62| Remove the Muda to Reveal the Buddha: Turning Life’s Weight from Waste Into Wisdom

What if the very thing weighing on you right now is the key to your next level of growth?

Many of us carry more than we realize: unfinished goals, unmet expectations, family pressures, and the constant mental load of what still needs to be done.

In this episode of Chain of Learning, I share a grounding teaching from a Zen priest in Japan after a Zazen guided meditation session that has deeply resonated with me—and with leaders on my Japan Leadership Experience:

“Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha.”

In Japanese, muda means waste. And in Lean, muda refers to anything that doesn’t add value.

I’ve been reflecting on this phrase and its deeper meaning as I process my own life experiences, both personally and professionally.

This Zen teaching invites us to look inward: to notice what weighs us down, reflect on what it’s trying to teach us, and transform that weight into wisdom.

As you move forward—whether at the end of a year or in the middle of a busy work period—this episode offers an invitation to slow down, study your experiences, and release what no longer serves you, so that you can lead your life and work with greater intention, clarity, and a continuous learning mindset.

YOU’LL LEARN:

• What Daruma dolls reveal about resilience, focus, and habits rooted in practice, not perfection
• What “Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha” means beyond lean – and how reflection helps turn inner weight into wisdom
• Four additional Zen teachings that apply to effective leadership, helping change leaders move beyond tools to presence, purpose, and a growth mindset
• A simple reflection practice to reframe or release muda so it supports – not burdens – your growth
• The distinction between goals and intentions, and why letting your being guide your doing leads to more meaningful progress

IMPORTANT LINKS:

• Full episode show notes with links to other podcast episodes and resources: ChainOfLearning.com/62
• Check out my website for resources and ways to work with me KBJAnderson.com
• Follow me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
• Learn more about my Japan Leadership Experience: KBJAnderson.com/japantrip 
• Get a copy of “Learning to Lead Leading to Learn”: KBJAnderson.com/learning-to-lead 
• Video clip of the daruma temple: Leadership Lessons from Japan’s Daruma Temple

TIMESTAMPS FOR THIS EPISODE:

01:55 Daruma dolls and what they represent
03:28 How Zazen meditation can bring you back to inner peace and inner being
04:26 What it means to “Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha”
06:43 The burden Isao Yoshino carried of what he considered was his big failure as a business leader and the shift in perspective to lift the burden, as highlighted in “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”
08:07 Four Zen teachings and how to apply them as a transformational change leader

12:00 How the burning of daruma dolls each year show reflection in practice

13:05 Your intentional practice to help you remove the muda
13:36 3 examples of how to use this reflection process to adjust or release so to turn waste into wisdom
13:49 Example 1: You’ve been stuck in constant doing
14:16 Example 2: Your plans didn’t unfold as expected

15:07 Example 3: A relationship has shifted
16:38 The distinction between goals vs intentions—being and doing
17:31 How to “Remove the muda to reveal the buddha” to release the weight you carry and move forward