Best Darren Littlejohn Podcasts (2024)

1
The Joy of Living: Don't Miss the Bliss 27:36

7M ago27:36

27:36

The Joy of Living: Don't Miss the Bliss The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 112 How do we connect with the joy of living, even when it's not so easy? Discussion of Dharma in recovery from addictions on this week's show. OK, we do that every week! THE FIVE POWERS Devotion Joyful Effort Mindfulness Concentration Wisdom From Restricted Text: Two Vene…

1
Humility as Medicine: How to Overcome Arrogance 24:51

7M ago24:51

24:51

Suffering as Compassion, Humility as Medicine: How to Overcome Arrogance The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 111 from Dodrupchen Jigme Tenpe Nyima, "Dropping the Attitude of Being Entirely Unwilling to Suffer Think about all the depression, anxiety and irritation we put ourselves through by always seeing suffering as unfavourable, something to be …

1
Appreciating the Now: How to Train Our Minds to Feel Better 17:05

8M ago17:05

17:05

It's well understood in the recovery community that an attitude of gratitude isa potent antidote to much of what ails us addicts in recovery. We all know how to make our gratitude lists. But how do Buddhists in Recovery use the Dharma (teachings) to further explore the medicine of true appreciation? Tune in, we'll get into it with a meditation so s…

1
Genghis Khan or Thich Nhat Hanh - How Do We Respond in Recovery? 17:12

8M ago17:12

17:12

The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 109 We're often told that what happens may be out of our control, but how we respond is up to us. That's easy for regulated people to say. For those who suffer with CPTSD and other problems due to ACEs have more work to do to get to the level where we can "pause when agitated," and not send that text or make tha…

1
Psychedelic Sobriety: Is the Use of Psychedelics a Relapse in Recovery? 23:57

8M ago23:57

23:57

What is the nature of our relationship to psychedelics? As people in recovery, we've probably abused them at one time or another. Some people have taken mass overdoses and lost total control. So why would anyone in recovery consider the use, medicinal or otherwise, of something that seems pretty risky? It's OK. You can and it'll be alright. Let's t…

1
Surrender to the Now: Get Grounded in Recovery 22:52

9M ago22:52

22:52

Surrender to the Now: Get Grounded in Recovery The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 107 The famous now is where we want to be. But wanting gets us nowhere. The root of suffering, said Buddha, is attachment. To free ourselves, we must cut it out at the root. The root lies in our very desire to be somewhere, anywhere, other than right here, right now…

1
Life on Life's Terms: Acceptance in Recovery 22:52

9M ago22:52

22:52

Life on Life's Terms: Acceptance in Recovery The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 106 "And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation – some face of my life – unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation …

1
How to Be a Flimsy Reed 20:28

9M ago20:28

20:28

"We sought escape with all the desperation of drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, a 'design for living' that really works." Working with "Life as it is, the only teacher." Rather than fight, our recovery program says that we cease fig…

1
Mindfully Manic; How to Keep Your Head as a Buddhist in Recovery 26:35

10M ago26:35

26:35

Mindfully Manic; How to Keep Your Head as a Buddhist in Recovery The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 104 Sutra of Golden Light: Chapter 6 on Emptiness conclusion Update on my journey. Ideas from listeners. open to your thoughts info@compassionaterecovery.us The condition of 24/7 fire alarm, my instructor mentioning that some moments of confusion, …

1
What is a Buddhist Higher Power and/or How Do Buddhists in Recovery Pray? 26:04

10M ago26:04

26:04

What is a Buddhist Higher Power and How Do Buddhists in Recovery Pray? The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 103 Sutra of Golden Light: Chapter 6 on Emptiness cont. Let's talk about the obstacles to prayer and hence, spiritual development. That's right, you heard me. We must learn how to pray, with intention, not just because the house is on fire. F…

1
Stabilizing Our Recovery with Dharma Practice 28:30

10M ago28:30

28:30

Stabilizing Our Recovery with Dharma Practice The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 102 Sutra of Golden Light: Chapter 6 on Emptiness Dharma has to help, otherwise it's of no value. For it to work, we study, hear words, see things and do practices. Dharma has to be abporped into our lives over time. Our ability to turn confusion into peace without f…

