Daylen Heidt, of Houston, grew up labeled as a “bad kid.” Everything changed when they started practicing Buddhism just over a year ago. Buddhism teaches that we’re the protagonists of our lives and have the power to write, perform and direct our dream script. Today, Daylen shares their journey from being directionless and hopeless to living with courage and purpose.    Reference: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, pp. 165–66   Cheat Sheet: 06:40 Daylen...

When Ashley Park didn’t get into her first choice colleges, she was stuck in New York City balancing a jam-packed schedule. Buddhism teaches that everything moves in the direction of our happiness when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.    With that in mind, Ashley knew there must be a reason and used her Buddhist practice to discover it. Today, we discuss how winning in every area of your life leads to your ultimate growth and happiness.    References: Discussions on Youth Aug. 14, 1998, World...

Buddhism teaches us that our lives are precious just as they are. This can be hard to believe if we struggle with self-criticism and strive for flawlessness. Fortunately, each time we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we tap into our limitless wisdom, courage, and compassion and challenge our inner critic head-on.   Today, Clark Harrell, of Seattle, Washington, shares how fighting perfectionism helped him enjoy his Buddhist practice, musical pursuits and everyday life.    References:  Discussions on...

Buddhability Shorts is a series where we break down a Buddhist concept or common life challenge we’ve touched on in an interview. Today, we’re talking about navigating life after graduation and finding your unique path.   To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected] Episodes Referenced:Josef: "Finding Your Purpose in College"Louise: "Building a Career You Love"Luca: "What you do isn't who you are" References:Discussions on Youth, pp. 71-73, 26 

It can be hard to embrace ourselves when society often makes us feel otherwise. In this episode, we’re talking about how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo empowers us to appreciate and treasure every part of who we are. Today’s guest, Joshua Thomas, of Portland, Oregon, shares how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped him to live authentically, love his life and encourage others to do the same. References:The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. 207.The Wisdom for...

Daily life can feel like a roller coaster where we’re tossed around by the ups and downs of our health, school, family relationships and so on. Through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, we can strengthen our life force and become people unswayed by our circumstances.   Today’s guest, Koda Jordet, of Fargo, North Dakota, shares how prioritizing his Buddhist practice, mental health and addiction recovery, helped him develop indestructible happiness.   References: “Happiness in This World,” The...

Buddhability Shorts is a series where we break down a Buddhist concept that we’ve touched on in an interview. Today, we’re talking about how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo brings out the characteristics needed to make authentic relationships that last.   To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected]   References: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 3, revised edition, pp. 106–07. Discussions on Youth, pp. 39–40, 117–18,...

It’s natural to want to look away from the inevitable reality of death but Buddhism teaches that death is an alternate phase of life and makes up a larger universal cycle. To understand death is to deepen our understanding of and appreciation for life.   Today’s guest, John Plummer, of Cold Spring, NY, shares how facing his fear of loss improved his relationships and deepened his work as a film and TV writer.    References: The New Human Revolution, vol. 24, pp. 177–78 A Piece of Mirror and...

Buddhability Shorts is a monthly series where we break down a Buddhist concept that we’ve touched on in an interview. This month, we’re talking about how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo elevates the inner state of life and brings forth the life force we need to accomplish our goals.   To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected]   References: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. 35. Discussions on Youth, p....

Experts say the U.S. is dealing with a serious “loneliness epidemic” as adults feel more isolated and alone than ever. How can Buddhism help us break out of our shell and find meaningful connection with others?   Today’s guest, Apoorvee Sawhney, of Denver, shares how studying Buddhism and chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped her to overcome self-pity in order to graduate a Ph.D. program and start a career in academia.   References: “On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime,” The Writings of...

Our daily lives can be challenging and we might be asking ourselves, “Is there anything more to life than sleeping, eating and going to a job I don’t like?” If you’re feeling burnt out, you’re not alone. But Buddhist practice can refresh us and help us lead fulfilling lives. Today’s guest, Kyle Maharlika-Roper, of Miami, shares how he went from burnt out in an unfulfilling job to finally pursuing his childhood dream of art.   References: The New Human Revolution, vol. 16. The Wisdom for...

