Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better

Don't miss this fascinating episode where I talk with Cindy Rasicot, an award-winning author of Finding Venerable Mother: A Daughter's Spiritual Quest to Thailand and creator of Casual Buddhism, a weekly YouTube series that welcomes people from all walks of life to explore their spiritual practice in conversation with Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni. The focus of the conversation is Cindy's spiritual life—especially her relationship with Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, the first woman to be ordained in Thailand. We talk, of course, about Venerable Dhammananda and her amazing and inspirational life journey from academic to activist to spiritual leader ... and about women in Buddhism. We discuss how Buddhism can be "caught not taught" to be, first, experiential, then conceptual, which is Cindy's experience with Buddhism. We also talk about the importance of healing the mother-daughter relationship … And the riches of experiencing multiple spiritual traditions, as is modeled by Venerable Dhammananda. Learn more about Cindy Rasicot and the book: https://cindyrasicot.com/   Buy the book (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3KnnM5s   Instagram: https://instagram.com/cindy.rasicot Facebook: https://facebook.com/cindy.rasicot.author   Casual Buddhism YouTube Series: Casual Buddhism - Youtube.com   Casual Buddhism with Wendy Shinyo & Venerable: https://youtu.be/9jjq_jKnYX8   Ted Talk with Venerable Dhammanada: Ted Talk: Dhammananda Bikkuni, "Empowering Our Potentiality"   Learn more about Venerable Dhammananda: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammananda_Bhikkhuni   Venerable Dhammananda's Songdhammakalyani Monastery: https://www.thaibhikkhunis.com/en/     Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community and virtual sangha:https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, Everyday Buddhism

In this episode I talk with Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, an author, Zen teacher, and Jungian psychotherapist who has devoted his life to the study and application of psychotherapy and Buddhism.    In our conversation, we discuss Koshin's latest book, Untangled: Walking The Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion.  Among many other things, we talk about: * The needy Cookie Monster in him, myself, and maybe many of you. * The power of perspective in helping you to recognize when your old stories resurface. * The 3 kinds of minds: Grandmotherly Mind, Great Mind, and Joyful Mind. * Self-clinging as a deep form of stealing. * And how everything, everywhere is a  "place of practice."   I was thrilled to have this conversation with Koshin. Keep listening and you'll know why … you can actually hear the twinkle in his eyes and his beaming smile.     Learn more about Koshin and the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care:   About Koshin: https://zencare.org/sensei-koshin-paley-ellison/   New York Zen Center: https://zencare.org/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/zencare   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newyorkzencenter/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-zen-center-for-contemplative-care/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/nyzencenter   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newyorkzencenterforcontemp4985   **************   Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, Everyday Buddhism

Welcome to a special BONUS podcast, introducing our first "Chat with Everyday Buddhism" YouTube videocast on our Everyday Buddhism YouTube channel and now as an audio version for the podcast.   It is our very first episode of "Chat with Everyday Buddhism" where we are planning a series of chats with our sangha leaders, our sangha members, and special guests. In the first chat, join a conversation with Wendy Shinyo Sensei, the host of the Everyday Buddhism podcast and leader of the Everyday Sangha; Bradley Jinaiyo Sensei and Terry Hosken, practice leaders of the Everyday Sangha.   In this episode we talk about what Everyday Buddhism is all about and the benefit of finding community with a sangha. If you would like to ask a question or suggest a subject for us to discuss on upcoming "chat with buddhism" casts, you can do so by leaving me a voice mail on the everyday buddhism website or send an email. Go to www.everyday-buddhism.com/contact to send am email or click on the tab on the sidebar to leave us a voice mail message that is no longer than 2 minutes.   **************   Check out the conversation on our YouTube channel:https://youtu.be/L1cydaz03fg Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, Everyday Buddhism

In this episode, I talk with Emma Varvaloucas, an editor and writer with a decade+ focusing on discovering and publicizing underreported good news in the nonprofit media space.   Emma is the executive director of The Progress Network, where she writes the popular What Could Go Right? weekly newsletter and is co-host of the What Could Go Right? podcast. She was formerly the executive editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and the editor of two books from Wisdom Publications.   In a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss how we can train our minds to not overreact to the negative and scary things that are happening in the world so that we might respond with equanimity rather than join the chorus of divisiveness and despair.   Among many other things, we talk about the news, social media, polarization … and a non-grasping way of thinking about progress as not a utopia just around the corner but more a noticing of the gradual arc of improvement in people's lives by focusing less on the click-bait negative headlines and more on what is going right.     Learn more about The Progress Network:   Website: https://theprogressnetwork.org/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressntwrk   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/progressntwrk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressntwrk/?hl=en   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-progress-network/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@progressntwrk?_t=8VeFaR9Zyxq&_r=1   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI2_M_Y7-PyJurGXbTuThtw   **************   Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, Everyday Buddhism

