Diggin' the Dharma

The Five Reflections are a teaching which confronts us directly with the realities of life.   These reflections are the great equalizer-- no matter your status in life,  your income, your age, your race,  your sex, or any of your identities, these Five Reflections are a reminder of what's really true.   This podcast is a perfect follow-up to Dying before you Dye!A link to the sutta in which the reflections occur:https://suttacentral.net/an5.57/en/sujatoSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Turning toward death through various meditation practices can be transformative and liberative.   In this episode Doug and Jon discuss how they practice with this and the impact it has had on their lives.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

People often think of Buddhism as a very austere and all about renunciation.  In this episode we discuss the difference between worldly and unworldly pleasures and perhaps can dispel some of these mis-understandings.  Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Buddhism was originally practiced in the forests and it was evolving at a time when much of society was seeing itself as a separate from nature by trying to control it.   The Buddha, it is written, always went into the forest  when he took leave from his sangha for retreat.  In this episode, Doug and Jon explore the importance of reconnecting with the natural world as part of our practice.  What do we learn about ourselves and how the core teachings,  particularly around 'non-self'  are illuminated through re-connecting with the natural world. Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Generosity is the first instruction the Buddha would give to laypeople, it's also one of the deepest and most helpful teachings in Buddhism. We will consider generosity, and how it can be manifest in our lives.Buddhist Global Relief website:https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.orgSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

This special episode Jon and Doug take questions from Sorrell, one of their generous member-donors over at Buy Me a Coffee. They discuss having children in a Buddhist context, how thorough non-attachment can be in lay life, as well as Sorrell's experiences on deployment in the navy.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Is Buddhist practice only about attaining enlightenment, or are there other things it can help us with? If so, what would they be? Is it OK to focus on something less than the ultimate goal? We'll look at these questions and more.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

In this episode Doug and Jon exploring the practice of taking refuge.  The Triple Gem refers to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.   This is considered a True Refuge.  A refuge that doesn't fade that is always there.  It is both a practice and a commitment and a very important part  of Buddhism.  We explore the different ways to interpret these gems as well as understanding the difference between this True Refuge and the false refuges we often seek.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

The Buddha taught that we don't hold to fixed views.   Politics often finds its way into spiritual context and can be a slippery slope.    Some of us may assume that all Buddhist have the same stance on particular issues but this is rarely the case.    Some political situations are important to bring up in a Buddhist context and a definitely place of investigation. How do we work with our own fixed views and the fixed views of others.   Our practice, may bring us to a place of softening such views which then might  create a place of common ground.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

How do we deal with war If we are practicing the precept of non-harming (non-killing)? What are we supposed to do, and how are we supposed to feel about the situation in Ukraine? Eminent monastic scholar and practitioner Bhikkhu Bodhi has a recent article where he discusses this issue, with particular emphasis on the war in Ukraine. We discuss the article and the idea of warfare in Buddhism.Link to the article:https://www.lionsroar.com/buddhism-nonviolence-and-the-moral-quandary-of-ukraine/Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/