Explore every episode of the podcast Diggin' the Dharma
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renunciation | 18 Aug 2024 | 00:23:53 | |
With Jon's impending move to Chicago Jon and Doug discuss the beneficial practice of renunciation. What do we really need? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| The Value of Silence | 09 Aug 2024 | 00:30:24 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Is Your Livelihood Right Livelihood? | 19 May 2024 | 00:26:11 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| So Many Ways to See: The Buddhist Maps for Liberating the Mind | 01 May 2022 | 00:29:26 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Why do I Take Things so Personally? - More on Non-Self | 24 Apr 2022 | 00:25:19 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Who Am I Really? The Buddha's teaching on Non-Self | 17 Apr 2022 | 00:28:49 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Dukkha: I Can't Get No Satisfaction! | 10 Apr 2022 | 00:25:46 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| How Our Lives Change | 03 Apr 2022 | 00:24:33 | |
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! Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Ignorance---It's not what you think! | 27 Mar 2022 | 00:27:15 | |
The last of the three poisons and the root of all dukkha. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| How Does Anger Show Up in Our Lives | 20 Mar 2022 | 00:26:56 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Who Are You Calling Greedy? | 13 Mar 2022 | 00:28:09 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Integrating Mindfulness Into Our Lives | 06 Mar 2022 | 00:26:42 | |
What have we discovered as mindfulness and meditation have been integrated into our lives? We share lots of tips! Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| What is Mindfulness? | 27 Feb 2022 | 00:28:55 | |
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”. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| The Question of Internal, External and Both. | 12 May 2024 | 00:27:46 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Why Meditate? | 20 Feb 2022 | 00:26:28 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| What Are Our Practices? | 13 Feb 2022 | 00:26:31 | |
We discuss our own meditation practices. What do we do? For how long? What are our default practices? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Thich Nhat Hanh and "Engaged Buddhism" | 06 Feb 2022 | 00:21:44 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| What Brought Us to Buddhism | 13 Jan 2022 | 00:25:30 | |
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: Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| What We Like About Buddhism | 16 Dec 2021 | 00:17:12 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Freedom and Free Will | 28 Apr 2024 | 00:26:07 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Truthfulness and Authenticity | 21 Apr 2024 | 00:26:49 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| The Nature of Buddha Nature | 07 Apr 2024 | 00:29:02 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Moving Beyond Craving and Clinging | 31 Mar 2024 | 00:25:59 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Buddhism and the Golden Rule | 17 Mar 2024 | 00:28:42 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| The Heart Quality of Courage | 10 Mar 2024 | 00:27:59 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Papañca! Exactly What it Sounds Like | 03 Mar 2024 | 00:27:15 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Let's Talk More About Meditation | 25 Feb 2024 | 00:27:56 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Experiencing Art and Entertainment in the Context of the Dharma | 04 Aug 2024 | 00:27:20 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Coming Back to the Core: Strategies of Right Effort | 18 Feb 2024 | 00:29:33 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Impermanence and the Closing of the Rubin Museum | 11 Feb 2024 | 00:25:26 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Coming Back to the Core: Knowing Right View | 04 Feb 2024 | 00:26:49 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Coming Back to the Core: Are we Understanding Our Intentions? | 28 Jan 2024 | 00:30:38 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Coming Back to the Core-- The Four Noble Truths (or 3 just now) | 21 Jan 2024 | 00:27:26 | |
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, Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| New Year's Episode: Time Present, Time Past, Time Future-- What is Time Anyway? | 31 Dec 2023 | 00:28:20 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Why Buddhism? | 24 Dec 2023 | 00:26:16 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Again and Again. . . Rebirth ... and Death | 17 Dec 2023 | 00:28:16 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Miracles, Mindfulness and What the Buddha Said | 10 Dec 2023 | 00:22:18 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Practicing the Precepts | 03 Dec 2023 | 00:27:28 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| The Bodhisattva Ideal | 28 Jul 2024 | 00:27:21 | |
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? Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas” — https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/arahantsbodhisattvas.html Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Taking Sides | 26 Nov 2023 | 00:27:46 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Gratitude, Generosity and Thanksgiving | 19 Nov 2023 | 00:21:35 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Developing a Daily Meditation Practice with Guest Bodhipaksa | 05 Nov 2023 | 00:38:45 | |
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! Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| "Did the Buddha Really Say That?" with Guest Bodhipaksa | 29 Oct 2023 | 00:46:10 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Is Karma Collective or Individual? | 22 Oct 2023 | 00:26:36 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| How Do We Know What Response is Appropriate? | 15 Oct 2023 | 00:30:02 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Balancing our Effort in Meditation | 08 Oct 2023 | 00:26:10 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Buddhist Rupas and Other Images: is this idol worship? | 01 Oct 2023 | 00:28:03 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Let's Talk About the Two Truths | 24 Sep 2023 | 00:28:38 | |
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? Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Elemental Practice | 03 Sep 2023 | 00:26:31 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||
| Steps Along the Path: The Four Stages of Progress | 21 Jul 2024 | 00:29:54 | |
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. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/ | |||