Buddhability

Latest Episodes:

When you feel like you don’t belong anywhere Jan 19, 2021

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Feeling like you fit in is hard, especially when you have many different identities. If you’ve ever felt like you put on a different mask every place you go, this episode is for you. We speak with Falcon Sang, a young artist from L.A., about how practicing Buddhism helped him find himself.

Key takeaway: If you’re willing to dig deeper, you’ll find that Buddhability is universal, and it can help you connect with anyone.

Cheat sheet:

00:30 Announcement: Send us your questions about love

1:13 Introduction to the episode

2:02 A little bit about Falcon’s childhood

6:26 Why it’s important to know who you are

7:26 How his childhood made him feel

9:58 Where he went looking for answers

18:07 Why Buddhism clicked for him

22:38 How loneliness can be turned into a source of strength

23:27 How Falcon’s anger started changing

27:28 How he found a sense of purpose

32:16 The passage that changed his life

37:32 His dream for the future

What Buddhism and Design Have in Common Jan 12, 2021

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In our first conversation of 2021, we speak with designer and architect James Ludwig, VP of Global Design and Product Engineering for Steelcase Inc., the world’s leading designer of office furniture. He’s also been practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism for a very long time.

We discussed what design and Buddhism have in common, which is a lot, and how, at the beginning of a new year and new decade, we can think about designing our lives and solving big problems.

Cheatsheet
1:52 The design he's most proud of
3:42 What he does day to day
5:46 Growing up in a farm town
7:41 How he started practicing Buddhism
8:53 How he found a path to industrial design
10:03 What industrial design is
11:22 Uncovering problems to solve through design
13:46 Design example: reducing medical error
15:35 How pain points can become opportunities
16:27 What design and Buddhism have in common
18:01 Iterating your way toward big goals
19:09 How to work with other people better
20:29 What "human revolution" means in Buddhism
21:10 The three keys to breaking through in life and design
23:24 How to think about "the now, the near and the far"
25:58 Designing for the future when the present is stressful
29:11 James' experience developing a team through care
35:35 Curiosity is more valuable than knowledge in approaching life
37:40 How to generate options in your life through your own transformation
38:49 Advice for anyone who feels like they haven't tapped into their full potential yet
40:48 The difference between being bold and courageous
42:22 How to set intentions or goals at the beginning of a year
43:50 Envisioning yourself as one part of an ecosystem
45:57 Advice for anyone who is ready to design their life
47:10 A final thought on creating what's never been created before

You Asked, We Answered: 3 Tips for Starting or Continuing Your Practice Jan 05, 2021

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Happy New Year from the team at Buddhability! As promised, today we are answering 3 listener questions about your Buddhability, which were submitted to us by voicemail over the last couple of weeks.

Cheatsheet:
2:20 How to get over the guilt of chanting for things you want
8:12 How to help your loved ones become happy
13:25 What if I don’t chant everyday?

Have a question for Buddhability? Send us a voice memo! Dec 18, 2020

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We’re taking a short break for the holidays but our year-end episode will feature answers to a few listener-submitted questions about anything you want to ask about your own Buddhability. All you have to do is email a voice memo to podcast@sgi-usa.org of no more than two minutes, sharing your name, where you’re located, what your question is and any context you want to share. A few selected voice memos will be included in the podcast, so please only submit if you’re comfortable having it shared! Deadline: December 27.

How to find your place within your family Dec 11, 2020

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As we enter into a most unusual holiday season, we’re thinking a lot about what family means and how tapping into your Buddhability can impact your loved ones. If you’ve ever felt unsure of your place in your family, or like you wish you could connect with them better, this story is worth a listen. Priya Gunaseharan shares the story of how she found her own voice by helping her grandmother find hers, entirely through a series of phone calls. Key takeaway: If you try your best to accept others the way they are, you’ll find you can finally do the same for yourself.

Cheat sheet:
00:35 Introduction to the episode
3:25 How Priya started chanting
5:17 Why she struggled to express herself within her family
9:18 How she decided to start calling her grandma
14:47 What to do when you love someone who can be also hurtful
18:03 What Priya chanted about
24:46 What her dream for her family is
28:04 What she learned about her grandmother
29:58 How Priya feels in her family now

How small goals add up to big dreams Dec 04, 2020

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This week’s episode is about how to build the confidence to pursue a big dream. Seon Yeop Jung shares how he using chanting and goal-setting to rebuild the confidence he lost due to bullying. By pursuing one small goal after another, he discovered his dream of being a scientist and educator. Key takeaway: If you don’t believe in yourself right now because of whatever you may have faced in the past, it’s OK. Just start wherever you are with one small goal and you’ll discover your purpose along the way.