Enjoy a special release of a Members Only Feature: Bonus Contemplation Podcasts. These are short podcasts for you to use as subjects for contemplation or analytical meditation. I've released this contemplation, "Impermanence", as a birthday gift to my podcast audience, in celebration of my 70th birthday. It is by my friend and fellow Buddhist teacher, Kaspa Thompson. It purposely follows the episode, "Navigating Grief and Loss" by Kimberly Brown. Kaspa directs the Bright Earth with their partner, Satya, and works as a psychotherapist. They has been a Buddhist teacher for more than a decade and has a special interest in outside practice. They are a committee member of the Eco Dharma Network, and Chair of the Network of Buddhist Organisations UK. I am publicly releasing another bonus podcast, at the same time. It is a reflection on the Five Remembrances and presented by my dear friend and Everyday Buddhism Sangha leader, Bradley Jinaiyo Nussbaum. These bonus contemplation podcasts will be released regularly and presented by myself or some of my Bright Dawn Lay Minister/lay ministry student friends and colleagues. To be sure you don't miss any of them, join the Everyday Buddhism Membership Community or Everyday Sangha: https://www.everydaybuddhismcommunity.com/join-community-or-sangha.html For more about Kaspa and the Bright Earth Pure Land Buddhist Temple, check out these websites: https://www.brightearth.org/ http://www.kaspathompson.co.uk/ ***************** Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits!https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism

Enjoy a special release of a Members Only Feature: Bonus Contemplation Podcasts. These are short podcasts for you to use as subjects for contemplation or analytical meditation. I've released this contemplation, "The Five Remembrances", as a birthday gift to my podcast audience, in celebration of my 70th birthday. It is by my dear friend and Everyday Buddhism Sangha Leader, Bradley Jinaiyo Nussbaum. It purposely follows the episode, "Navigating Grief and Loss" by Kimberly Brown. I am publicly releasing another bonus podcast, at the same time. It is a reflection on Impermanence and presented by my friend and fellow Buddhist teacher, Kaspa Thompson. These bonus contemplation podcasts will be released regularly and presented by myself or some of my Bright Dawn Lay Minister/lay ministry student friends and colleagues. To be sure you don't miss any of them, join the Everyday Buddhism Membership Community or Everyday Sangha: https://www.everydaybuddhismcommunity.com/join-community-or-sangha.html ***************** Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits!https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism

In this episode, I celebrate my 70th birthday, which was yesterday, with the release of 2 special bonus contemplations on impermanence. I saved a couple of Members-only bonus episodes for release following episode 81, "Navigating Grief and Loss" with Kimberly Brown. They are Impermanence with Kaspa Thompson (Inspired by Shan Tao) and "The Five Remembrances" with Bradley Jinaiyo Nussbaum. I know many of you have more of your life ahead of you rather than behind you, the truth is, we can never know. That's the thing about impermanence and that's what these two contemplations are helping us to reflect on. It becomes harder to ignore impermanence as you age, yet I still find plenty of ways to forget about it. Not as many ways as when I was 35, but there are still plenty of ways to try to run from it. Please enjoy the contemplations and thank you to both Kaspa and Bradley for their wonderful reflections. To be sure you don't miss any of the bonus contemplations, join the Everyday Buddhism Membership Community or Everyday Sangha: https://www.everydaybuddhismcommunity.com/join-community-or-sangha.html ***************** Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits!https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism  

In this episode, I talk with Kimberly Brown about her new book, Navigating Grief and Loss:25 Buddhist Practices to Keep your Heart Open to Yourself and Others, where she shares an approachable pathway to personal and collective well-being through real-life, contemporary meditations based on traditional practices.   We talk about the power of love for reducing mental suffering … the illusion of control and remembering things are not all up to us … being present for and taking care of anger and other mental poisons … and how to skillfully let go of hope and fear … Among many other things.   During this holiday time, I know many have a hard time keeping their hearts open and enjoying the season due to the pain of loss and grief. I hope listening to the gentle wisdom Kimberly offers in our conversation will help you discover new ways to "navigate" the pain you feel.   Buy her books through my affiliate links: Navigating Grief and Loss: 25 Buddhist Practices to Keep your Heart Open to Yourself and Others   Steady, Calm, and Brave: 25 Practices for Resilience and Wisdom in a Crisis   Find out more about Kimberly Brown: Website: https://www.meditationwithheart.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyjbrown/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meditationwithheart/     **************   Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism"

In this special "best of" episode, we celebrate Bodhi Day, the traditional celebration of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni's enlightenment. Yet, listen as we discover how it is a celebration of our enlightenment, too. The message of the December darkness is a messenger of our own enlightenment. Without darkness, we couldn't know light. Shakyamuni's enlightenment experience is ours. He proclaimed, "I and the great earth, and all beings are naturally and simultaneously awakened." We don't chase the darkness away through external ritual or stringing lights, but by looking inside to find our own light. ****************** Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism"   Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Or say "Hi, I enjoy your podcast by buying me a coffee!" Buy Me a Coffee

In this episode, I get lost in a conversation with Deborah Eden Tull, who I wished I could have talked with for hours! Deborah Eden Tull is a Zen meditation and dharma teacher, author, public speaker, and sustainability educator.   In our conversation we discuss her latest book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown, a deep book bridging the Dharma, personal awareness, and transformation—through the lens of darkness and all that word connotes, like uncertainty, change, grief, and fear.   I know you'll enjoy this episode, as we meander through a conversation about spirituality, living in inquiry, leading in the dark AND being LED by the dark ... and showing up as we are, in our strength and vulnerability.   And I'm sure you will be inspired by Deborah Eden Tull, as she shares a way for all of us to "navigate the uncertainty of our times" and welcome the presence of life "as it is."   Buy the book through my affiliate link: Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown   Find out more about Deborah Eden Tull and her upcoming retreats and workshops: https://www.deborahedentull.com/   On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindfulLivingRevolution/   **************   Check out my Substack posts for more everyday Buddhism: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits! https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, "Everyday Buddhism"