Buddhability

We are back with part 2 of last week’s episode, which is all about the Buddhist community. In the SGI we meet in local neighborhood groups (these days over Zoom) to figure out how to apply Buddhism to our daily lives, together.In part 2, we share Karina’s story of facing and transforming her past with support from her Buddhist friends, as well as advice for anyone who has just finished the 28 Day Buddhability Journey.If you would like to connect to a local Buddhist community virtually in your area, email us! And to subscribe to our newsletter, sign up here.Cheat Sheet0:29 Voicemails and messages from listeners who completed the 28-day journey6:35 Karina’s Story31:19 Advice on what to do after you’ve started chanting

We have a two-part episode for you today, all about the Buddhist community. In the SGI we meet in local neighborhood groups (these days over zoom) to figure out how to apply Buddhism to our daily lives, together. After all, research shows that giving help to others by listening and providing empathy and encouragement, gives us positive emotional and cognitive benefits in return. On this episode, Caitlin, Jahmela and Karina walk us through their own experience doing just that. Part 1 covers what to expect at Buddhist meetings, what the purpose of the community is and how Caitlin and Jahmela were able to give and gain support in their own local communities. And next week, we’ll be back with part 2 about Karina's story of facing and transforming her past with support from her Buddhist friends, as well as advice for anyone who has just finished the 28-Day Buddhability Journey.If you would like to connect to a local Buddhist community virtually in your area, email us at connect@sgi-usa.org. Cheat Sheet1:36 Introduction to Caitlin, Jahmela and Karina12:26 What to expect when you go to a Buddhist meeting17:04 Caitlin's Story32:28 Jahmela’s Story40:53 Coming up on Part 2

This week, we wanted to check in with everyone who is currently doing the 28 Day Buddhability Journey. (Remember, it’s not too late to jump in. Even a week of chanting can feel amazing!)Tell us how it’s going! If you’ve been chanting this month, send us a brief voice memo to podcast@sgi-usa.org sharing 1 thing you have learned or noticed so far during the chanting challenge. If you want to share your story with us in greater depth, put that in the email too and we might reach out to interview you! In March, we’ll do an episode recapping the challenge and we’ll play your messages on it.

Today we’re answering listener questions about love and relationships. We called up 3 people from our Buddhist community who have been chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for a while now—Abby from Oakland, Rah'mad from Washington, D.C., and Erika from New Jersey—and asked them their honest answers to your questions. The episode covers everything from what it takes to leave a bad relationship and how to move on when you do, to how to find your life partner and know if they are the one. You can listen all the way through or use the cheat sheet below to skip to specific questions.Cheat Sheet1:36 Introduction to Abby3:53 How can I get myself to leave a relationship that I know isn’t healthy?19:32 How do I move on after a relationship ends?24:56 Introduction to Rah'mad28:26 How can I deal with unreciprocated love? 37:25 Help, I keep running into my ex.41:32 What Buddhist idea or teaching should I base my relationships on?44:59 Introduction to Erika47:31 How should I chant about finding a life partner, and how will I know if they are the one?

Today we are covering some of the basics of Buddhism for anyone who might be new to chanting or simply wants a refresher. We speak with Ryan Hayashi, who starting chanting in high school, when he was going through some pretty serious challenges. Now, over 10 years later, he’s an amazing high school math teacher in Arizona and also really active in the local Buddhist community there.If you’re new, we recommend listening to this episode all the way through, but if you just want to skip around for answers to your questions, see the cheat sheet below for timestamps.Cheat Sheet0:16 On how to join the February Buddhability Journey2:41 The basics of chanting Nam-myoho-renge kyo: how, when, for how long4:24 Should I be thinking about something while chanting?7:15 Is chanting the same as meditation?9:01 How does chanting make you feel? What changes will I see?11:36 How chanting impacted Ryan’s day-to-day life as a teacher14:54 Why chant in the first place?17:22 What is Buddhability? What are we trying to tap into by chanting?20:33 How is SGI Nichiren Buddhism different from other forms of Buddhism?25:50 What’s the point of having a Buddhist community?30:39 How does my daily practice connect to changing the world?30:04 What if I chant and don’t feel or see any changes?16:20 Tips for those trying chanting for the first time

