how they practice with this and the impact it has had on their lives.
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People often think of Buddhism as a very austere and all about renunciation. In this episode we discuss the difference between worldly and unworldly pleasures and perhaps can dispel some of these mis-understandings.
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Buddhism was originally practiced in the forests and it was evolving at a time when much of society was seeing itself as a separate from nature by trying to control it. The Buddha, it is written, always went into the forest when he took leave from his sangha for retreat. In this episode, Doug and Jon explore the importance of reconnecting with the natural world as part of our practice. What do we learn about ourselves and how the core teachings, particularly around 'non-self' are illuminated through re-connecting with the natural world.
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Generosity is the first instruction the Buddha would give to laypeople, it's also one of the deepest and most helpful teachings in Buddhism. We will consider generosity, and how it can be manifest in our lives.
Buddhist Global Relief website:
https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org
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This special episode Jon and Doug take questions from Sorrell, one of their generous member-donors over at Buy Me a Coffee. They discuss having children in a Buddhist context, how thorough non-attachment can be in lay life, as well as Sorrell's experiences on deployment in the navy.
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Is Buddhist practice only about attaining enlightenment, or are there other things it can help us with? If so, what would they be? Is it OK to focus on something less than the ultimate goal? We'll look at these questions and more.
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In this episode Doug and Jon exploring the practice of taking refuge. The Triple Gem refers to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This is considered a True Refuge. A refuge that doesn't fade that is always there. It is both a practice and a commitment and a very important part of Buddhism. We explore the different ways to interpret these gems as well as understanding the difference between this True Refuge and the false refuges we often seek.
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The Buddha taught that we don't hold to fixed views. Politics often finds its way into spiritual context and can be a slippery slope. Some of us may assume that all Buddhist have the same stance on particular issues but this is rarely the case. Some political situations are important to bring up in a Buddhist context and a definitely place of investigation. How do we work with our own fixed views and the fixed views of others. Our practice, may bring us to a place of softening such views which then might create a place of common ground.
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How do we deal with war If we are practicing the precept of non-harming (non-killing)? What are we supposed to do, and how are we supposed to feel about the situation in Ukraine? Eminent monastic scholar and practitioner Bhikkhu Bodhi has a recent article where he discusses this issue, with particular emphasis on the war in Ukraine. We discuss the article and the idea of warfare in Buddhism.
Link to the article:
https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhism-nonviolence-and-the-moral-quandary-of-ukraine/
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In this episode we continue our discussion with Upayadhi on a recent conference she attended, where one topic involved the influence of the digital world on Buddhist dharma. We discuss its current pluses and minuses and what the future holds.
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Our guest Upayadhi recently spent time at a fascinating conference on the topic of "the future of American Buddhism". We discuss the conference and some of her reactions to it. What's the future look like? Who's involved?
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The Third Noble Truth says there is freedom from Dukkha. We have experiences of this freedom often but don’t often recognize them for what they are. It’s been said that “enlightenment is an accident and meditation makes us more accident prone”. There is certainly some truth in this. In this episode we look at Enlightenment from some different perspectives.
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While it can be hard to believe, there is no limit to the amount of joy in the world. Yet, at times it certainly feels that way. Sympathetic Joy, or Resonant Joy is the third of the Divine Abodes and like the quality of compassion it has the capacity to weaken the boundary between self and other. Doug and Jon discuss the role of the quality in their own lives.
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Compassion is one of the Divine Abodes. Doug and Jon discuss whether this is an innate quality or one that needs to be learned. How do we cultivate that quality and perhaps uncover what is already here.
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Desire can be the source of great Dukkha whether fulfilled or not. Some desires, however are wholesome and these should be pursued, but even these can be a source of Dukkha. Working with desires is an important part of practice. Doug and Jon discuss their different approaches.
Books mentioned:
Anālayo, Compassion and Emptiness
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Unlike the 10 Commandments in the Judeo-Christian traditions which tell you what not to do, The Buddhist Precepts are actually practices and while they can be read like commandments, that is really not the point.
