Buddhist Strategies for Suffering Less and Improving Your Meditation | Lama Rod Owens
Oct 25, 2023
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Lama Rod Owens is an authorized lama in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism and the author of "The New Saints." He delves into why he’s "no longer interested in being a good person" and emphasizes the importance of embracing imperfection. Discussions include characteristics of the 'New Saints,' self-care's role in spirituality, and how societal changes shape modern sainthood. Lama Rod also explores the connection between spiritual practices and social justice, urging listeners to honor personal needs while fostering community engagement.
The concept of a New Saint redefines sainthood as a self-interested version of saintliness that focuses on personal happiness and improving the world, aligning with the Buddhist concept of Bodhisattva.
Embracing imperfections and understanding that goodness is a continuous process are important aspects of being a good person, which involves consistently choosing actions that reduce harm and violence for oneself and others.
The new saint practices awakened care, combining compassion, love, joy, and gratitude within the framework of emptiness, and emphasizes the importance of responsiveness and developing a harmonious relationship with the natural world to combat climate change.
Deep dives
The New Saint: A Messy and Self-Interested Version of Sainthood
In this podcast episode, Lamaraad Owens discusses his concept of the New Saint in his new book. He reinterprets sainthood as a messy and self-interested version of saintliness that focuses on personal happiness and improving the world. Owens emphasizes the importance of reclaiming the word 'saint' and shares how the new understanding of sainthood aligns with the Buddhist concept of Bodhisattva. The new saint is someone who practices awakened care, which combines compassion, love, joy, and gratitude. Owens also highlights the importance of responsiveness and the ability to respond to situations rather than react. He encourages listeners to find joy and gratitude in the midst of challenging times and to reestablish a harmonious relationship with the natural world.
Letting Go of Perfection and Embracing Imperfections
Owens challenges the idea of perfection and explains how it can be violent and unattainable. He emphasizes the importance of embracing imperfections and understanding that goodness is a continuous process. Owens shares that being a good person means consistently choosing actions that reduce harm and violence for oneself and others. He acknowledges that practicing goodness may disappoint others at times, but holding boundaries and prioritizing self-care is essential. Owens asserts that the new saint is not fearless but acknowledges fear and learns to respond to it in a way that doesn't limit their actions.
Awakened Care and Responsiveness: Key Practices for the New Saint
The podcast explores two essential practices for the new saint: awakened care and responsiveness. Awakened care, also known as bodhicitta, combines compassion, love, joy, and gratitude within the framework of emptiness. Owens emphasizes the importance of caring for oneself and others and cultivating a deep sense of gratitude. Responsiveness, influenced by mindfulness and awareness, involves noticing and naming experiences and choosing how to respond rather than reacting. Owens encourages reconnecting with the natural world and developing a harmonious relationship with the Earth, which he sees as an antidote to climate change. He also introduces SNOL, his method of working with sensation and material in the mind and body.
Developing a relationship with the unseen world
In this podcast episode, the speaker discusses the importance of developing a relationship with the unseen world. They emphasize the need to understand and communicate with conscious beings in other realms of existence. By reading about the experiences of people who have had deeper connections with the unseen, and by engaging with mediums and psychics, the speaker began to explore and test the reality of these conscious beings. This practice led to the development of trust, faith, and a sense of being supported by unseen beings. Prayer is also highlighted as a way to communicate and receive help from the unseen world.
The characteristics of a new saint
The podcast episode introduces the concept of a new saint and outlines ten characteristics that define them. Grounded in radical Dharma, the new saint understands the importance of both social and ultimate liberation. They recognize the spiritual warfare that exists in the unseen world, and they work in collaboration with conscious beings from other realms. Embracing the complexity of identity and speaking in the language of the times, the new saint inspires others to do the work of liberation. They serve as prophets, revealing the truth of the present moment and engaging in sacred work that reduces harm and promotes freedom. The new saint actively chooses to be present, negotiating distractions and taking responsibility for their own practice.
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Plus: Why Lama Rod is "no longer interested in being a good person," why we need to let go of perfectionism, and the selfish case for sainthood.
Lama Rod Owens is making his fifth appearance on Ten Percent Happier. He describes himself as “a Black Buddhist Southern Queen” and is an authorized lama in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism with a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard. His new book is The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors.
In this episode we talk about:
What Lama Rod means by “New Saint”
Why he is “no longer interested in being a good person”
Why it's so important to let go of the ideal of perfection
The practices and characteristics of a New Saint
The questions you should ask yourself about your beliefs
His experiences with what he refers to as “unseen beings” and his exploration of the “unseen world”