We are excited to announce something special today—the 28 Day Buddhability Journey—which we’re kicking off on February 1. It’s a monthlong challenge to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo every day for however long you'd like, and it’s open to anyone, whether you’re brand new to chanting or just want a reason to refresh your practice.Sign up at buddhability.org/journey for all the details!Before we start the journey together, we thought it would helpful to talk to someone who is currently on this journey herself. So we called up Shannon Griffin, 26, of Philadelphia, who started chanting in March, right at the beginning of the pandemic.Cheat Sheet0:22 Introducing The Buddhability Journey1:58 The first time Shannon ever chanted2:55 Why she decided to try chanting every day 6:36 What the initial days felt like11:13 How she decided what to chant about13:56 The changes she started seeing in her daily life17:49 A Buddhist concept that stood out to her21:20 How Shannon came to define her own Buddhability23:43 How she set goals for 202126:47 Advice for anyone who is thinking about doing the Buddhability Journey

Feeling like you fit in is hard, especially when you have many different identities. If you’ve ever felt like you put on a different mask every place you go, this episode is for you. We speak with Falcon Sang, a young artist from L.A., about how practicing Buddhism helped him find himself.Key takeaway: If you’re willing to dig deeper, you’ll find that Buddhability is universal, and it can help you connect with anyone.Cheat sheet:00:30 Announcement: Send us your questions about love1:13 Introduction to the episode2:02 A little bit about Falcon’s childhood6:26 Why it’s important to know who you are7:26 How his childhood made him feel9:58 Where he went looking for answers18:07 Why Buddhism clicked for him22:38 How loneliness can be turned into a source of strength23:27 How Falcon’s anger started changing27:28 How he found a sense of purpose32:16 The passage that changed his life37:32 His dream for the future

In our first conversation of 2021, we speak with designer and architect James Ludwig, VP of Global Design and Product Engineering for Steelcase Inc., the world’s leading designer of office furniture. He’s also been practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism for a very long time.We discussed what design and Buddhism have in common, which is a lot, and how, at the beginning of a new year and new decade, we can think about designing our lives and solving big problems.Cheatsheet1:52 The design he's most proud of3:42 What he does day to day5:46 Growing up in a farm town 7:41 How he started practicing Buddhism8:53 How he found a path to industrial design10:03 What industrial design is11:22 Uncovering problems to solve through design13:46 Design example: reducing medical error15:35 How pain points can become opportunities16:27 What design and Buddhism have in common18:01 Iterating your way toward big goals19:09 How to work with other people better20:29 What "human revolution" means in Buddhism21:10 The three keys to breaking through in life and design23:24 How to think about "the now, the near and the far" 25:58 Designing for the future when the present is stressful29:11 James' experience developing a team through care35:35 Curiosity is more valuable than knowledge in approaching life37:40 How to generate options in your life through your own transformation38:49 Advice for anyone who feels like they haven't tapped into their full potential yet40:48 The difference between being bold and courageous42:22 How to set intentions or goals at the beginning of a year43:50 Envisioning yourself as one part of an ecosystem45:57 Advice for anyone who is ready to design their life47:10 A final thought on creating what's never been created before

Happy New Year from the team at Buddhability! As promised, today we are answering 3 listener questions about your Buddhability, which were submitted to us by voicemail over the last couple of weeks.Cheatsheet:2:20 How to get over the guilt of chanting for things you want8:12 How to help your loved ones become happy13:25 What if I don’t chant everyday?

We’re taking a short break for the holidays but our year-end episode will feature answers to a few listener-submitted questions about anything you want to ask about your own Buddhability. All you have to do is email a voice memo to podcast@sgi-usa.org of no more than two minutes, sharing your name, where you’re located, what your question is and any context you want to share. A few selected voice memos will be included in the podcast, so please only submit if you’re comfortable having it shared! Deadline: December 27.