Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

In this episode we look at the practice of wisdom. In particular, this refers to wisdom realizing the true nature of reality. Little by little we touch reality as we gain wisdom. We come to understan…

"The rain could turn to gold and still your thirst would not be slaked' the Buddha said. In this episode we explore the connection between the Buddhist teachings of emptiness and craving. Understandi…

The Buddha said that an earnest practitioner, even when just beginning the path to enlightenment, "lights up this world like the moon set free from a cloud." This episode explores how to relate to be…

The mind is the creator of everything—all happiness and suffering. Thus, gaining control over the mind is the only real and reliable way to live a happy, peaceful life. Buddha said that "we make our …

In Buddhism, equanimity (upekkha in Pali) is a state of calmness, balance, and non-reactivity in the face of both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Equanimity is a quality of mind that is graduall…

How do we start the path to enlightenment? After the Buddha attained enlightenment, he spent 45 years walking from place to place to give teachings. Buddha always tailored his teachings to reach peop…

In Buddhism, the concept of "emptiness" (Sunyata) is a fundamental teaching that refers to the absence of inherent existence or independent selfhood. All things, including our self, are empty of inhe…

Wisdom realizing emptiness is the realization that leads directly to enlightenment. This wisdom is also the direct remedy for all the misguided notions we harbor about our identity and the true natur…

In Buddhism, envy is considered a painful state of mind because it arises from a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of reality and the origin of happiness.

Envy is rooted in the belief that o…

Many of us may have a spiritual practice but often struggle to maintain it amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily routines. Whether it's work, family, or simply the demands of modern life, it can …

One of the principle tenets of Buddhism is to try to avoid harming living beings. To avoid harming others we generally need to practice restraint out of lovingkindness. It’s just too easy to inadvert…

The practice of restraint is a crucial part of the Buddhist path to enlightenment. It involves abstaining from harmful thoughts, speech, and actions that lead to suffering for oneself and others. In …

Wealth destroys those who lack in wisdom, But not those who seek the beyond. Craving wealth, those lacking wisdom Destroy themselves As well as others. (355) 

Weeds are the ruin of fields; Passion …

Taking refuge in the Dharma means we turn to the spiritual teaching of Buddha to help us solve our problems to alleviate pain. It means we commit to working on ourselves. Having taken refuge in the D…

At the start of this three part series on Refuge, this episode explores what it means to take refuge in Buddha. The most simple way to take refuge in Buddha means relying on Buddha as a teacher. This…

Fearlessness is much talked about in Buddhism, particularly the idea of becoming fearless. In this episode we look at that which causes us fear, antidotes to fear, and tapping into our own bravery.  …

Sometimes we find it hard to reach goals or put effort into things we desperately want to improve. Why is this—when the wish is there? Attachment to what is meaningless or nonvirtuous might be the ob…

Buddha said, “with effort, we have all attainments.” We can achieve any goal, no matter how lofty, with enough continued effort, even becoming a bodhisattva and attaining enlightenment. So why do suc…

One way of practicing non-attachment can be expressed with the popular phrase, “Let go.” In verse 348 of the Dhammwpada, Buddha says, “ Let go of the past, 

let go of the future, let go of the presen…