How to Train a Happy Mind
The How to Train a Happy Mind podcast brings meditation to modern people hungry for happy, meaningful lives. Each week, host Scott Snibbe and his guests share powerful mind training techniques that go beyond mindfulness to harness our intelligence, emotions, and imagination. Learn how to build a happy mind, fulfilling relationships, and a better world through a secular approach to meditation that is based on modern science and psychology, yet grounded in the authentic thousand-year old Tibetan Buddhist tradition of analytical meditation. The podcast is a project of the nonprofit Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment, and Snibbe is a twenty-five-year student of Tibetan Buddhism whose teachers include the Dalai Lama.
Episodes
The Red Pill of Renunciation: Embracing Reality as It Is #17 [rebroadcast]
What do The Matrix and Jerry Seinfeld have in common with Buddhist wisdom? In this episode, Scott explores the practice of renunciation—not giving up life's pleasures, but letting go of the mistaken belief that lasting happiness comes from external circumstances. Through insights from The Matrix, comedy, and Buddhist psychology, discover how true freedom begins when we stop blaming the world
Remembering Robert Thurman: Psychonaut, Scholar, and Friend #224
Following the passing of Robert Thurman, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite conversations with the beloved scholar, teacher, and pioneer who helped bring Tibetan Buddhist wisdom to the modern world.A former monk ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Columbia University professor, bestselling author, and co-founder of Tibet House US, Thurman devoted his life to sharing profound insights on
Our Best Possible Future—Kim Stanley Robinson #223
So many of us get lost in terror about humanity’s future, but how often do we ask, “What’s our best possible future?” Bestselling author and climate activist Kim Stanley Robinson joined Scott on Earth Day this year for an urgent and hopeful conversation at UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism.This is the third time we've been fortunate enough to have Stan on the podcast, and this time we traced
Letting Go of Suffering - a Guided Meditation #16 [rebroadcast]
This is a clear-eyed meditation on suffering: both what suffering is, and the mental source of suffering in our delusions of attachment, anger, and self-centered ignorance. We practice the antidotes to these delusions, giving us tools for a more balanced, less self-centered view of our experience that offers sustained stability and happiness through life’s challenges and desires.16. Guided Meditat
Am I More Important Than Everyone Else in the Universe #15 [rebroadcast]
Do we each secretly believe we matter just a little more than everyone else? That my happiness, my ambitions, my relationships carry greater weight? From a Buddhist perspective, this deeply ingrained belief is the root of our suffering: a delusion known as ignorance, considered the true source of everything from heartbreak and disappointment to the quiet dissatisfaction that lingers even when we g
You Are Enough Meditation with Lodro Rinzler #222
In this guided meditation, Lodro Rinzler leads you through a gentle practice of mindfulness, emotional awareness, and reconnecting with your basic goodness. Beginning with simple breath awareness, this meditation helps you return to the present moment with kindness and without judgment.In the second half of the practice, you’ll explore your emotional landscape using a powerful “yes, and” approach:
You Are Good, You Are Enough with Lodro Rinzler #221
What if that voice telling you you’re broken or fundamentally flawed is wrong? That’s the radical message of today’s guest, Buddhist teacher and best-selling author Lodro Rinzler.His new book is called Your Good, You Are Enough. Lodro teaches a powerful idea from Tibetan Buddhism called basic goodness, that beneath all our self-doubt, anger, and anxiety, there’s something awake and whole already p
Guided Meditation: Alone Together #13 [rebroadcast]
The essence of meditation is getting to know yourself alone, without social stimulus, entertainment, or reputation—what we truly are deep inside ourselves. There, we can find in our mind a place of satisfaction that’s equally at ease when we’re alone or when we’re with others.Episode 13: Guided Meditation — Alone TogetherJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat i
What Do You Do When You're Alone? #14 [rebroadcast]
