Buddhability

Latest Episodes:

How to stop comparing yourself to others Apr 03, 2021

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Today we are discussing a question that comes up a lot: How do I stop comparing myself to other people? It can be a real struggle, especially if you feel like the people around you are better or farther ahead than you in some way. Here’s an article we did on the subject, called Feel like you're falling behind?

Our guest today is Harrison Tsao, who started practicing Buddhism in high school because he was deeply struggling with anxiety and depression, stemming from the fact that he found school really challenging, and was constantly being compared to his twin brother. It’s a really inspiring story: Once he started chanting, he took steady steps to find his own path forward and discovered his dream of becoming a chef. Then Covid-19 happened. Still, he never gave up. (You're gonna wanna to listen to the end on this one.)

Cheat Sheet

00:13 Introduction to today’s topic

2:17 Why Harrison started practicing Buddhism

6:45 What it was like growing up as a twin

9:41 His journey toward college and finding his dream

15:41 How Covid-19 impacted his path

18:32 How having a Buddhist community helped him navigate his path forward

22:28 The quote that changed his life

24:38 How he started setting goals for himself

29:59 Advice for anyone who feels like other people are farther ahead in life

31:59 Where Harrison is now

Join Us Friday for a Buddhability Community Talk! Mar 24, 2021

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Appreciate the Buddhability content but want to hear from people actually practicing Buddhism? We teamed up with members of our Buddhist community to present a new online series hosted by Buddhability. The first one is this Friday and we're talking about how to refresh yourself when you feel burned out.

Join us Friday, March 26 at 9 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. CT, 12 p.m. ET.
Register here: https://buddhability.org/practice/live/

Finding happiness while living with chronic illness Mar 19, 2021

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On this episode, we discuss living with chronic health challenges, be it physical or mental health. Jenny Ohrstrom, who has been seeking treatment for Lyme disease for nearly 8 years, shares her story of learning how to find happiness despite living with painful, unpredictable symptoms.

While everyone's experience with illness is different, for chronic illness, the battle is as much about managing the symptoms and seeking treatment as it about finding a way to value your life on daily basis, especially when you feel no hope.

Key takeaway: Tapping into Buddhability can simply mean tapping into real, deep, courageous happiness, in the face of pain. Unlike positivity, sustainable happiness comes from cultivating a life state that enables us to never give up or give in to hopelessness.

CHEAT SHEET

1:38 Introduction to Jenny and her Buddhist practice

4:28 How she found out she had Lyme

14:40 Why it was so bad

17:07 How chanting helped her navigate the journey

23:32 What the doctors told her

24:38 How she defines recovery

27:18 What happiness means on a daily basis

33:02 Advice for anyone feeling defeated by chronic or long-term illness

Being new parents (in a pandemic) Mar 12, 2021

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Today we are talking about being new parents, which is a topic that's been requested by many listeners. Savini and Piper, college sweethearts from India who moved to New York City in their 20’s, share the story of having their first child in September 2019, just 6 months before the pandemic began.

They've had to navigate a lot: not only grappling with a new identity and sense of responsibility, but also navigating covid and some unexpected health challenges their son was born with.

Key takeaway: If you’re a new parent or thinking of becoming one, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can help you build emotional and spiritual muscle to take on anything life throws your way.

CHEAT SHEET

00:19 Today’s topic
1:38 Introduction to Savini and Piper
6:48 Navigating fear of parenthood
10:25 The story of Maadhav’s birth
13:40 How they chanted while pregnant
18:25 How they navigated unexpected health challenges
24:58 What it means to build resilience and confidence over time
39:18 The hardest parts of parenting
42:48 An amazing analogy for your capacity as a person
47:19 Advice for new parents
49:14 What chanting just 5 minutes can do
53:20 Guest appearance by Maadhav

Buddhist Friends for Life (Part 2) Mar 03, 2021

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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 Sheet

0:29 Voicemails and messages from listeners who completed the 28-day journey

6:35 Karina’s Story

31:19 Advice on what to do after you’ve started chanting

Buddhist Friends for Life (Part 1) #struggleictory Feb 27, 2021

Show notes

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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 Sheet

1:36 Introduction to Caitlin, Jahmela and Karina

12:26 What to expect when you go to a Buddhist meeting

17:04 Caitlin's Story

32:28 Jahmela’s Story

40:53 Coming up on Part 2

How’s chanting going? (Journey Check-in) Feb 19, 2021

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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.

Six Questions About Love Feb 13, 2021

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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 Sheet

1:36 Introduction to Abby

3:53 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'mad

28:26 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 Erika

47:31 How should I chant about finding a life partner, and how will I know if they are the one?

Everything you need to know about chanting Feb 04, 2021

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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 Sheet

0:16 On how to join the February Buddhability Journey
2:41 The basics of chanting Nam-myoho-renge kyo: how, when, for how long
4:24 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 teacher
14:54 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

My First Days Chanting, A Buddhability Journey Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

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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 Sheet

0:22 Introducing The Buddhability Journey
1:58 The first time Shannon ever chanted
2:55 Why she decided to try chanting every day
6:36 What the initial days felt like
11:13 How she decided what to chant about
13:56 The changes she started seeing in her daily life
17:49 A Buddhist concept that stood out to her
21:20 How Shannon came to define her own Buddhability
23:43 How she set goals for 2021
26:47 Advice for anyone who is thinking about doing the Buddhability Journey

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