The reality is, we’re already enlightened. It’s only as we face obstacles, stress and our own messiness that we start to forget it. This is a show about how to believe in yourself again, told by a community of Buddhists doing it everyday, and changing the world along the way. Hosted by Cassidy Bradford, each week you’ll hear an honest conversation about real life and how to tap into your Buddhability. From relationships and dream jobs to lessons from psychology and activism, subscribe to Bud ...
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A family rift. Debt. Finding a career you love. Heartbreak. Tap into 3,000 years of Buddhist wisdom to find real solutions to life’s problems. Journalist Jihii Jolly explores her own Nichiren Buddhist community through the lives of everyday people—mechanics, CEOs, mothers, artists—who are applying the teachings of Buddhism to win over their most aggravating problems. Jihii has written for The New York Times and The Atlantic, and is a member of the Buddhist community Soka Gakkai International ...
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Rejection Helped Me Become a Published Researcher at 18
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Nikita Agrawal, a recent high school graduate from Chicago, was determined to use her research to contribute to the world. Being the first author of an academic journal article is difficult but submitting it while you’re applying for colleges and finishing your senior year is even harder. In today’s episode, Nikita shares how chanting Nam-myoho-ren…
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Why You Started Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
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There are limitless reasons why someone might try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo! For some, it’s an easy leap. For others, it might feel a bit intimidating. That’s why we’re bringing you the voices of several Buddhability listeners sharing why they started to chant. Helpful Resources for Chanting: How to Start Your Buddhist Practice Learn How to Chan…
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Vishvak Prakkruth encountered Buddhism in Mumbai when he was an aspiring filmmaker. As he moved to New York and Los Angeles to further his career, he found deeper meaning in his art and shifted his perspective on success. In today’s episode, we talk about how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and studying Buddhist philosophy have helped him find meaning…
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How Loss Deepened My Appreciation for Life
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Alexandria Jones, of San Diego, grew up with many examples of the power of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. It wasn’t until becoming a young adult that she decided to test it for herself. In today’s episode, Alexandria shares how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped her to develop limitless strength and courage. Two things she would need when faced wit…
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Announcement: Tell us why you started chanting!
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We’re making a listener episode with your stories about starting your Buddhist practice! You can submit a voice message telling us, in a minute or less, why you started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Ways to submit your voice message: 1. Instagram: Send a voice message to our DMs @Buddhability 2. Voicemail: Call us at (646) 883-6381 and leave a mess…
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Valuing My Life: Making My Childhood Self Proud
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An 8-year-old Kimberly Cadillo struggled to find her place in a new culture, language and country. Moving from Peru to New Jersey brought many challenges, especially with self-esteem. Today we’re talking about how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped Kimberly develop unshakable self-worth no longer tied to external validation. As she says, though th…
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Buddhability Short: Cultivating wisdom in an age of misinformation
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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 the Buddhist perspective on wisdom and what it means to use knowledge with wisdom. To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at connect@buddhability.org References: My De…
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Buddhability Short: How to make the most of your time
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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 how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can help us maximize every moment and use our time wisely. To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at connect@buddhability.org Episodes…
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Buddhability Short: Looking at yourself with fresh eyes
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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 the principle of the cherry, plum, peach and damson blossoms. To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at connect@buddhability.org Episodes Mentioned: Daniel: Breaking F…
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The Strength to Challenge Every Limitation
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Keiko Brunson, of Denver, entered the world with a bang and continued to challenge every perceived limitation placed on her. Today she shares how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo gave her the confidence to live authentically and with deep gratitude for those who support her. References: “Letter to Niike,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p.1…
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It isn’t always easy to believe you can make a change. Immaculate Mutebi, of New York City, has challenged that disbelief many times. In today’s episode, we discuss how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo helped her use obstacles in her family, workplace and housing to deepen her conviction in the power of her life. References: On Attaining Buddhahood in …
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How Connecting with People Enhanced My Self-Care
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Cam Morose, a Boston school psychologist, found Buddhism at a crucial time. He was struggling with anxiety that felt impossible to challenge. In today’s episode, Cam shares how Buddhism gave him the roadmap and energy to connect with others, challenge his inner critic and find deeper happiness. References: July, 2019, Living Buddhism, pp.56–57 “The…
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Buddhability Short: How to find your power in a chaotic world
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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 how Buddhist practice empowers us to move the world in a positive direction. To ask a question about the basics of Buddhism, you can email us at connect@buddhability.org Episodes Referenced: Ab…
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Finding Purpose in My First Year of Buddhist Practice
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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 c…
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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…
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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, Washing…
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Buddhability Short: Uncertainty after graduation
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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 connect@buddhability.org Episodes Referenced: Josef: "Finding …
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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 l…
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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 Buddhi…
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Buddhability Short: Making meaningful friendships
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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 connect@buddhability.org Refere…
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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 …
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Buddhability Short: How to increase your life force
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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 c…
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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 …
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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 bur…
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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 Learni…
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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 connect@sgi-usa.org References: The Wisdom …
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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, …
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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…
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How Living True to Myself Improved My Relationships
49:22
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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 Pe…
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Buddhability Short: Caring for ourselves and others
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13:51
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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 connect@sgi-usa.org References: The Wisdom …
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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 …
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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. 66-68By SGI-USA
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Breaking Free from Self-Imposed Limitations
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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 b…
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How Sasha Lee Learned to View Her Problems as Opportunities
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42:18
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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 Ha…
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Listener Episode: Send us your stories on gratitude!