1
Addiction and Trauma: A Basis for the Practice of Recovery 24:01

11M ago24:01

24:01

Addiction and Trauma: A Basis for the Practice of Recovery The Dysregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation Series Pt. 6 The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 101 Review of this series so far. **Understanding ACEs:** - **Definition and Types:** Physical abuse, emotional scars, a home where chaos reigns. These are ACEs, wounds that shape us, ech…

1
ACES High - Mindful Heart: Mindfulness for Addicts with ACEs 20:47

11M ago20:47

20:47

The Dysregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation Series Pt. 5 The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 100 Part 5: Mindfulness for Addicts with ACEs The Impact of ACEs on the Brain and the Path to Addiction** **Introduction:** Remember our journey through the nervous system, the dance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic, the weight of allostati…

1
Calming the Fires - Allostatic Load, Window of Tolerance 20:47

12M ago20:47

20:47

Calming the Fire Alarms - Allostatic Load, Window of Tolerance The Dysregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation Series Pt. 4 The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 099 https://podcast.compassionaterecovery.us Part 4: Balance in the Nervous System -Allostatic Load, Window of Tolerance This is where we encounter something called 'allostatic load.'…

1
Balancing Our Nervous System - The CNS and Stress 20:47

12M ago20:47

20:47

Balancing Our Nervous System - The CNS and Stress The Disregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation Series Pt. 3 Happy First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma Day The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 098 Part 3: Balance in the Nervous System - The CNS and Stress can definitely say I wasn't not just struck by lightening the first turning the four n…

1
The Dance of the Nervous System - Sympathetic and Parasympathetic 18:54

1y ago18:54

18:54

The Disregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation Series Pt. 2 The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast Episode 097 Episode 2: The Dance of the Nervous System - Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Deep dive into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems Their roles in stress, relaxation, and recovery Practical ways to balance these systems for better…

1
The Dysregulated Addict: Finding Spiritual Regulation in Recovery Series Pt. 1 28:45

1y ago28:45

28:45

Do you get distressed easily in sobriety? You may have a disregulated nervous system. If so, it's important to not compare your insides with anyone else's outsides. In Compassionate Recovery: Mindful Healing for Trauma and Addictions, we gain an overview of what is happening in our brain and body when it comes to trauma, addiction and recovery. All…

1
Into the Fire; How to Transform Experience into Dharma 28:45

1y ago28:45

28:45

Everything is the path to enlightenment. The ground is everywhere. We can't step anywhere exept deeper into Teaching. More authentically into practice. As the smoke churned towards my face, plumes broiling hundreds of feet into the natural blue sky, my throat closed. Unable to inhale, vomiting on my knees, I looked up over my right shoulder to see …

1
Curbing the Dharma Ego 24:43

1y ago24:43

24:43

What is ego, and how does it affect our practice as Buddhists in Recovery? When we practice Dharma, are we taking refuge in our identity, apparently concrete and permanent sense of self, or are we working to let go, to discover our real nature, same as all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Three Times and the Ten Directions. No different. To understa…

1
Taking Refuge in Compassion 21:42

1y ago21:42

21:42

To empower ourselves into a trajectory beyond suffering we must clearly understand our condition. How to arrive at this understanding, and then integrate this real, non-artificial Buddha Superinteligence that is our real condition, as blind as most of us are to that. The teachings afford us opportunities to tap into, develop and maintain our true s…

1
Birth of the Birthless; Refuge and Bodhicitta in Daily Life pt. 3 33:19

1y ago33:19

33:19

Buddha's Birthday - Saka Dawa If you were born after the 70s, your ideas of Dharma are probably your grandmothers, or even great grandmothers. So this here what we do on the podcast, this ain'tcher granny's dharma, y'hear? Listen in and listen up as we break it down as to exactly what it means to be born into the birthless, just like Buddha.…

