Ordinary Mind Meditation Podcast

In this episode I share a lesson and guided meditation I did on the Meditation and Mindfulness Discord Server (https://discord.gg/Fpz9Wu) on the practice of Listening Meditation. The practice of Mindful Listening has infinite depths and layers, but to start with, one must simply learn to rest the attention on the faculty of hearing, without entertaining perceptions and building conceptions on top of them, getting carried away in thought as we usually do. Chan Master Sheng Yen put it this...

In this episode I share a lesson I gave on the Meditation and Mindfulness Discord Server (https://discord.gg/Fpz9Wu) on the topic of Not Self. It's quite usual to hear Buddhist teachers speak of "No Self", but as I describe in detail, this is nothing but teaching nihilism disguised as Buddhism. Nowhere did the Buddha say that there is No self. He simply stated very clearly that what we usually take to be the self, our "egoic" self, is nowhere to be found, and is unfit to be considered a...

The practice of Mindfulness of the Buddha (Chinese - Nianfo), which is most commonly practiced by reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, is by far the most popular form of Buddhist practice in the world, although not quite yet in the west. About this most universal and direct method of cultivation, Master Hsuan Hua said: "With Zen and Pure Land, one is like a tiger with horns, A teacher of humans in this life, a Patriarch or Buddha in the next. With Zen but not Pure Land, nine out of ten go...

Daniel Scharpenburg has said about himself, "Most Buddhist Teachers probably look at me the same way as Vampires look at Count Chokula." I find this very telling, as his humility and lightness of spirit are evident in his approach. In this conversation you'll hear me getting to know Daniel, and we discuss such topics as Studying Buddhism online and the day to day practice of a modern-day Buddhist teacher. To learn more about Daniel, go to https://danielscharpenburg.com, or listen to his...

Avshalom Ariel is a composer, producer, guitarist and all-around creative force. Most importantly he's a dear friend of mine of many years. Most recently he's been known as the producer of Netta Barzilai, the 2018 Eurovision Contest Winner. He's truly and magnificently weird, and if you try to understand what genre he fits into, you'll at best end up wasting your time completely, and at worst may end up in a strait jacket. We talked about his hatred of meditation, his discovery that he's...

Short but sweet, Buddhist Bits is presented to you by Bodhi&Bass. Bite sized tips for applying mindfulness in everyday life. This time: Compassion. Although this saccharine sounding word has by now been reduced to a stereotype of weakness and naivety, in fact it is quite the opposite. True compassion is simply the understanding that, save for pathology, people act for one reason only: happiness. And yet, all too often we take the wrong route on the way there, and end up causing suffering...

Short but sweet, Buddhist Bits is presented to you by Bodhi&Bass. Bite sized tips for applying mindfulness in everyday life. This time: Blame. We can easily find ourselves feeling indignant, righteous or even angry when we see any type of wrong being committed. We usually transfer the blame onto someone and feel they should pay a price, This is the pervading sentiment behind what our society calls "justice". But what if what's actually going on is us justifying our emotional reactions? In...

Short but sweet, Buddhist Bits is presented to you by Bodhi&Bass. Bite-sized tips for applying mindfulness in everyday life. This time we answer the question, "how should we deal with boredom?" In today's world we dread feeling boredom. In fact, most of our entertainment is designed to feed this fear of boredom. But if we get down to it, what exactly is boredom? Why do we experience it, and how can we transform the dissatisfaction and aversion we feel as a result of it? In the Ahara Sutra,...

I'm often asked about the beads that I wear around my wrist or neck, and so I thought I'd share this as a Buddhist Bit. They have many functions, but most basically, this is the original "fidget spinner". Actually, they can be oh-so much more than that. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link: bodhibass.com/support Don’t forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Join our community on FB:...

