Diggin' the Dharma
Diggin' the Dharma with Jon Aaron and Doug Smith is a relaxed discussion of the Buddhist dharma between friends. Jon's interest centers around practice, while Doug's centers around scholarship of the early material, so their approaches balance practice with study. Their discussions will be approachable to a broad audience of Buddhists and those curious about Buddhism, and they welcome questions and comments. Jon is a teacher at Space2Meditate and NY Insight Meditation Center and a well known teacher and trainer of teachers of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Doug has a PhD in Philosophy and runs Doug's Dharma on YouTube and the Online Dharma Institute, where he gives courses on early Buddhism. Find them at: https://digginthedharma.com/
Episodes
134 episodes
The Role of Faith or Confidence in Our Practice
Jon and Doug discuss the role of faith or confidence in Buddhist practice, how it can be useful and also how it can be misused.
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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28:29
Silence and Solitude
Silence and solitude are two forms of Buddhist practice of great depth, but also some difficulty for many. Jon and Doug discuss how they appear in the early texts, and how we can practice with them today.
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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27:45
Finding Joy Through Practice
Joy is an essential aspect of Buddhist practice. And boy do we need joy right now! Jon and Doug discuss how joy can arise for us, and what attitudes and practices can help joy to arise.
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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25:57
Pilgrimage and Spiritual Seekers
Jon has been on pilgrimage in India over the last few weeks. He reports in about all he's been experiencing at various Buddhist and other sites. Links:Jon's blog posts: JonAaron.net/musin...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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29:47
It's About Time in Buddhism
How do we perceive time, and what can we learn from Buddhist teachings about it? How do we frame the past and the future, not to mention the present? Jon and Doug discuss this topic, inspired by the fact that Jon is currently in India, which is...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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27:59
Dharma Chat with Stephen Fulder-- Practicing in Challenging Times
Jon and Doug have a wide-ranging chat with the dharma teacher and peace activitist, Stephen Fulder, founder of Tovana, the Israel Insight Society. We discuss his work in Israel and his new book, How to Thrive in Hard Times.
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Season 3
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Episode 39
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33:20
Refuge in Practice: Self or Sangha?
What is the role of community in our practice? The sangha is one of the traditional three refuges or jewels of Buddhism. The Buddha also advised at the end of his life to hold the self as our island and refuge, with the dharma as our island and...
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Season 3
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Episode 38
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27:35
Investigation, Energy, and Joy
Three key aspects of the seven enlightenment factors are investigation, energy, and joy. What are they, and how can we touch them in our practice?
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Season 3
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Episode 37
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26:54
Conscious of Consciousness
The final aggregate in the set of five is consciousness. What is meant by consciousness/ As an aggregate of clinging, when does it get in the way?Jon and Doug discuss.Doug's Video:The Problem(s) of Consciousness -- https:/...
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Season 3
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Episode 36
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34:01
Sankharas, What Are They? Volitional Formations/Constructions/etc.?
In Buddhism the root of karmic action is in sankharas, a word with many uses in the dharma. As we practice, we can see the sankharas taking shape and then realize we have choices. But even the choices are related to other sankharas ...
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Season 3
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Episode 35
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27:36
Bringing Our Practice to an Unwanted Outcome
Two days after the US Election, Doug and Jon discuss how they are handling the results. They also discuss how our practice can support us as we look to the future political landscape in the US and the world.Jon offered this poem by Rilk...
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Season 3
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Episode 34
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28:14
Talkin' 'bout feeling (Vedana)
Feeling tone, the pleasure or pain we take in experience, is a central part of dharma. As an aggregate, a foundation of mindfulness, a link in the chain of dependent origination, appreciating, understanding, and directly experiencin...
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Season 3
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Episode 33
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29:30
The Aggregate of Form: Body and World
Doug and Jon continue to explore the Five Aggregates of Clinging (to self) and this week explore Form. How do we cling to form and at what point, does this clinging become suffering? Are doesn't it?
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Season 3
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Episode 32
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29:13
"Things Aren't as the Seem , Nor are they Otherwise*"-- Perception and Mis-Perception
Jon and Doug discuss perception and how it's mediated by past experience and the stories we tell. How does it become misperception? How can we work with our perception to live more skillfully and fully?*this quote is attributed to the R...
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Season 3
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Episode 31
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28:20
The Fetter of Conceit
How does our concept of ourselves and others create suffering? What would it be like to soften this "conceit of self". Understanding and seeing through this conceit, is the last of the higher fetters, which needs to the released bef...
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Season 3
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Episode 30
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30:59
Disenchantment: It's not really what it sounds like, or is it?
The Buddhist attitude of "nibbidā" or "disenchantment"/"disgust" is central to the early teaching. What is it and how can it help us navigate our lives? Jon and Doug discuss.
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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24:39
A Buddhist View on Forgiveness
Doug and Jon discuss what forgiveness means in the contact of Buddhism. Is it Buddhist? It's a powerful and important practice but it doesn't seem to appear anywhere in the teachings.Information on the Class offered by Jon:<...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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28:52
The Buddha in the Voting Booth 2024
Doug has Covid, Jon has a bad microphone, but they're chatting about the Buddha and voting anyway, as well as Buddhist practice and voting. What does 2024 bring for us in the voting booth, and how should we frame our political choices?T...
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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28:26
Is Meditation Dangerous?
A recent podcast series at the Financial Times discussed serious problems several meditators have had at one popular ten-day Vipassana retreat system. Jon and Doug discuss this and some important work by Brown psychology professor Dr. Willoughb...
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Season 3
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Episode 26
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26:01
Renunciation
With Jon's impending move to Chicago Jon and Doug discuss the beneficial practice of renunciation. What do we really need?Video: George Carlin talks about "stuff" -- https://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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23:53
The Value of Silence
Silence is so important to Buddhist practice. Jon and Doug discuss how silence impacts practice as well as some of the early tradition around silence.
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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30:24
Experiencing Art and Entertainment in the Context of the Dharma
How do we bring our Buddhist practice into our relationship with the arts and entertainment? The early Buddhist teachings, in particular, seem to look askance at this area of life. Doug and Jon discuss this interesting topic and how...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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27:20
The Bodhisattva Ideal
The Bodhisattva ideal really blossomed in the Mahayana traditions but the idea of the Bodhisattva was certainly present in the earlier traditions. Perhaps not in name but certainly in expression. When the Buddha spoke about himself ...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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27:21
Steps Along the Path: The Four Stages of Progress
Stream-entry, once returning, non-returning, and arahantship are the traditional four stages of progress along the Buddhist path. What do they mean? Are they historical? Are they necessary for us to know about? Jon and Doug dive into this topic...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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29:54