Doug and Jon speak to how they work with Five Practice Precepts in the early Buddhist teachings.
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We both manage to make a living teaching dharma and meditation. How do we balance the ideal of "dana" - the practice of generosity -- with the reality of a western capitalist economic system.
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The first of the Four Divine Abodes (Brahmaviharas) is Unconditional Friendliness (Metta) and for many this is a very challenging practice. In this episode Doug and Jon explore how this has impacted their own practice, various ways the practice can be done and how it becomes integrated into everything we do.
One translation of the sutta on lovingkindness by Bhante Sujato: https://suttacentral.net/snp1.8/en/sujato
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We'll discuss a recent example of self-immolation, as well as difficulties some of the Buddha's senior disciples had with serious illness. How do we face challenging situations in our personal lives and in society. It's going to be a pretty deep episode, but worth spending time with.
Doug's YouTube episode Buddhism on Suicide and Euthanasia: https://youtu.be/a62ZgVWANz4
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In the Seven Factors of Awakening- one of the maps in the early teachings- Investigation is the second factor after Mindfulness. Doug and Jon speak discuss what it is we are investigating. What are the questions we can plant that bring insights into a new light.
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In the early Buddhist teachings there are many, many lists! Quite a few of these provide different ways of exploring our experience. They are maps to liberate the mind. In this episode, we look at the some of these teachings and how they have helped our own practice.
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We'll discuss how the practice and realization of non-self in Buddhism helps us see through We don’t know about you, but seems like most of us can take everything so personally. This is an other form of suffering which the Buddha’s teachings attribute to clinging to self-view. It’s seems unavoidable until we start to hold to who we think we are a bit more lightly.
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Doug and Jon start a conversation on one of the most misunderstood and yet probably the most important of the Buddha’s teachings. The teaching of Anatta- usually defined as “non-self”. Join us as we as we try to clarify without adding more confusion.
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Dukkha: unsatisfactoriness, suffering, or just untranslated it's the difficulty that we find in our lives. We'll discuss how it's understood and experienced. How do you see it in your life?
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In this episode we'll discuss anicca or change and impermanence, how it effects our lives. Doug's recent experience with a house fire will provide a good example!
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The last of the three poisons and the root of all dukkha.
What is ignorance in Buddhism and how does it harm us?
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Anger, ill-will, hatred. What does the Buddha teach us about this and how does it change the way we deal with these powerful emotions.
The sutta on the three types of people with anger:
https://suttacentral.net/an3.132/en/sujato
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How does greed-- or desire-- arising in our lives? It's subtler than we think. What is greed, what are its effects, and how should we look skillfully at our intentions so as to defuse it?
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What have we discovered as mindfulness and meditation have been integrated into our lives? We share lots of tips!
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These days with the overuse of the word "mindfulness" we look at what the early teachings tell us about this practice and how it relates to the “modern mindfulness movement”.
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It's a good question, why do we meditate anyway? In this episode we discuss the technicalities of meditation and what it really is in relationship to the practices in the early Buddhist teachings.
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We discuss our own meditation practices. What do we do? For how long? What are our default practices?
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With the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh we reflect upon his importance in Buddhism as well as his focus on a practice that engages with social and political problems in the world.
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As we initiate our podcast, in these first few episodes we introduce ourselves, how we came to Buddhist practice, what meditation brings to our lives and what it can bring to yours.
How did Buddhism become part of your life? We will discuss how it became part of ours.
You can find Jon at:
https://www.jonaaron.net/
https://www.space2meditate.com/
You can find Doug at:
https://www.youtube.com/c/dougsdharma
https://onlinedharma.org/
What is it about Buddhism that we like? How has it helped us and how has it changed us? The Buddha always said—check it out for yourself—having done this, what did we discover?
You can find Jon at:
https://www.jonaaron.net/
https://www.space2meditate.com/
You can find Doug at:
https://www.youtube.com/c/dougsdharma
https://onlinedharma.org/
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/digginthedharma)