Cheatsheet:

0:35 Introduction to Seon

4:30 How bullying affected his childhood

8:29 What he realized when he started chanting

11:59 Why he set a goal of studying for 10 hours

13:50 How achieving minor goals can build your confidence

16:58 How to apply chanting to specific goals

19:08 What if you get stuck?

23:16 How having supportive friends can help

24:53 What Seon’s dream is now

27:24 3 keys to never giving up

29:46 Seon’s advice to anyone pursuing a dream

30:44 Today’s key takeaway

What It Takes, A Love Story Nov 20, 2020

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This week, we’re talking about love. Well, specifically what it takes to be in a committed relationship for the long haul. Ian and Audrey McIlraith, who are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year, tell us the story of how they overcame their own fears of being alone and of being good enough, to create a happy family. Here are their secrets: if you want to find a life partner and stay together through life’s storms, you need to be willing to confront your fears, see yourself honestly and strive for a shared goal.

0:39 Introduction to today’s topic

2:01 Introduction to Ian, Audrey and how they met

4:15 How they each starting practicing Buddhism

6:30 What their mindsets toward relationships were before they met

16:23 How they challenged fears of being alone, and being good enough

18:30 How chanting helped them overcome an accident and a long journey to have kids

21:56 Why self-transformation and respect are so key to relationships

27:11 Their advice to anyone struggling with a relationship (or finding a partner)

Winning Morning, Winning Life Nov 13, 2020

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This week, we speak with Rory Arnaud about what a daily Buddhist practice in the morning can do for you. The fact is, most of us haven’t even scratched the surface of what we are capable of accomplishing, learning and giving in this lifetime. Today’s key lesson is that if you can consistently win over yourself in the morning through chanting, you can unearth a treasure trove of wisdom, energy and courage and completely transform how you see yourself and the world.

0:37 Introduction to today’s topic

1:52 Rory’s story

7:00 What losing a friend taught him about life

8:50 What his mornings used to feel like

10:00 How they changed after he started chanting

11:57 How he decided to start a company

17:12 What winning in the morning means

19:20 What he’s up against each morning

22:56 The question that keeps him motivated every single day

27:04 Advice for Rory’s younger self (or anyone listening)

How to make progress, even when you can’t see eye to eye Nov 04, 2020

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This week, we speak with Abe Uccello about working for change in Florida’s prison system, even when he couldn’t see any forward movement. He explains how chanting can help you build trust and respect with anyone, and what unity actually means. Hint: You have to unlock your own wisdom and compassion first.

Cheatsheet:

1:50 What we’re trying to understand today

4:02 Introduction to Abe

5:02 How chanting helped him feel like he had control over his life again

10:54 His experiences working with the prison system

16:20 How chanting helped him figure out what to do

17:20 What a tenacious effort to build trust helped him achieve

25:10 Why he didn’t give up

28:32 How to maintain hope even when you see the darkest parts of humanity

32:33 What the end goal in Buddhism is

35:46 Advice to anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed by uncertainty

38:02 What “happiness for self and others” means

45:39 What else to read on Buddhability about feeling stuck and making change

Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding on what it takes to be authentic Oct 29, 2020

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Great artists are authentic. It’s how they are able to connect to enormous audiences, yet each person experiencing the music, or art, feels directly spoken to. What would you do if you could go through life with this kind of genuine, inspiring power?

Being yourself, truly yourself, is hard. Today, we speak with legendary Grammy-winning jazz musicians Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding about how Buddhism has helped them become their most authentic selves.

P.S. The book mentioned in the episode is called Reaching Beyond: Improvisations on Jazz, Buddhism, and a Joyful Life.

Cheatsheet:

1:25 Introduction to Wayne & Esperanza

2:41 How Esperanza discovered Buddhism

5:22 Why Wayne started chanting

7:11 How Wayne discovered a deeper purpose to playing music

8:10 How chanting helped Wayne see himself more clearly

12:23 Esperanza on authenticity as a musician

17:35 Wayne on how Buddhism can help you check yourself

19:25 Esperanza on how to unlock your own capacity

20:34 Some notes on Esperanza’s “life force”

21:48 On Wayne & Esperanza’s friendship