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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 connect@sgi-usa.org 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 …
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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.By SGI-USA
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How I Stopped Letting Anger and Fear Control Me
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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, Kr…
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Honoring My Parents by Fighting for My Dreams
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Amid a painful reality that can’t be changed, like a family member’s terminal disease, how can we still create hope? Today we’re discussing how tapping into our Buddhability—the limitless wisdom, courage, and compassion we each possess—can help us transform our attitude, create a beautiful life, and accomplish our dreams amid a difficult reality. O…
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Today, we have for you the season finale of Buddhability Season 1, and we’re so excited to share some big updates about the show. We’ve just passed the three-year anniversary of launching Buddhability, and with it, a huge milestone, surpassing 1 million podcast downloads, and well over 100 episodes. Thank you for your support and dedication to shar…
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Today, October 2nd, marks the three year anniversary since our launch! We are also celebrating a milestone- hitting 1 million downloads! To commemorate this, we're going to be closing out with an exciting season finale next week. Stay tuned.By SGI-USA
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How do I deal with the stress of living with chronic pain?
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Here's today's question: How can Buddhism help me with this stress caused by chronic physical pain? How can I be happy living with chronic illness? Buddhism teaches that falling to illness is not a form of failure or defeat. In fact illness can be an inspiration to bring out our best, most resilient selves. References: https://www.worldtribune.org/…
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Do I have to believe in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for it to work?
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Here’s today’s question: Do I have to believe in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for it to work? This is a question nearly every person who starts to chant has in the back of their mind. Unless spirituality or a chanting-like practice has already been part of your life for a while, it can feel very new and hard to believe in. We want to approach this …
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Here's today's question: How can I set healthy boundaries that honor myself and others? One listener asked: “How can Buddhism help me and my family with setting boundaries? Setting boundaries at work seems easier than with family stuff.” Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo about our situation ensures that we make our decisions based on wisdom, courage and…
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What does Buddhism say about dealing with grief?
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Here’s today’s question: What does Buddhism say about dealing with grief? Grief is something we all experience at some point in life. One listener asked, “I've recently had a few folks die and I am trying to give myself space to have this new emotional experience but also be strong, move forward, help others and be happy. What should I do?” Another…
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Can I be angry when I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo?
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Here’s today's question, ”Can I be angry when I chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo?” It’s actually a combination of a few questions we received. One person asked, “Some days I feel powerful and determined. Some days I feel sad and cry. But lately, I've been furious and angry. Is it okay to be furious and angry in front of my Gohonzon?” And another person as…
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Going through a stressful transition at work?
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Here’s today’s question, “I’m starting a new job soon and I’m wondering if you could talk a little bit about stressful transitions in life?” We actually got quite a lot of questions about work stress or challenging professional situations. We’ll answer the question and touch on what Buddhism says about work.…
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Here’s today’s question: I’m dealing with a really stressful relationship with someone close to me. Do you have any advice on what to do when someone just keeps getting under your skin? Well first of all, who can’t relate to this one? Stress is an inevitable part of daily life, but when it manifests through a person, it tends to bring with it a who…
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Today we have two exciting announcements. First, we’re launching a new 7-day series called “Change Your Relationship with Stress.” From July 24 to August 1, you'll receive inspiration in your inbox each day about how to transform stress in nearly every area of your life from relationship stress and financial stress to work and family stress. Visit …
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Tips & Insights: 4 Ways to Look at Suffering
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“Tips & Insights” is an episode series in which we introduce one Buddhist concept each month and share how it can be applied to your life! Today’s episode is about suffering, an inescapable fact of life for all living beings, but one that Buddhism offers a refreshing and concrete perspective on. References: https://www.daisakuikeda.org/main/philos/…
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Love wins, A Buddhist lawyer and the fight for marriage equality [June 2021]
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This week we're airing a rerun of one of our most popular episodes from June, 2021 with lawyer Dan Foley. On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ratified same-sex marriage, a monumental achievement after a more than 25-year battle across the country. Recently, journalist Sasha Issenberg published a riveting, comprehensive history of that struggle…
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