#15 - Noah Rasheta on Using Buddhism to Become a Better Person

In this episode of the L&P pod, I speak with Noah Rasheta, a Buddhist philosopher, author, and podcaster dedicated to making Buddhist philosophy accessible and practical for everyday life. Noah's podcast, The Secular Buddhism Podcast, shares Buddhist principles and practices that modern people can use to learn, perform, and live more wisely. His book, "No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners," breaks down key Buddhist concepts for a Western audience and is an invaluable resource for those seeking to incorporate mindfulness and philosophical insights into their daily routines. In the conversation, Noah and I discuss some basic ideas from Buddhism and ways people from a secular background can leverage Buddhism. Noah enjoys photography, paragliding, volunteering as a school bus driver, and spending time with his wife and kids in Utah.

KEY TOPICS:

In our conversation, Noah and I hit on several topics relevant to learning and performance, including:

• What is secular Buddhism
• The Four Noble Truths
• The difference between pain and suffering
• Seeing life as a game
• The power of awareness and attention for learning and performance
• Common myths and misconceptions about Buddhism and mindfulness
• Enlightenment as a journey vs. a destination
• Unlearning as a tool for learning
• Acknowledging multiple perspectives
• The Middle Way of optimal performance
• The power of pausing and returning to the breath
• Doing things for the sake of it
• Questioning the judgments and evaluations we make

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Noah Rasheta is a Buddhist philosopher, best-selling author, and podcast host. He has presented his teachings at some of the world's most renowned organizations, such as Apple®, PwC, YPO, Entrepreneurs' Organization, and many others. His teachings have been downloaded millions of times by individuals all around the world.

CONNECT WITH NOAH:

• Secular Buddhism website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter/X

MENTIONS and RESOURCES:

• Performance vs. effort - See this and this
• Secular Buddhism - See this and this and this
• First Noble Truth - Truth of Suffering - See this and this
• Second Noble Truth - Truth of the Cause of Suffering - See this and this
• Third Noble Truth - The End of Suffering - See this and this
• Fourth Noble Truth - Eightfold Path to End Suffering - See this and this AND this

• Pain vs. Suffering - See this and this
• Groundlessness
• Life as Chess vs. Tetris -
• The Myth of Having a Totally Happy Life
• Life Bingo
• Myth: Meditation as a Way to Feel Good (Catch the Butterfly) vs. a Way of Better Seeing/Feeling (Flashlight to Raise Awareness)
• Happiness as a Butterfly
• Myth: Enlightenment as an End Goal vs. a Journey
• Importance of awareness in learning and teaching
• Unlearning as a tool for learning
• Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant - different ways of understanding things
• Learning styles vs. preferences
• Secular Buddhism podcast
• No Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners
• The Power of the Pause
• Flow experience
• The Middle Way of Performance
• Doing things for the sake of it
• Not tying identity to outcomes
• Parable of the Farmer and the Horse - "Who knows what is good/bad?"
• Life is short, so make the most of it