Laura Simms: Courage – Podcast 215
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Laura Simms discusses the nature of courage. How can meditation practitioners be courageous in these increasingly turbulent times?
Lama Rod Owens: The Dharma of Keeping It Real – Podcast 214
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In the context of sexual misconduct in the Shambhala community, Lama Rod hosts a wide-ranging discussion about self-care, justice, trauma, race and white supremacy, and how our practice supports keeping it real.
Acharya Eric Spiegel: What The Buddha Taught: Taking Refuge – Podcast 213
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Acharya Eric Spiegel discusses what it means to be a Buddhist. What are the essential teachings of The Buddha, how does one formalize a commitment to the Buddhist path, and what does it mean to raise a family, own a business, live a modern existence as a Buddhist?
David Perrin: Every Beginning is an End; Every End is a Beginning – Podcast 212
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David Perrin discusses the Buddhist teaching of impermanence. We spend so much time figuring out what will happen next; what happens when we train ourselves to simply rest in the present moment in meditation?
Natalie Baker: If I Don’t Have a Self, Who Am I? – Podcast 211
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Natalie Baker discusses the Buddhist concepts of ego and egolessness. If there is no “ego”, no “self”, no “me”, then who am I?
Ethan Nichtern: Why Lineage Matters – Podcast 209
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What’s the point of lineage? And does commitment to a lineage mean giving up our authentic selves? Ethan Nichtern talks about why lineage matters.
Vegan Aharonian: Basic Goodness – Podcast 208
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We practice meditation in order to – in some way – become a better person. Vegan Aharonian discusses this ultimate potential within is all, known in the Shambhala tradition as “Basic Goodness”.
Natalie Baker: What Is Constant In Life? – Podcast 207
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The Buddha taught that there are three qualities of life that we can’t escape: impermanence, feeling unsatisfied, and selflessness. We typically know these qualities as the experience of surprise when things change, constantly wanting life to be different than it is, and not knowing who we are. What if these qualities were actually the stepping stones to appreciating life?
Shanté Smalls: The Cradle of Loving-Kindness – Podcast 206
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At times there is a palpable sense of fear in the world. When this is our experience, Shambhala’s root instruction is to place our fearful mind into “the cradle of loving-kindness”. What does this actually look like?
Shanté Smalls: Can Shambhala Get Sober? – Podcast 205
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What could “sobriety” look like for the Shambhala organization? Shanté Smalls discusses tools to help us heal and prevent trauma, abuse, and harmful patterns – from the Buddhist Five Precepts to teachings on Basic Goodness to 12-Step inventories. Are we ready to really use these tools personally and in our community to “get sober”?