What do you do when you’re alone? When you’re scared, anxious, lonely, or afraid, when you feel strong craving? What do you turn to? In this episode, we look at where our mind runs when we feel pain, when we don’t feel balanced or whole. We’ll examine the Buddhist view on this subject that reveals a deep source of strength and support within our own minds accessible to each of us any time we need
Preciousness of Human Life Form: A Guided Meditation with Robert Thurman #220
This guided meditation by Tibetan teacher Dr. Robert Thurman invites you to explore one of the most profound ideas in contemplative practice: the rarity and potential of being human.Through breath, visualization, and focused awareness, you’ll gently shift your attention inward to the center of your being, connecting with a deeper level of consciousness often overlooked in daily life. From this sti
Can AI Teach Happiness? Meet Dharma Bob: Robert Thurman’s AI Avatar #219
Can an AI really teach us how to have a happy life? Robert Thurman, one of the most respected Buddhist scholars, thinks it's possible—and he's testing out the idea with an AI avatar of himself called Dharma Bob that was just released.Scott got a chance to sit down with both of them last week to have a chat about enlightenment, the benefits of AI, compassion, and Buddhism.Episode 219: Can
Guided Meditation—Mental Cause and Effect #12 [rebroadcast]
This is a guided meditation for self-reflection, so you can take control of the mental cause and effect that's normally unconscious: the habits and activities conditioned by evolution, our upbringing, society, and the media. You can do this at the end of each day: reviewing your day, rejoicing in the positive, and finding ways to sincerely forgive yourself for anything that you regret. This w
Mental Cause and Effect #11 [rebroadcast]
Evolution, habits, and society all affect our behavior. How do we gain conscious control of our behavior, much less our thoughts? One method is a daily practice of self-appreciation and self-forgiveness that lets us release regret and pain to face each day with renewed presence and joy.Episode 11: Mental Cause and EffectJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in
Equanimity Meditation for Balance and Rest with Margaret Cullen #218
In this guided meditation, mindfulness teacher Margaret Cullen leads us into the practice of equanimity: the steady, balanced heart that can remain open in the midst of life’s constant change. Through gentle breath awareness and reflective phrases, this practice explores how we can care deeply for others while also recognizing the limits of our control over their happiness and suffering.Episode 21
Feel More, React Less with Margaret Cullen #217
Meditation teacher and licensed psychotherapist Margaret Cullen recently published her book, Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of Equanimity.In this book she reveals scientific breakthroughs and spiritual intersections that demonstrate how the power of equanimity allows us to live more fully, with balance and wisdom.In her interview with Scott, they dis
Impermanence Meditation #10 [rebroadcast]
A guided meditation on impermanence that invites you to soften fear and ease anxiety by opening to the natural flow of change in every part of life. Together we explore change at every scale of reality, from particles and possessions to homes and the natural world, and from thoughts and emotions to perceptions and relationships. As you learn to welcome impermanence rather than resist it, you build
Embracing Impermanence #9 [rebroadcast]
We cling to things as if they won’t change, but change is the nature of reality. When we embrace impermanence, we prepare ourselves for changes (big or small). In this episode, we explore how to embrace impermanence in order to let go of fear and anxiety. This way we can become fully present to those around us and more appreciative of life’s fleeting pleasures.Episode 9: Embracing ImpermanenceThem
Generative Love: Using AI to Turn Lives Into Song #216
Scott Snibbe explores an unexpected intersection of AI, music, and love. After discovering the generative music platform Suno, he created deeply personalized songs for members of his family—turning their life stories, struggles, and triumphs into hyper-specific “love songs” in the Buddhist sense of wishing others happiness. As he shares the music and the emotional reactions it evokes, Scott reflec
Music, Imagination, and Meditation with Chris Ballew (Caspar Babypants) #215