The Three Poisons (or Roots) that form the basis for all that is unwholesome, that which propels us through life with so much discomfort and suffering, are rendered in English as Attachment, Aversion and Ignorance, or as Greed, Hatred and Delusion. In this Buddhist Bit, I offer three antidotes for dealing with the poisons. These little reminders can be brought to mind with three deep breaths, wherever you might be, and can aid greatly in relieving the grasping, clenched feeling that plagues...

Restlessness is one of the most difficult hindrances to deal with in meditation as in daily life. Here are two short tips for dealing with it, the first from Chan Master HsuYun and the second from Vajrayana Master Thrangu Rinpoche. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link: bodhibass.com/support Don’t forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Join our community on FB: www.facebook.com/BodhiBass Subscribe and review...

This time, The Three Renunciations: a method for applying the practice of renunciation into our everyday lives and thereby transforming anger, greed and ignorance into the qualities of an awakened life. This practice was thought up by the Buddhist teacher Phillip Moffitt. Visit his website @dharmawisdom.org/ If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link: bodhibass.com/support Don’t forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your...

The Six ‘R’s is an incredibly simple and powerful technique for reestablishing mindfulness whenever and wherever the attention wanders off. This technique is an innovation of Bhante U Vimalarami. Visit his website @www.dhammasukha.org If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link: bodhibass.com/support Don’t forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Join our community on FB: www.facebook.com/BodhiBass Subscribe and...

A brief and powerful practice to bring mindfulness into your daily activities. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link: bodhibass.com/support Don’t forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Join our community on FB: www.facebook.com/BodhiBass Subscribe and review on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-mind-meditation-podcast/id1433677569?mt=2 Subscribe and review on Spotify:...

In the final session of our Birdseye View series, we get down to the question of Enlightenment. We explore the different ideas that exist about it, and look at different aspects of enlightenment and awakening experiences. We practice a version of Silent Illumination, a technique through which we provide the space for an insight into the nature of Mind to take place. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link: bodhibass.com/support Don’t forget to subscribe and...

The practice of Mindfulness of the Buddha (Chinese - Nianfo), which is most commonly practiced by reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, is by far the most popular form of Buddhist practice in the world, although not quite yet in the west. Of this easy and direct Dharma Door, Master Hsuan Hua said: "With Zen and Pure Land, one is like a tiger with horns, A teacher of humans in this life, a Patriarch or Buddha in the next. With Zen but not Pure Land, nine out of ten go astray. With Pure Land...

In Session VI of our Birdseye View of the Buddhist Path series, we dive into the often murky waters of emptiness. We explore how this often misinterpreted concept is actually the stepping stone to understanding and balancing the Absolute and the Relative in our lives. We practice a general self-enquiry technique, a first step in the direction of discovering the most basic existential truth: Who Am I? If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us at this link:...

The Three Poisons (or Roots) that form the basis for all that is unwholesome, that which propels us through life with suffering, are rendered in English as Attachment, Aversion and Ignorance, or as Greed, Hatred and Delusion. In this Buddhist Bit, I offer three antidotes for dealing with the poisons. These little reminders can be brought to mind with three deep breaths, wherever you might be, and can aid greatly in relieving the grasping, clenched feeling that plagues us so often. In The...

Session five of the Birdseye View Series demystifies and brings clarity to the topic of Karma in Buddhist thought. Don’t worry, you’re probably not about to turn into a bug because of that mosquito you swatted yesterday. After understanding what Karma is, we practice looking into causes and effects on the level of the body and mind in every moment. We learn to let go of conditioning and to plant positive seeds in the garden of the mind for peace and contentment in every moment. If you enjoy...

In the fourth session of the Birdseye View of the Buddhist Path Series, we dive into a topic which serves as the bedrock of the spiritual path. Although easily mistaken for a Victorian guilt trip, virtue and renunciation are actually the causes for great joy and can serve as a compass in times of confusion or doubt. We practice “The Primary Practice” – a type of body scan meditation that also includes all of the five physical senses and then gradually opens the heart to the totality of...