If you can solve the problem, Then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve it, Then what is the use of worrying? —Shantideva Everyone has experienced anxious thoughts in their everyday life but what happens when these worrisome thoughts begin to affect your mental health and even your physical well-being? You may be caught in a worry cycle, suffering from chronic worrying and imagining worst-case scenarios. If you want to break your worry habit, it is important to learn the roots of anxious thoughts. After you understand these roots of negative thinking, you will be able to change t ..read more

Dr. Anil Seth has written an extraordinary book called Being You — A New Science of Consciousness. I had a chance to talk to him recently in an event sponsored by Science & Wisdom Live. Dr. Seth is one of the world’s foremost researchers on consciousness, and in our interview he touches on defining consciousness from a scientific perspective, whether we have free will, and the notion of reality as a controlled hallucination. He also talks about an art installation called the Dreamachine that he helped create, which can induce profound direct experiences of consciousness. What is the s ..read more

In Tara Brach’s book Radical Self-Acceptance she asks, “How much time have you spent trying to change yourself?” Take a moment to consider your own answer to this. How many hours, days, or months have you spent trying to become better: more intelligent, smart, fit, attractive, productive, or likable? Self-optimization is so ingrained in society that many of us never stop to consider why we feel the need to constantly improve. Most of us are raised to believe our purpose in life is to achieve and excel through our job, looks, school, or relationships. We are born into a world of idealized arch ..read more

Last year I had the privilege to participate in a dialogue on compassion with my teacher, Venerable Sangye Khadro who is also well known by her Western name Venerable Kathleen McDonald. Venerable Sangye Khadro is the author of How to Meditate and Awakening the Kind Heart. She’s a very active Buddhist teacher and a fully ordained nun, which is the highest level of ordination for a Buddhist monastic. It was wonderful to hear her share wisdom on this topic, touching on many practical ways to deal with everyday pain and conflict in our lives using this universal antidote of compassion. This talk w ..read more

This is a very special episode in which I had the chance to introduce two of my heroes: Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman and science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson. They shared a lively conversation together that you now have the chance to eavesdrop on (with their permission). They talk about when violence is legitimate in situations like the Tibetan or Ukrainian invasions, their personal relationships to the Dalai Lama, and how we might make Kim Stanley Robinson’s fictional climate solutions from his latest novel The Ministry for the Future start working in real life. In this intimate con ..read more

Buddhist teacher Emily Hsu leads an analytical meditation that explores the inner landscape—texture—of the mind and the differences between constructive and unconstructive mental states. (This meditation is part two of our interview with Emily Hsu) Introduction [00:00:00] Emily Hsu: So let’s begin by sitting comfortably on a cushion or chair with our back straight and relaxed. And bringing our awareness into our body and bringing it down, noticing where your body is touching the chair or the cushion or the floor. Feeling the sensation of being supported by the earth, feeling stable and ..read more

I’ve known Emily Hsu since she first started teaching Buddhist philosophy and meditation at the Tse Chen Ling Center for Tibetan Buddhism 15 years ago in San Francisco. She’s a lucid, humble, and kind teacher who speaks from both deep education and rich personal experience. Emily Hsu completed the seven year FPMT Masters Program at Institute Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy in 2004—a condensed version of the Tibetan Buddhist Geisha studies curriculum—which qualifies her to teach subjects normally taught only by Tibetan Buddhist Lamas. She served as the resident teacher at California’s Ocean of Compas ..read more

In the midst of a challenging year for the world, it’s felt fulfilling to round out the third year of our weekly podcast. Through a secular Buddhist perspective, we try to offer concrete ways that we can each calm our minds and change the world for the better. Thank you for listening, and for your positive reviews, feedback, and donations that keep the show running. You’ll find a list of our top ten secular Buddhist podcast episodes of 2022 below, and some great quotes from the Buddhist monks, teachers, and luminaries I had the privilege to speak with this year. Are these your favorites too? I ..read more

Teenagers face a unique and overwhelming set of problems today, from climate change to social media to isolation induced by the pandemic. Richard Prinz is a marriage, child, and family counselor who has worked as a teen counselor in the Cupertino, California public schools for over 20 years. He’s also a longtime Buddhist practitioner and a good friend of mine who served as the director of the Vajrapani Institute Buddhist retreat center in Boulder Creek when His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, came to visit in 1989. In our interview, Rich and I talk about some of the powerful ways parents can tr ..read more

Francesca Hampton leads a loving-kindness meditation suitable for both children and adults alike to help the mind become calm, loving, and clear. (This meditation is part two of our interview with Francesca Hampton) Awareness of the breath and body [00:00:00] Francesca Hampton: Now it’s time to do our meditation to help our mind become calm, loving, and clear. We give ourselves permission not to be in a hurry for this time and not to worry about anything else, just to be calm and quiet inside. Sit crosslegged on a floor cushion, or in a chair, or lie down on your back. The important thi ..read more