1
Compassion Breath; Refuge and Bodhicitta in Daily Life pt. 2 33:19

1y ago33:19

33:19

Speak to him, thou, for He heareth And spirit with spirit can meet. Closer is He than breathing. And nearer than hands and feet. -Tennyson As within, so without. Join us this week for a compassion meditation that is as close as you can possibly get to actual compassion. Apply this to recovery, as Dharma practitioners who are in recovery. I'm not an…

1
Recovery Flow State; Refuge and Bodhicitta in Daily Life 29:34

1y ago29:34

29:34

The notion of getting into a flow state, otherwise known as zen af, while maintaining our sobriety and living to our full potential. As Bodhisattvas on the path of recovery we can affect those around us with our own stable practice. To reach a calm state, and share gratitude, generosity and compassion with others from this place untouched by trauma…

1
Tantric Refuge in Recovery; Components of a Practice Session pt. 3 29:34

1y ago29:34

29:34

We've spent many sessions on refuge and bodhicitta, compassion. For this episode, let's get into something that I wrote about in Step 11 in The 12-Step Buddhist (Atria\Beyond Words 2018), in reference to the practice of Vajrasattva for purification. We'll cover the building blocks of practice, continuing w/ pt. 3, more on Dedication of Merits. New …

1
Grace: How to Accept the Blessings in Recovery; Components of a Practice Session pt. 2 29:53

1+ y ago29:53

29:53

Instead of putting ourselves in a position to be hurt, we place ourselves in a position to be blessed. What is Grace? We can discuss in a traditional sense the meaning of grace. How do we get out of the way and let the blessings fall on us? How does the notion of Grace integrate with our Dharma practice in recovery? Continuing with our discussion o…

1
How to Practice Dharma in Recovery: Components of a Practice Session pt. 1 25:26

1+ y ago25:26

25:26

We can apply our development of refuge and bodhicitta on the path of recovery. We use rituals that include motions, breathwork, sounds and visualizations. We can offer flowers and scents and all of our attachments to the Refuge Field. From this refuge field we practice with body, speech and mind to apply the rest of our practice session. All sessio…

1
How to Take Refuge in Recovery: Refuge in the Sangha 23:20

1+ y ago23:20

23:20

Who is our Sangha? Choose wisely. In this aspect of the path, we study and try to understand our effect on other beings and our energy. The Buddha has shown itself in the sufferings of infinite karmas, filling bottomless oceans of beings who suffer but have not met the Dharma. To protect our commitments, to develop and strengthen our commitment to …

1
How to Take Refuge in Recovery: Refuge in the Dharma 30:12

1+ y ago30:12

30:12

What is this Dharma that we are offered to take refuge in? Can it be defined? Continuing our discussion of what, and what not to take refuge in. Now that we have some sense of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths and basic principles, we'll add the Refuge Field, and all Dharmas in our next Object of Refuge: The Dharma. As always, we'll use the instruc…

1
How to Take Refuge in Recovery: Refuge in the Buddha cont. 27:01

1+ y ago27:01

27:01

This week we continue deepening our understanding of precisely what it means to us to take refuge, in the Buddha, in recovery. Last episode, we discussed the Four Kayas of a Buddha. This episode continues the discussion of Objects of Refuge, Refuge in the Buddha, The Five Wisdom aspects. Don't worry, we'll break it down simply, and do some practice…

1
How to Take Refuge in Recovery: Refuge in the Buddha 24:22

1+ y ago24:22

24:22

Work with refuge in our meditations with "objects" to take refuge in. We started the topic on a simple way. Now, we get into the weeds on refuge in this ongoing series. Drawing from a rare translation on Refuge and Bodhicitta by Patrul Rinpoche and having received many teachings on esoteric texts by this amazing master, I comment in terms of the ap…

1
How to Take Refuge in Recovery: Objects of Refuge 28:10

1+ y ago28:10

28:10

Two weeks of dental suffering brought my practice, and my sobriety, to the test. This week we take a deeper look at refuge and it's application to our lives as Buddhists in recovery. More personal sharing this week as I talk about managing pain, with an without an opiate at hand. This is how I dealt with it, in the context of refuge and bodhicitta …