Scott Snibbe sits down with Chris Ballew—frontman of The Presidents of the United States of America and beloved children’s artist Caspar Babypants—for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation about music, meditation, creativity, and walking away from conventional success. From Grammy nominations and rockstar fame to lullabies and “sonic totems,” Chris reflects on the inner signals that guid
Guided Meditation: What Is the Mind? #7 [rebroadcast]
This guided meditation takes us through different ways of observing the mind, first examining its ever-present parts: perception, feeling, will, and awareness. Then we explore the nature of subjective reality itself by asking what is the mind without thoughts? Where is the space of our consciousness? And, how finely can we slice moments of consciousness? Do we ever arrive at a quantum of conscious
What Is the Mind? #6 [rebroadcast]
If the mind is our thoughts, then what is it that observes those thoughts? What are we without thoughts? Do we ever truly see an object, or only its mental reconstruction? Though we are all convinced that we have one, science has no agreed definition for consciousness or mind. Even subjectively, the mind is elusive, difficult to pin to any specific mental experience.Episode 6. What Is the Mind?The
What Would You Do If Someone Pulled A Gun On You? Training the Mind for Nonviolence and Compassion in Crisis #214
What would you do if someone pulled a gun on you? I don't think any of us really know until we're actually put into that situation. Many years ago, someone pulled a gun on me and I was surprised by how I responded. In this episode of How to Train a Happy Mind, I share that terrifying experience and reflect on how an attitude of love and compassion, at least in this one very specific inst
Art & Emptiness: Tsherin Sherpa on Tradition, Identity, & Freedom #213
Tsherin Sherpa is a remarkable Himalayan artist who draws on Buddhist iconography to explore sexuality, gender, consumerism, and identity. I first met him 25 years ago, when he was teaching thangka painting in the San Francisco Bay Area and I was a young Buddhist hoping to learn how to paint devotional images. Since then, Tsherin has become one of the most respected contemporary artists in the wor
Guided Meditation: The Preciousness of Life #5 [rebroadcast]
A guided meditation on the preciousness of our next 24 hours alive and our unique place in the universe as science understands it: intelligent, self-aware beings at the end of 14 billion years’ cosmic and biological evolution.Episode 5: Guided Meditation on The Preciousness of LifeThemes:Self-awarenessGratitudeStabilizing the breathHow to be happyLoving othersWatch this episode on our YouTube chan
The Preciousness of Life, From Cosmos to the Kardashians #4 [rebroadcast]
“It is not more surprising to be born twice than once,” Voltaire once said. In this episode we contemplate the miracle of existing at all, from our place at the end of our universe’s 14 billion years’ evolution to the simple joy of another 24 hours alive that Thich Nhat Hanh describes.Episode 4: The Preciousness of Life from Cosmos to the KardashiansIn this talk Scott explores:How to appreciate li
Guided Death and Rebirth Meditation with Laurie Anderson #107 [rebroadcast]
Laurie Anderson leads a meditation on death and rebirth, guiding you through the Buddhist understanding of death, the bardo, and a joyous rebirth. These tracks come from Songs from the Bardo, an album inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Meditating on death is a powerful Buddhist practice that enhances gratitude, helps you embrace impermanence, and increases mindfulness.Laurie Anderson is one
Laurie Anderson's Buddhism, Art, Meditation, and Death as Adventure [Full Uncut Interview] #212
One of our most popular episodes of all time is our interview with artist and musician Laurie Anderson. Today, we're sharing a new, unedited version with almost a half hour of additional material.For anyone unfamiliar with Laurie’s work, many people consider her one of our planet’s greatest living artists. Her work spans spoken word and performance, top-charting albums and music videos, digit
Meditation on Stabilizing the Mind and Watching Thoughts #3 [rebroadcast]
A complete guided meditation session expanding your compassion, stabilizing concentration on the breath, and observing your thoughts.Episode 3: Guided Meditation: Stabilizing the Mind and Watching ThoughtsJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods August 13–16. LEARN MOREIf you’d like to practice with others and bring these ideas into
What Is Meditation? #2 [rebroadcast]
