When we think of Buddhism, Taoism, and other Eastern philosophies, we often imagine achieving a state of permanent inner peace - being completely untroubled by the concerns of this world.

Unfortunately, we need to be able to deal effectively with the realities of everyday life, rather than shrink away from them.

According to Dr. Mark Epstein, most people have a fundamental misunderstanding about what Buddhism is trying to teach us.

It isn’t about dissolving the ego completely, or becoming totally detached from our past and future.

Rather, the point of the Buddha’s teachings is to use fundamental psychological truths to become more effective at actually engaging with the difficulties of everyday life.

So if you’re struggling with difficult relationships, have difficulties with past trauma, or simply have never been able to understand the point of meditation, then you’re sure to find something valuable in today’s episode.

And if you like what you see here, then you should definitely order Mark’s latest book: The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life: https://amzn.to/3NDZxk5

Check out our sponsors:

ButcherBox: Sign up at ButcherBox.com/impact

Athletic Greens: Go to athleticgreens.com/impact and receive a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase!

CuriosityStream: Go to https://curiositystream.com/impact and use code IMPACT to save 25% off today, that’s only $14.99 a year.

“Awakening does not mean a change in difficulty, it means a change in how those difficulties are met.” - Dr. Mark Epstein

SHOW NOTES:

00:00 | Introduction

01:27 | Why Eastern Philosophy Is So Attractive

09:16 | The Core Tenets of Buddhism

19:50 | How Buddhism Heals Trauma

35:04 | The Four Noble Truths

51:05 | What is the Ego?

56:49 | The Eightfold Path

1:04:39 | Struggling With Meditation

1:19:06 | Psychedelics and Therapy

Follow Dr. Mark Epstein:

Website: http://markepsteinmd.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mepstein108

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markepstein108

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markepsteinmd/

Order The Zen of Therapy: https://amzn.to/3NDZxk5

Are You Ready for EXTRA Impact?

If you’re ready to find true fulfillment, strengthen your focus, and ignite your true potential, the Impact Theory subscription was created just for you.

Want to transform your health, sharpen your mindset, improve your relationship, or conquer the business world? This is your epicenter of greatness.

This is not for the faint of heart. This is for those who dare to learn obsessively, every day, day after day.

Subscription Benefits:

Unlock the gates to a treasure trove of wisdom from inspiring guests like Andrew Huberman, Mel Robbins, Hal Elrod, Matthew McConaughey, and many, many, more
New episodes delivered ad-free
Exclusive access to Tom’s AMAs, keynote speeches, and suggestions from his personal reading list
You’ll also get access to an 5 additional podcasts with hundreds of archived Impact Theory episodes, meticulously curated into themed playlists covering health, mindset, business, relationships, and more:
Legendary Mindset: Mindset & Self-Improvement
Money Mindset: Business & Finance
Relationship Theory: Relationships
Health Theory: Mental & Physical Health
Power Ups: Weekly Doses of Short Motivational Quotes

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PCvJaz

Subscribe on all other platforms (Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castro, Downcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Podkicker, and more) : https://impacttheorynetwork.supercast.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hilarity of Avatar with Ron Funches

Avatar: Braving the Elements

Introduction

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts