In today's episode, Gen Kelsang Chökyong - a Buddhist monk from Wales - shares the story of how he stumbled into a Dharma class while sheltering from the rain with a kebab, and never left. Drawing on nearly thirty years of practice and teaching within the New Kadampa Tradition, he explores why the mind - not external circumstances - is the true source of all our happiness and suffering. He explains the Buddhist concept of self-grasping ignorance and how this single delusion drives everything from daily irritation and relationship problems to the world's largest conflicts.

Gen Chökyong highlights how meditation and compassion gradually erode this grasping, revealing a natural peace that was always there. He shares life-changing insights into the nature of feelings - pointing out that most of what torments us is just a feeling, and feelings always pass. He concludes with a very helpful approach to making mistakes. Instead of turning on ourself, we can realize that without making mistakes it’s unlikely that we’ll learn and improve. Warm, funny, and deeply practical, this episode is a masterclass in how Buddhist wisdom applies directly to modern anxiety, relationships, and the art of letting go.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Finding Dharma

05:00 Seeing Through the Fantasy of Worldly Life

09:20 How the Mind Creates Its Own Suffering

15:00 Buddhism's Relevance for Modern Life and Young People

22:40 Confidence, Self-Image, and Letting Go of Comparison

27:20 Working with Difficulties

28:45 Feelings and the Power of Letting Go

33:55 Compassion and Learning from Mistakes

Book References

In this episode Gen Chökyong references:


How to Solve our Human Problems
 - https://kadampa.org/book/how-to-solve-our-human-problems

How to Transform Your Life
 - https://howtotyl.com/

Gen Chökyong is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide.



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In today’s episode, Gen Kelsang Norden explores the meaning of karma and how understanding it can become a liberating and empowering force in our lives. Speaking from her heart and her own experience of practicing these teachings, she explains how our thoughts and actions shape the way we experience the world and what we encounter in the future.

We learn that karma is something we can actively reshape through the choices we make each day. By recognizing that our experiences arise from our own past actions, we can free ourselves from the painful mental states of blame, victimhood, and resentment, and instead cultivate genuine personal responsibility and inner freedom.

Gen Norden also explains the “mirror of karma,” the idea that every experience reflects our actions back to us, helping us to live with greater integrity and authenticity. She reminds us that at the end of our lives, what remains with us is not how others saw us, but the imprints of our own actions.

Alongside this, she shares transformative practices such as taking and giving meditation and rejoicing in the happiness of others, showing how compassion and selflessness not only bring happiness and confidence, but also create powerful positive karma.

This episode offers a clear and heartfelt presentation of one of Buddha’s principal teachings, and a practical guide to living with greater authenticity, freedom, and joy.

Chapters

00:00 A Powerful Method to Overcome Fear

6:33 The Secret to Feeling Joy Anytime

15:50 Can You Love People Who Hurt You?

19:20 Why We Lose Control (And How to Catch It)

23:28 Is Reality Actually Subjective?

31:07 Why You’re Not Stuck in Your Life

35:15 How to Take Control of Your Future

47:10 Integrity, Authenticity and Self-Confidence

53:00 Can I be Happy In an Uncertain World?

58:05 The Path to Inner Freedom

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Book References



In this episode Gen Kelsang Norden references:

How to Transform Your Life
 - https://howtotyl.com/

The New Eight Steps to Happiness - https://kadampa.org/book/eight-steps-to-happiness

Want More?

Find a meditation center near you - 
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=en

Listen to teaching clips
 - https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z

#Buddhism #Meditation #MindTraining #Karma #InnerPeace #SelfGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #Mindfulness #Compassion #SpiritualGrowth #AnxietyRelief #EmotionalIntelligence #LettingGo #HappinessWithin #Wisdom #Dharma #Podcast