Over the past few years meditation has become popular as a way to help reduce stress, be focused at work, sleep better, or simply relax. Yet meditation isn’t just a tool to improve focus or relax, but a way to strengthen the positive qualities we all naturally possess: compassion, kindness, generosity, patience, humor, and finding joy in everyday life. This episode explores this higher purpose of
Meditation on the Subtle Body #211
In this meditation, we explore the subtle body, the energetic connection between body and mind, through the lens of Tibetan Buddhism. It's part of a broader conversation we've been having about art, embodiment, and Buddhist practice.Together, we'll gently guide our awareness through the body, connect with the breath, and reflect on how our mind and body are not separate, but deeply
Scott Snibbe's Buddhist Art: Hidden Geometries #210
We're in the middle of a small series of episodes right now on Buddhism and art, and this one is about our host, Scott Snibbe. Not everyone who listens to this podcast or who’s read How to Train a Happy Mind knows that Scott's main job for most of his life has been as an artist: one who works mostly with computer software and interactive installations. He often jokes that he used to be a
Rethinking Thanksgiving: A Buddhist Perspective #209
In the United States, we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this week. It’s a time that brings up a variety of challenges for many people: family conflicts, political disagreements, concerns about overeating, and the painful historical roots of the holiday in colonial exploitation of Indigenous people. In this episode, we share a private talk and meditation Scott gave to the Train a Happy Mind com
What Is A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment? #1 [rebroadcast]
Five years ago, we created A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment (now called How to Train a Happy Mind) to share the rich tradition of Tibetan Buddhist analytical meditation. We take a secular approach to meditation that requires no belief beyond our current understanding of science and psychology. It's based on powerful Buddhist mind training techniques that use imagination, intelligence, and em
Guided Drawing Meditation with John Simon Jr. #208
In this guided meditation and drawing practice, artist and teacher John Simon Jr. leads us through a series of exercises designed to connect inner awareness with mark-making on paper. Blending Buddhist principles with intuitive art, this session invites you to notice your sensations, thoughts, and environment while allowing your hand to move freely. No art experience is needed, just a willingness
Drawing As Meditation with John Simon Jr. #207
On this podcast, we talk a lot about meditation, but it’s far from the only way to connect with the deepest part of yourself and build a stable, joyful mind. There are so many other paths to reach that same inner stillness: spending time in nature, practicing yoga, exercising, making music, writing, or creating art.For Scott, art was his meditation long before he ever learned to sit in silence. Ou
Guided Meditation on Pleasure #85 [rebroadcast]
How can we use pleasure in our meditation practice? Buddhism offers specific techniques for meditating on pleasure as a way to deepen our qualities of concentration, fearlessness, loving-kindness, and even our understanding of the ultimate nature of reality.Episode 85: Guided Meditation on PleasureJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redw
Pleasure and Buddhism: Food, Sex, and Netflix on the Path to Enlightenment #84 [rebroadcast]
Pleasure is often viewed as a hindrance to the spiritual path, a hotbed of craving and attachment, but what if we told you that pleasure can actually be a positive part of the spiritual path, a portal to love and happiness?Episode 84: Pleasure and Buddhism: Food, Sex and Netflix on the Path to EnlightenmentJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California&ap
Meditation on Falling in Love with the Future—Rob Hopkins #206
In this imaginative and hopeful episode, Rob Hopkins—founder of the Transition movement and author of How to Fall in Love with the Future—guides listeners through a vivid meditation envisioning the year 2030. Drawing on years of community activism and storytelling, Rob invites us to step through a metaphorical door into a future shaped by collective action, resilience, and radical imagination. Wha
How to Fall in Love with the Future—Rob Hopkins #205
Rob Hopkins is one of the people doing the most to assure that humanity has a healthy, thriving, and happy future. I was blown away by his new book, How to Fall in Love With the Future, which describes a radical new type of climate activism he's invented. Instead of bemoaning the current state of the world, he invites us to imagine the world we want to live in—that's just around the corn