1
How to Take Refuge in Recovery: Being Refuge 28:11

1+ y ago28:11

28:11

To understand what is meant by refuge in recovery, we must first understand and integrate some basic Buddhist principles. Intellectual understanding is not sufficient, but we gotta start somewhere. We discuss the meaning of refuge in Buddhism. It There are many lineages and views to consider! It depends on what the Tibetans call Thowa, or the view …

1
Easy Does It Dharma; Practices of a Bodhisattva #37 ccl. 24:31

1+ y ago24:31

24:31

If you've ever been to a 12-step meeting, you've probably seen the famous sign, "Easy Does It". Some who've clawed our way out of hell to scratch a morsel of serenity have done so out of sheer force, which can beg the question of how to go easy, when everything has always been hard? Others w/ACEs in recovery may react w/passivity, thus reinforcing …

1
Shamanic Meditation From Peru w/Charo; Practices of a Bodhisattva #36 23:50

1+ y ago23:50

23:50

Direct from Peru, Charo Verastegui (María del Rosario Verástegui Schmitt), a fellow practitioner of the Chod, as well as indigenous spiritual practices. See past and future books and episodes for more on Chod as the best tool available to cut the root of attachment, which is the root of addiction. Continuing with Practices of a Bodhisattva, #36. Th…

1
Is Suffering Really Optional?; Practices of a Bodhisattva #35 25:17

1+ y ago25:17

25:17

Addicts are seekers. What do we seek? Transcendence. The mystical. The sacred. Why do we seek the type of experiences that are outside what we call ordinary consciousness? Rather than look for answers out of pure scientific curiosity, we're more likely seeking a way out of suffering, albeit in addictive ways. Yet, when we turn to twelve step progra…

1
What We Resist Persists-Resistance is Futile; Practices of a Bodhisattva #34 24:02

1+ y ago24:02

24:02

As addicts in any form of Buddhist Recovery, Dharma Recovery, Refuge Recovery, we try to focus on mindful, compassionate presence in the four moments that Buddha described. Yet, when we have ACEs and are in working with Trauma and Recovery, our resistance seems to persists despite our best efforts. Or is it because of them? Learn how to apply the B…

1
Release Your Anger; Practices of a Bodhisattva #33 22:49

1+ y ago22:49

22:49

We can pretend that we're not angry, but it will make us feel less in control. How does anger affect us in our recovery? We're told in 12-Step meetings that anger is a dubious luxury for "normal" people. Yet it continues to arise and cause problems no matter how long we're sober. How can we deal with the root our anger as Buddhists in recovery to f…

1
How to Give the Gift of Presence; Practices of a Bodhisattva #32 26:46

1+ y ago26:46

26:46

What is the best thing that we can gift each other? Our mindful, compassionate presence. We discuss the mahayana *(greater) path of dharma, as it applies to recovery from addictions, at any stage. To overcome the root of our addiction, we utilize brain science, trauma psychology and Buddhist practice. In this episode, we will learn and do a practic…

1
Being Present w/Loss and Grief; Practices of a Bodhisattva #31 23:31

1+ y ago23:31

23:31

Being present with loss and grief. while loss is universal, the experience of grief is individual. it cannot be compared to previous experiences, or those of other people. once we own our own process, grief and loss become part of the path. easier said than done, but this is the path of bodhisattvas, yogis and Buddhists in recovery. Continuing w th…

1
25 YEARS SOBER, When the Present is the Past; Practices of a Bodhisattva #30 25:38

1+ y ago25:38

25:38

celebrating 25 years of sobriety 12-4-97 how the past influences our perception and therefore experience of this infamous now. the holy now. the nowness of now. but is what we think is the now really the present moment, or a pervasive, consistent layer of trauma from the past? Continuing w the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, #30 The 12-Step Buddhist…

