Diggin' the Dharma

What are the Buddha's views about views?   How are the ways we hold opinions about politics, people, food, etc, different from clinging to spiritual views?   The Buddha had a lot to say about this but how do we put it into practice.  How does our clinging to views, most importantly views about ourselves,  impede our progress on the path?  Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

The Seven Awakening Factors are a fundamental teaching in the early Buddhist Suttas.    In an active form, these factors can be a valuable antidote to any of the Five Hindrances.    In a passive way, as we meditate, they can act as signposts informing us both where we are and what is needed at any given moment.  Throughout our day, they can work in the same way.Each of these factors warrants its own podcast, but here we discuss them as a whole.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

In Buddhist practice, direct experience is a key component of mindfulness and the development of wisdom.  Can AI actually have direct experience?   And if so, does it actually develop true wisdom?  Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

With the hyper-driven developments in Artificial Intelligence, we wonder, is AI becoming sentient?  What is sentience anyway?  What are the determining factors? How do we hold these developments in the Buddhist context of Anatta, not self?  Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Metta--the quality of unconditional love is considered one of the boundless qualities of the heart.   We often have beings in our lives who embody this quality and have been there for us regardless of how we are, or what we have done.   These beings could be grandparents, an aunt or uncle, perhaps our parents (though most parents knowingly or not have conditions to their love), our 1st-grade teacher, or even a family dog.   Recalling these benefactors is of great help if we have trouble connecting with the kind of love. In this episode, we discuss the benefactors in our lives and how the impact they can have.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

As Jon returns from his heart surgery and recovery, we discuss the practice of patience, which is considered one of the Perfections of the Heart (Parami).    While heart surgery itself is miraculous, perfecting the heart by cultivating this quality of patience (among others) is no less so.  We look at ways to develop patience throughout our day.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

We'll discuss a fun early sutta where two ascetics, one practicing as a dog, the other as a cow, come up to the Buddha to ask for his opinion about the merit of their practices.  What does this show us about our own attitude to practice?Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Some folks believe that Buddhism requires us to let go of all desires.  This is actually a misinterpretation of the teachings.  There are undoubtedly healthy and unhealthy desires, and if one desire turns into greed, we have crossed the line.  That line is only sometimes as apparent as we might think.   In this episode, we discuss what the Buddha says about this and how what we have to learn from these teachings.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

This episode will be aired the week Jon faces significant surgery.  It seems like an appropriate time to look into fear and how to work with it. Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

One of the various lists of the Dharma is the 10 Fetters. In this episode, we discuss the first five of these and none of them will be a surprise because they are so common.  Despite being common that doesn't make them easy break away.  Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/