Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

Buddha taught that no chains are as powerful as attachment, and nothing bonds us to suffering like our attachment. In the First Noble Truth, Buddha didn't just say, "Life is pervaded by suffering," b…

We must work on our minds to overcome the habits of attachment--which always bring suffering--whether one is a monk or a family man. The context of a monastery versus a home with young children will …

When we’re being selfish, our actions are motivated by attachment to our happiness, reputation, opinion, expectations being met, etc. As we practiced after the last episode, we again practice cherish…

In this episode and subsequent mindfulness practice, we are working toward severing the root of craving (also known as attachment). What is the root of craving? Suffering is said to have three roots:…

Attachment to the self causes suffering, just as suffering invariably follows attachment to any object. In general, attachment arises when we perceive an object we find attractive and become fixated …

In this episode, we look at a three-step process to lessen attachment. The first step is to notice the craving mind and examine it. The craving mind focuses on its object of desire, exaggerates its g…

Once Buddha was staying near the Himalayas in a place where the people were being very poorly treated by three cruel and ruthless kings. Buddha had the thought, ‘I wonder if there is a way to get the…

With stories of yogis who spent years practicing alone in isolated mountain caves, it might seem like Buddhism promotes a solitary path. But in reality, Buddha spoke many times of the importance of g…

Mindfulness can be used to train the mind: to make the mind more peaceful and see your world differently. Mindfulness, in this way, is used to remember things we’ve learned and intend to put into pra…

The practice of Lojong has the literal translation of “mind training.” The great Buddhist master Atisha taught mind training over 1,000 years ago in the form of slogans. These 59 slogans are designed…

The Buddha taught that certain factors strengthen the karmic results of our actions. One example is that the effects of actions we do toward certain types of people are intensified because of their s…

The word enlightenment is a translation of two Pali words that mean “awakened” and “freed from all fetters.” To become enlightened then means we wake to the true nature of reality, and we free our mi…

Many of the great religious leaders have asked us to practice non-retaliation, to turn the other cheek, and practice nonviolence. The Buddha explained that non-retaliation is not only important for t…

This episode is the last of a three part series on the ten nonvirtuous actions, and the focus is on actions of mind. Actions of mind you say! Yes, actions of mind do create karma. In fact, mental act…

When the Buddha explained the ten nonvirtuous actions to abandon, four are devoted to our speech. Our words are an incredibly powerful tool; they can build ourselves and others up. Or they can tear…

Buddha explained the Ten Nonvirtuous Actions as a way to guide our actions of body, speech, and mind. "Nonvirtuous" means that it brings suffering to us in the future by way of negative karmic result…

Where we place our thoughts is how we produce happiness, calm, and peace. The real trap we're all in is believing that we will be happy when_______. Think about how many times we've said this: "I'll …

There is a way to purify negative karma! Phew. Buddha taught the Four Powers of Purification. The first power is healthy regret. This type of regret stands in contrast to guilt. Healthy regrets teach…

When Buddha was accused of sexual relations with a young, beautiful woman named Sundari, and his followers were accused of murdering her, Buddha remained unphased. Buddha merely used it as an opportu…

Buddha asserted that all living beings have Buddha-nature, a consciousness that is the seed of enlightenment. No matter how deluded someone is at this moment, they have within them the potential to b…