1
Insight into What?, Practices of a Bodhisattva #29 22:24

1+ y ago22:24

22:24

So called insight meditation practices are perhaps the most widely diffused in the west, in terms of what people think of as buddhism. today we'll expand our view and understand something of value when it comes to the nature and meaning of the next level of dharma teaching as it pertains to concentration, insight into our recovery and ourselves as …

1
Emotional Surrender: How to Be Non-Toxic; Practices of a Bodhisattva #28 24:15

1+ y ago24:15

24:15

Emotional Surrender: How to Be Non-Toxic. Addicts are very sensitive, empathic, highly emotional creatures. The inability to be comfortable in our own skin creates suffering that contributes to our addiction and other dysfunction. How does Dharma deal with toxic emotions and people? Continuing w the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, #28. Readings from…

1
Wait for It... Patience Never Comes; Practices of a Bodhisattva #27 24:29

1+ y ago24:29

24:29

Teachings ask us to practice the perfection or paramita of patience. But as any good addict knows, it's never fast enough for us. We operate on our own time, often expecting the world to warp its perceptions to match ours. Yet, our impatience causes stress, can trigger us out of our Window of Tolerance into Allostatic Overload, leaving us in a stat…

1
The Horny Buddhist: Sex and the Dharma; Practices of a Bodhisattva #26 23:12

1+ y ago23:12

23:12

How does a Buddhist deal with the sex drive, sex roles, morays, expectations, taboos in the dharma, and the dharma of recovery? What role does trauma, particularly sexual trauma, play in our choices, drives as Buddhists in recovery? Why do we repeat the same roles and characters, leaving train wreck after catastrophe in our wake? Continuing w the 3…

1
Making Buddhist Amends; Practices of a Bodhisattva #25 21:21

1+ y ago21:21

21:21

How does a Buddha make amends? In 12-Step, we learn the necessity not of insincere apology, but absolute willingness to right the wrongs we've done. Given that we've accumulated infinite negative karmas in our Realm of Desire, just how long do you think your Buddhist amends list would be... Continuing w the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, #25. Readi…

1
Sacred Space; Practices of a Bodhisattva #24 23:08

1+ y ago23:08

23:08

If being is one thing and space is another, we suffer. In being space, we create a split between samsara and nirvana. From the beginning of beginningless time, when we separate subject and object, we create infinite causes for suffering. To see space seeing its nothingness, with no reference point or subject that percieves an object...this is the v…

1
Effortless Meditation with Guest Instructor Igor Berkhin 45:30

2y ago45:30

45:30

Join me for a special guest meditation. On this episode, we practice together with an excellent instructor in the Dzogchen space. The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast - Episode 066 Igor Berkhin is a long-term meditation practitioner, a Buddhist translator, and a teacher authorized by a prominent Dzogchen master Chogyal Namkhai Norbu. One of his projects is…

1
How Deep is The Dharma?; Practices of a Bodhisattva #23 25:19

2y ago25:19

25:19

Do you want to be free of suffering? Training on the path of compassion will ultimately free us from all attachments, if we commit and take a long-term view. Continuing w the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, #23. Readings from Longchenpa. The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast - Episode 065 Want to opine? Leave a message on The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast hotline…

1
Free Yourself; Practices of a Bodhisattva #22 25:37

2y ago25:37

25:37

In Twelve step programs, we're taught that we must free ourselves from the "bondage of self." What does this mean for us as Buddhists in recovery? How can we apply the teachings to free ourselves? It's up to us. Liberation is in the palm of our hands. The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast - Episode 064 Want to opine? Leave a message on The 12-Step Buddhist …

1
McMindfulness w/Cheese, Please; Practices of a Bodhisattva #21 29:32

2y ago29:32

29:32

Is Mindfulness being co-opted more by corporations, or our egos? McMindfulness in the context of meaningful recovery that includes training in self-compassion and compassion for others. The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast - Episode 063 Want to opine? Leave a message on The 12-Step Buddhist Podcast hotline. Opine on the hotline. (505) 219-1509 Continuing w…

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