In Buddhism the root of karmic action is in sankharas, a word with many uses in the dharma. As we practice, we can see the sankharas taking shape and then realize we have choices. But even the choices are related to other sankharas and the "wow' of this mind. Jon and Doug discuss them and how we can view their role in our lives.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Two days after the US Election, Doug and Jon discuss how they are handling the results. They also discuss how our practice can support us as we look to the future political landscape in the US and the world.Jon offered this poem by Rilke as a support:Let This Darkness be a Belltower Rainer Maria RilkeQuiet friend who has come so far,feel how your breathing makes more space around you.Let this darkness be a bell towerand you the bell. As you ring,what batters you becomes your strength.Mov...

Feeling tone, the pleasure or pain we take in experience, is a central part of dharma. As an aggregate, a foundation of mindfulness, a link in the chain of dependent origination, appreciating, understanding, and directly experiencing Vedana is a key to experiencing freedom.Jon and Doug have a lively discussion on this topic.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Doug and Jon continue to explore the Five Aggregates of Clinging (to self) and this week explore Form. How do we cling to form and at what point, does this clinging become suffering? Are doesn't it?Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Jon and Doug discuss perception and how it's mediated by past experience and the stories we tell. How does it become misperception? How can we work with our perception to live more skillfully and fully?*this quote is attributed to the Roman poet Phaedrus but it is often used by various Zen teachersSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

How does our concept of ourselves and others create suffering? What would it be like to soften this "conceit of self". Understanding and seeing through this conceit, is the last of the higher fetters, which needs to the released before awakening. Jon and Doug discuss how this comes up in practice.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

The Buddhist attitude of "nibbidā" or "disenchantment"/"disgust" is central to the early teaching. What is it and how can it help us navigate our lives? Jon and Doug discuss.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Doug and Jon discuss what forgiveness means in the contact of Buddhism. Is it Buddhist? It's a powerful and important practice but it doesn't seem to appear anywhere in the teachings.Information on the Class offered by Jon:Watering the Seeds of ForgivenessSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Doug has Covid, Jon has a bad microphone, but they're chatting about the Buddha and voting anyway, as well as Buddhist practice and voting. What does 2024 bring for us in the voting booth, and how should we frame our political choices?To register to vote, and check voter registration in the US:https://vote.gov/Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

A recent podcast series at the Financial Times discussed serious problems several meditators have had at one popular ten-day Vipassana retreat system. Jon and Doug discuss this and some important work by Brown psychology professor Dr. Willoughby Britton.Links:The Retreat — an investigative podcast into the perils of meditation [Financial Times] -- https://www.ft.com/content/b3ec8e57-5cf9-4f96-9267-56c3bcd9c102The Hidden Risks of Meditation — Dr. Willoughby Britton | The Tim Ferriss Show — htt...

With Jon's impending move to Chicago Jon and Doug discuss the beneficial practice of renunciation. What do we really need?Video: George Carlin talks about "stuff" -- https://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLacSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Silence is so important to Buddhist practice. Jon and Doug discuss how silence impacts practice as well as some of the early tradition around silence.Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

How do we bring our Buddhist practice into our relationship with the arts and entertainment? The early Buddhist teachings, in particular, seem to look askance at this area of life. Doug and Jon discuss this interesting topic and how they integrate practice into their own interests in the arts.Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

The Bodhisattva ideal really blossomed in the Mahayana traditions but the idea of the Bodhisattva was certainly present in the earlier traditions. Perhaps not in name but certainly in expression. When the Buddha spoke about himself before his Enlightenment, he referred to himself as a Bodhisattva. And, of course, the fact that he taught for 40 years after his Awakening points to his desire to awaken all beings. But how is the ideal expressed in us? Two papers:Bhi...

Stream-entry, once returning, non-returning, and arahantship are the traditional four stages of progress along the Buddhist path. What do they mean? Are they historical? Are they necessary for us to know about? Jon and Doug dive into this topic, which always raises questions about the value and the pitfalls.Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

The Buddha described humanity as tangled like string, knotted like a ball of thread. This tangle is a result of not seeing clearly the dependent co-arising— paticca-samupadda-- of phenomena. This is one of the most important of the early teachings. It can be seen through the lens of individual dissatisfaction and of course, through social, political and cultural dissatisfaction. Doug and Jon explore the teaching and how we bring it into our practice. Dhivan Thom...

Equanimity- Upekkha has an important place in many of the key Buddhist teachings. It's the fourth of the Divine Abodes, the seventh Factor of Awakening, the last step of the 16 Step teaching in the Mindfulness of Breathing and in the 10th of the Parami- the Perfections of the Heart. Doug and Jon discuss the various facets of this important quality.Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

How can we work with our thirst for clinging and identification that seems unquenchable? We will discuss various aspect of letting go related to desire and thirst.Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

We can't let go of letting go so we continue discussion from the prior episode.Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

What is Insight (Vipassana) practice? Doug and Jon discuss its origins and how it orients our approach to the dharma. They also discuss some exciting potential developments with livestreaming the podcast.Book:Erik Braun, The Birth of InsightOur new YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8HnYof8CejuOkLsr86EjRQSupport the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Right Livelihood is one of the factors of the Buddha's Eightfold Noble Path. Of course, times have changed in the last 2500 years, so what does this mean today? Doug and Jon look at the teaching and do some head-scratching over certain parts of it.Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

The refrain in the teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness refers to contemplating internally, externally, and internally and externally. Jon and Doug talk about how they receive that part of the teaching, which doesn't appear in any obvious way in other suttas but is actually a very important part of mindfulness. Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

What is free will? Do we have free will? What does it mean to be free, and what does this have to do with our ethical and karmic responsibility?Support the Show.Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/

Truthfulness is one of the Paramis or perfections of the heart.  In this episode we  dig into what it means to not only be factually true but how the truth finds expression in appropriate ways-- both in our external and internal speech. Support the Show. Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/