Meditation for Angry Parents #204
This episode turns to one of the most universal human struggles: anger. Scott Snibbe explores how Buddhist psychology defines anger as a delusion: an exaggeration of the negative that blinds us to the good and fuels the wish to harm. Drawing on timeless wisdom, this meditation offers parents (and anyone else who wrestles with anger) practical antidotes rooted in curiosity and compassion.Episode 20
Loving Our Parents, Loving Our Children #76 [rebroadcast]
Host Scott Snibbe offers touching personal stories and a meditation on how to best love our parents and our children using powerful Buddhist teachings and techniques on understanding, listening, and compassion.Episode 76: Loving Our Parents, Loving Our ChildrenJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods August 13–16. LEARN MOREIf you’d
Emptiness of Self Guided Meditation with Geshe Sherab #203
Join Geshe Sherab for a deeply reflective guided meditation on the emptiness of self—one of the core insights of Buddhist wisdom. Gently explore how the sense of “I” arises, appears, and ultimately dissolves under careful examination. This session invites you to rest in the awareness that the self, as it seems, is empty of inherent existence—opening the door to deeper freedom, compassion, and clar
What is Emptiness? with Geshe Sherab #202
We’ve reached the last in our series of episodes this year on Buddhism’s six perfections. The final perfection is described as emptiness, wisdom, or insight. These are all ways of naming the indescribable experience of discovering ourselves to be utterly interconnected with all of life, the universe, and everything.My guest for this profound, but sometimes difficult-to-grasp subject is Geshe Shera
Full Awareness of Breath Meditation with Larry Ward [Memorial]
This rebroadcast episode is in honor of the recent passing of Dr. Larry Ward. May his wisdom live on.***Dr. Larry Ward—student of Thich Nhat Hanh and author of America's Racial Karma—leads a short but powerful breath awareness meditation.Episode 191: 5-Minute Breath Awareness MeditationJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods Au
Healing America's Racial Karma with Larry Ward [Memorial]
This rebroadcast episode is in honor of the recent passing of Dr. Larry Ward. May his wisdom live on.***Scott talks with Dr. Larry Ward, a student of Thich Nhat Hanh, and author of America's Racial Karma. His book is about how we heal from the trauma of racism, not just as a society, but in our own minds and bodies. In our conversation, Dr. Ward shares a profound truth: racism is a fiction, b
What Happens When You Die? #58 [rebroadcast]
What happens when you die? No one knows for sure. But the Tibetan Buddhist system describes a precise series of steps that our consciousness may experience as we die, which we can explore in a meditation to probe the boundary of life and death with curiosity and wonder.Episode 58: What Happens When You Die?Join our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California&ap
Where Did I Come From? #57 [rebroadcast]
The idea of past lives may not make sense, and isn’t scientifically verifiable. But still, the question of what we might have been before our conception is one worth asking. Where did I come from?Episode 57: Where Did I Come From?Join our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods August 13–16. LEARN MOREIf you’d like to practice with others an
AI and Enlightenment with Dr. David Kittay #201
Dr. David Kittay stands out as one of the most expansive, intelligent, creative, and warmhearted thinkers of our time. His course at Columbia University, Technology, Religion, Future, is often described as “life-changing” for its exploration of how technology intersects with humanity’s deepest questions. In an earlier conversation with Scott, before the AI boom, he offered insights that felt ahead
Is Enlightenment Possible? #200
We can't believe this is our 200th episode! For this special occasion, we wanted to share a talk and meditation Scott Snibbe offered in our Train a Happy Mind community a couple of weeks ago called “Is enlightenment possible?” Over the years, Scott's ideas of enlightenment have evolved as he's interviewed some of the world's foremost teachers and scholars of Buddhism like Dr. J
The Warm Heart of Awareness: A Meditation with Ven. René Feusi #199