Do you ever feel like you’re not making any progress even though you’ve been trying to reach a goal for what feels like forever? Today’s guest, Hannah Doherty, of Los Angeles, shares how she broke through self-doubt and stagnation to find a job in her dream field, foster friendships and reach new heights as a dancer. References: The Light of Learning, p. 130. July 11, 1997, World Tribune, p. 14.

Buddhability Shorts is a monthly series where we break down a Buddhist concept that we’ve touched on in an interview. This month, we’re talking about how Buddhist practice helps us to value our unique qualities and lead a purposeful life.   To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected]   References: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, p. 335. The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, pp....

Buddhism helps us to build a solid inner life that isn’t swayed by our circumstances. That strength is the key to having the confidence needed to take action toward our dreams.   Today’s guest, Christopher Robin Donaldson, of Denver, Colorado, shares how he went from passively waiting for his dreams to becoming a father, professional actor, husband, college graduate and homeowner.   References: The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 794 Soar Into the Skys of Hope, p. 70Faith Into...

It’s natural to have doubt. The key, however, is whether we use our questions as fuel to seek out answers. Confidence in the power of Buddhist practices grows with time as you see actual proof of change in your life. Today’s guest, Devesh Kumar, a medical student in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shares how he tested Buddhism to see whether her could really make his impossible dreams a reality. References:Jan. 2, 1998, World Tribune, p. 11Hope Is a Decision, p. 5The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and...

Whether we like it or not, we don’t exist in isolation. The interconnection of life means that when we change, our environment changes as well.    Today’s guest, Heidi Hayashi, of Stratford, Conn., shares how finding the courage to live true to herself improved and deepened her family relationships.   References: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition p. 270 Buddhism Day by Day: Wisdom for Modern Life, p. 315 The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 4, p. 20 Unlocking...

Buddhability Shorts are monthly episodes where we break down a Buddhist concept that we’ve touched on in an interview. This month, we’re talking about why Buddhist practice is neither simple altruism nor is it focused solely on ourselves.   To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at [email protected]. References: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, pp. 239–241 The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 2, revised edition, pp....

This week we’re talking about dreams. How do we dream? How do we find purpose in our dreams? And if we have a clear dream, how we pursue it.   We’re speaking with two young Buddhists: one who learned how to open her life up to new possibilities and another who discovered deeper meaning in his dreams. Samantha Collins of St. Paul, Minnesota and Grady Tesch of New York City share how they discovered and followed their dreams.   References:  The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 835 The...

As we head into the final stretch of the year, we bring you the voices of several Buddhability listeners sharing appreciation for someone in their life.   References mentioned: The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, pp. 66-68

Believing that we each possess limitless wisdom, courage and compassion—what we call Buddhability—can be a daily battle. Many of us impose limitations on ourselves, believing that we’re not capable of accomplishing our dreams and becoming happy.   Today’s guest, Daniel Sun, of Boston, shares how he used Buddhism to overcome his limiting beliefs and become an accomplished Harvard scientist and scholar. We discuss the key role chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and studying Buddhism played in his...

Struggles are an unavoidable part of life. While it may seem counterintuitive to view them as opportunities, Buddhism teaches that we can use each problem in our life as fuel for our happiness. Today we’re discussing how overcoming challenges builds an unshakable and undefeated self. Today’s guest, Sasha Lee, and influencer and TV personality in Hawaii, shares how she started to see that obstacles were opportunities for her growth and the powerful role a friend’s encouragement can...

We’re creating a special episode about gratitude with stories from listeners.   To submit, send a voice memo of no more than 1 minute to [email protected] sharing a quick story about someone you appreciate. It can be a small interaction with a stranger on the bus to a family member who’s been with you all your life. We want to showcase the variety of ways one person can make an impact. So, there’s no moment to share that is too big or too small. No need to share names in your voice memo—you...

Today we share the news of Buddhist philosopher and Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda’s passing and the impacts of his life and work.

Fear and anger can be overpowering. Especially when they’re grounded in past and deeply personal experience. While our fears may feel justified they can also hold us back from accomplishing our goals and living a happy life. Today we’re talking about how to uproot those tendencies in our lives and transform them for our happiness. Today’s guest, Krithi Byadgi, of San Francisco, shares how she used her Buddhist practice to transform her deep anger and fear into the courage and joy needed to...