Today we’re sharing a guided meditation from the wonderful Venerable René Feusi (Scott Snibbe's long-time teacher). Settle in, find a comfortable seat, and let René’s clear, grounded guidance open the warm heart of awareness within you.Episode #199: The Warm Heart of Awareness: A Meditation with Ven. René FeusiJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in Cali
Concentration Makes Us Happy! with Ven. René Feusi #198
It turns out that many of the greatest living Buddhist teachers are also some of the hardest to receive teachings from. Lacking ego, they have no need to promote themselves. This is the case with Scott's closest teacher, Venerable René Feusi. Out of a wish to maintain his solitude and focus on long-term students—and probably mostly out of humility—Venerable René has always declined Scott&apos
20 Minute Path to a Happy Mind Guided Meditation #197
This 20 minute guided meditation comes from the sequence Scott shares in the How to Train a Happy Mind podcast and book. The stages are based on the Tibetan Buddhist lamrim, which was created more than a thousand years ago by the Indian Master Atisha Dipankar. Over the past decade, Scott has adapted it to be a non-religious way to transform the mind from states of frustration, craving, and lonelin
Joyful Effort: A Guided Meditation with Tenzin Chogkyi #196
Welcome to this guided meditation on accessing joy with Tenzin Chogkyi. In this practice, we’ll take time to settle the body, connect with the breath, and gently open to the feeling of joy. Episode 196: Joyful Effort: A Guided Meditation with Tenzin Chogkyi Join our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods August 13–16. LEARN MOREIf you’d lik
Beyond Bombs: A Meditation on Ending War and Cultivating Peace #195
Instead of the episode we had planned to share today, a meditation from Tenzin Chogkyi as part of her beautiful conversation on joy, we're postponing that release by a week. In its place, we're sharing a meditation Scott Snibbe led just a couple of days ago with our Train a Happy Mind community. This meditation was recorded the day after the United States launched a new bombing campaign
Joy and Enthusiasm—Even When Life's Hard—with Tenzin Chogkyi #194
Today's guest is Tenzin Chogkyi, one of our most popular guests, and she's back to talk about another one of the six perfections that we've been talking with other guests about this year. This one is enthusiasm or joyful effort. She talks about not just the Buddhist ideas of enthusiasm, but how to maintain our joy and enthusiasm in life when things are difficult or even when we get
10-Minute Path to a Happy Mind Guided Meditation #193
Scott Snibbe leads a 10-minute guided meditation that is based on the sequence he shares in the How to Train a Happy Mind podcast and book. Many Tibetan Buddhists do this meditation every day. If you don't have much time or want to start small, this is a good place to begin. It touches on the precious life, impermanence, cause and effect, suffering, renunciation, love, compassion, and interde
The Complete Path to a Happy Mind #192
"I'll tell you something. I've learned it's hard work to be happy." Brian WilsonIn this special retreat episode, Scott Snibbe guides us through the full path to a happy mind—from appreciating the simple miracle of being alive to confronting our deepest mental habits and reconnecting with our capacity for kindness, meaning, and change.It’s not a quick fix or a life hack. It
5-Minute Breath Awareness Meditation with Larry Ward #191
Dr. Larry Ward—student of Thich Nhat Hanh and author of America's Racial Karma—leads a short but powerful breath awareness meditation.Episode 191: 5-Minute Breath Awareness MeditationJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods August 13–16. LEARN MOREIf you’d like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join o
Healing America's Racial Karma—Larry Ward #190
Scott talks with Dr. Larry Ward, a student of Thich Nhat Hanh, and author of America's Racial Karma. His book is about how we heal from the trauma of racism, not just as a society, but in our own minds and bodies. In our conversation, Dr. Ward shares a profound truth: racism is a fiction, but one with very real consequences, and it lives not only in the structures of our society, but in our t
The Interdependent Self - Guided Meditation #43 [rebroadcast]
Who am I? From the Buddhist perspective, there’s a systematic way of asking this question of who you are in the form of a meditation on the ultimate nature of the self, or "emptiness." This meditation is said to be the strongest antidote to our disturbing states of mind and a cause for greater self-awareness, happiness, and connection with others.Episode 43: Guided Meditation — The Inter
Who am I? #42 [rebroadcast]
Are you your body? Are you your mind? Are you a collection of thoughts, memories, and neural connections that could be uploaded into a computer to live forever? Or are you an old-fashioned soul? This episode probes the nature of the self using the Buddhist notion of emptiness, searching for the partless, independent, unchanging "I" that ordinarily appears to us, and finding a self that&a
Mindfulness Awareness Meditation with Susan Piver #189
Susan Piver leads a short breath awareness meditation in this week's podcast episode. If you were to go down the Buddhist path, you would start with this practice before starting with visualizations, guru yogas, mantras, mandala practices. It's a simple practice that is suitable for all.Episode 189: Mindfulness Awareness Meditation with Susan PiverJoin our third annual How to Train a Hap
Inexplicable Joy—On the Heart Sutra & Buddhism Without Belief with Susan Piver #188
This year, we're using the framework of Buddhism's Six Perfections to guide most of our episodes. Our last one with returning guest and activist Kazu Haga, focused on patience or not returning harm. This week, another favorite of the podcast is back, Susan Piver. She and I talk and riff on her new book, Inexplicable Joy, which explores one of Buddhism's most famous and mysterious te
The Interdependent Nature of Reality #39 [rebroadcast]
The Buddhist understanding of how things exist, called emptiness, breaks objects down into parts, causes, and a mind that bundles them into the illusion of a solid, singular, unchanging entity. When we apply this analysis to an iPhone, we see that it is made up of almost all the elements in the periodic table, and is connected to thousands of hours of hard labor and the entire history of our civil
From Panic to Peace: A Guided Meditation with Kazu Haga #187
When the world feels like it’s unraveling, how do we come back to ourselves?In this gentle, grounding guided meditation, activist and educator Kazu Haga invites us to sit beside our fear—not to fix or push it away, but to witness it with compassion. Through breath, body, and the ground beneath us, we rediscover a quiet strength that endures even in chaos.This episode is more than a meditation. It’
Beyond Us vs Them: Transforming Society Through Fierce Vulnerability with Kazu Haga #186
This week, Scott is joined by transformative activist and restorative justice advocate Kazu Haga to discuss his new book, Fierce Vulnerability, which rethinks nonviolence as a path to healing and connection. In a world fueled by division, Kazu challenges the idea of winning against an enemy and asks: What if resistance wasn’t about force, but about vulnerability? If you’ve ever questioned whether
Guided Meditation: How Things Exist #38 [rebroadcast]
Objects around us ordinarily appear as if they are solid, singular, and separate from us. However, both science and the Buddhist understanding of reality show us that as we examine things more closely, they exist far more subtly and richly than they appear. This meditation focuses on an object most of us have strong feelings toward—our smartphone—breaking it apart into its myriad parts, and giving
How Things Exist: Emptiness, Dependent Origination, and your Smartphone #37 [rebroadcast]
The Buddhist view on reality, called emptiness, combines the awe of scientific knowledge with the inner, experiential knowledge that comes from meditation and critical reasoning to arrive at a feeling of interconnectedness. The first in a seven-art series on Buddhism's view of dependent origination looks at how objects exist using the example of that most modern wonder and addiction, our smar
How to Use Your Phone Mindfully: A Guided Meditation for Digital Wellness—Jay Vidyarthi #185
Settle into a mindful state and engage with your phone in this conscious exercise with digital wellness expert Jay Vidyarthi. Use this guided meditation to deeply and mindfully investigate your phone with clarity.Episode 185: How to Use Your Phone Mindfully: A Guided Meditation for Digital Wellness—Jay VidyarthiJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in Californ
How to Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology–Jay Vidyarthi on Digital Wellness #184
Are you in control of your technology, or is it controlling you?In this episode of How to Train a Happy Mind, we sit down with Jay Vidyarthi, author of Reclaim Your Mind, a powerful new book released today that offers a radical yet deeply practical approach to reshaping our relationship with technology.Jay's insights go beyond the usual advice to put your phone away. He helps us uncover the e
Bitcoin and Buddhism #70 [rebroadcast]
What can Buddhism teach us about how Bitcoin works & why it’s so valuable? What can Bitcoin teach us about emptiness, the interdependent nature of reality? Find out in this episode with Scott Snibbe!Episode 70: Bitcoin and BuddhismJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods August 13–16. LEARN MOREIf you’d like to practice with othe
Meditation on Generosity #183
Meditate on the four types of generosity according to Buddhism, giving material objects, providing protection, teaching the Dharma, and spreading love. It has an emphasis on the generosity that we may or may not show to homeless people. It's part of a year-long series on what we call the Six Perfections, six practices of Mahayana Buddhism that lead one to, they say, a state of limitless happi
A Buddhist Take on Homelessness & Generosity #182
In this episode, I share lesson's I've learned about generosity from my Buddhist teachers, my college girlfriend, and, to start off, my mother on the generosity we choose to share (or not to share) with homeless people.This year, most of our episodes are centered around what Buddhism calls the "six perfections": generosity, morality, patience, joyful effort, calm abiding, and s
Guided Meditation: Universalizing our Problems and Pleasures #32 [rebroadcast]
A guided meditation on “universalizing,” a Tibetan Buddhist mind training technique for transforming our everyday problems and pleasures through love and compassion.Episode 32. Guided Meditation: Universalizing our Problems and PleasuresJoin our third annual How to Train a Happy Mind three-day in-person retreat in California's redwoods August 13–16. LEARN MOREIf you’d like to practice with ot
Universalizing: Transforming Pain and Pleasure into Love and Compassion #31 [rebroadcast]
One of the most powerful Tibetan Buddhist mind training techniques is universalizing, a practice that transforms everyday pains and pleasures into profound meditations. From arguing with the family to stuffing yourself with a delicious meal, life’s problems and pleasures can bring anger, guilt, and sadness. The meditation technique of “universalization” transforms our everyday experiences of pleas
Two Meditations on Emptiness with Dr. Jan Willis #181
Esteemed Buddhist teacher and scholar Dr. Jan Willis leads two meditations on emptiness in this episode. One focuses on the emptiness of the I, this pronoun, this belief that we have that we exist, that there is an I who is Jan Willis. And the other meditation is about the nature of the mind itself. She shares the analogy that the mind and the nature of the mind is like the sky. And this "
What Are the Six Perfections? with Dr. Jan Willis #180
To kick off the new year we're thrilled to welcome back one of our most beloved guests, Dr. Jan Willis, a trailblazing scholar, inspiring practitioner and powerful storyteller. Dr. Willis guides us through the six perfections: generosity, morality, patients, joyful effort, concentration and wisdom. Profound practices that were once closely guarded, secret teachings. In this episode, Dr. Wi
Meditation on Self-Compassion with Tenzin Chogkyi #179
Today’s meditation focuses on self-compassion, inspired by the teachings of Dr. Kristin Neff. Known as the "self-compassion break," this practice is designed to be quick, accessible, and deeply grounding—perfect for those moments when life feels overwhelming. By bringing mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness into focus, this meditation offers a practical way to navigate challen
Self-Compassion with Tenzin Chogkyi #178
We are closing out the year with a special guest, Tenzin Chogkyi—a longtime Buddhist practitioner, teacher, and former nun ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. With decades of experience in both inner growth and social justice, Tenzin brings profound wisdom and a unique perspective. This episode explores self-compassion and how building a loving relationship with oneself creates the foundation
Exchanging Self with Other #177
Today's episode features a transformative meditation known as "Exchanging Self." Originally shared with the Train a Happy Mind community, this practice has deep roots in Tibetan Buddhism. For nearly a thousand years, it remained a closely guarded tradition, recently made accessible to all. If this meditation resonates with you, consider joining the Train a Happy Mind community, whic
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