Episodes

  • A Buddhist Monk on Why Life Feels Pointless – But Isn’t!

    A Buddhist Monk on Why Life Feels Pointless – But Isn’t!
    Sep 23 2026

    
In today’s episode, Gen Rabten explores one of the biggest questions we can ask about our lives: what is the point? He explains how modern life can leave us feeling increasingly purposeless, whether through anxiety about the future, the pressure to achieve success, changing ideas about work and wealth, or the realization that the things we thought would make us happy often fail to provide lasting fulfilment.

    Drawing on the teachings of Buddha and the wisdom of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, he examines why we can become trapped in repeatedly chasing temporary sources of happiness while overlooking the deeper sources of peace within our own mind. Referencing The New Eight Steps to Happiness and How to Understand the Mind, he explores how wisdom, compassion, kindness, and training the mind can give our lives a genuine sense of meaning.

    The conversation also considers how we can make a difference in the world by changing the way we respond to conflict, difficulty, and the people around us. Ultimately, this episode offers a powerful perspective on finding purpose not through what we achieve or acquire, but through developing inner peace and using our life to benefit others.


    00:00 The Search for Life’s Meaning


    07:02 Searching Philosophy for Answers


    13:00 Why We Chase False Happiness


    19:02 Understanding Real Happiness

    
25:04 Finding Meaning Through Kindness


    30:00 Guarding the Doors of the Senses


    35:12 What Actually Matters in Life


    40:01 Transforming Conflict Through the Mind

    
45:02 Testing Buddhist Teachings in Life


    50:01 Living to Benefit Others


    
Book References

    
by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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

    📖 How to Understand the Mind: https://kadampa.org/book/how-to-understand-the-mind

    📖 How to Transform Your Life: A Blissful Journey: https://kadampa.org/book/how-to-transform-your-life


    Want More?

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

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    #KadampaBuddhism #Buddhism #Meditation #InnerPeace #Happiness #MeaningOfLife #PurposeInLife #Mindfulness #Compassion #Wisdom #MentalPeace #SpiritualGrowth #BuddhistWisdom #GesheKelsangGyatso #GenRabten
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • A Buddhist Monk's Candid Truths About Dissatisfaction, Anger & Finding Happiness

    A Buddhist Monk's Candid Truths About Dissatisfaction, Anger & Finding Happiness
    Sep 9 2026

    In today's episode, host Rebecca Gauthier interviews Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Dragpa.

    Gen Dragpa shares his journey from a discontented youth to finding deep purpose through Kadampa Buddhism. Reflecting on his personal struggles with anger, expectations, and a painful relationship separation, he explains how Buddha's teachings function as a supportive mirror - helping us understand our own minds rather than blaming external circumstances. He discusses the power of simple meditation practices, the transformative experience of meeting his spiritual guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and the reality of navigating inner challenges even after ordination.

    Through candid reflections on avoiding perfectionism and resisting instant gratification, this conversation highlights how working on inner peace creates genuine, positive change in the world around us.


    00:00 Early Discontentment and Quest for Freedom

    05:54 Reggae, Relationships, and Searching for Control

    11:15 Discovering the Practical Science of Meditation

    16:44 Using Buddha's Teachings as a Mirror

    22:00 Meeting Geshe Kelsang and Requesting Ordination

    27:30 Real Monk Challenges and Inner Kindness

    32:44 Facing Fear and Becoming a Resident Teacher

    38:02 Countering Distraction to Find Lasting Meaning
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    47 mins
  • How Do You Forgive Someone Who Never Apologizes?

    How Do You Forgive Someone Who Never Apologizes?
    Aug 27 2026

    In today’s episode, we explore the deeply personal and transformative practice of forgiveness - and why letting go of resentment is ultimately about changing our own mind rather than waiting for someone else to apologize or make things right.

    The guest explains how our experience of hurt can become tied to blame, self-blame, and the mistaken belief that our faults or painful experiences define who we are. Drawing on Buddhist teachings and the advice of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, including teachings from The New Eight Steps to Happiness, she explores how we can learn to recognize our faults without identifying with them, understand the perspectives and suffering of others, and develop a healthier relationship with our own mistakes.

    The conversation examines betrayal, neglect, difficult childhood experiences, anger, resentment, and the expectations we hold about how life and other people should have treated us. Through the practice of patient acceptance, we can begin to let go of the painful idea that things should have been different and instead work with the reality we actually face.

    This episode offers a practical and compassionate approach to forgiveness - one that does not excuse harmful behavior or depend on receiving an apology, but helps us release our own pain, develop compassion, and gradually create the freedom to respond differently.


    Timetable

    00:00 Losing a Father & the Root of Blame

    05:32 Seeing Your Own Role: A Cultural Story

    12:01 No One to Blame: Self vs. Delusions

    18:19 Karma, Conditions, and Feeling Neglected

    23:43 When Neglect Is Real: Learning to Forgive

    31:28 The Journey to Genuine Forgiveness

    39:51 Forgiveness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion

    46:07 Preventing Relapse on the Forgiveness Path


    Book References

    by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

    📖 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

    Follow the Modern Buddhism Podcast

    Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.



    #Kadampa #KadampaBuddhism #Buddhism #Forgiveness #SelfForgiveness #LettingGo #InnerPeace #MindTraining #Meditation #PatientAcceptance #Compassion #AngerManagement #EmotionalHealing #BuddhistWisdom #GesheKelsangGyatso
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    50 mins
  • Musician to Monk: Why I Chose Meditation

    Musician to Monk: Why I Chose Meditation
    Aug 12 2026
    In today’s episode, Gen Kelsang Sherab shares the remarkable journey that took him from being a professional musician in Israel and the Netherlands to becoming a Buddhist monk and meditation teacher. Looking back on his early search for meaning, he describes the quiet sense that something was missing from his life, even when everything appeared successful from the outside.His encounter with Kadampa Buddhism introduced him to teachings that helped him understand the nature of samsara, the importance of moral discipline, and the possibility of transforming the mind through meditation. He recalls the books that first captured his attention, including Clear Light of Bliss, Tantric Grounds and Paths, Introduction to Buddhism, and Joyful Path of Good Fortune, and explains how these teachings gradually changed the direction of his life. Sherab also reflects on his mother’s death, difficult experiences with his family, his decision to give up music, and the painful process of realizing that the Buddhist path he had built for himself needed to be completely rebuilt. Throughout the conversation, he explores the role of the Dharma Protector, the importance of learning from our mistakes, and why meditation is not about fighting the mind but learning to understand and work with it. Ultimately, this is a story about discovering what truly brings happiness, having the courage to change direction, and finding a deeper purpose through Dharma practice.00:00 From Musician to Buddhist Monk05:01 Searching for a Spiritual Guide10:05 Discovering Kadampa Buddhism and Books15:00 Samsara, Sorrow, and Losing His Mother20:00 Choosing Ordination Over Music25:02 Family Conflict and Spiritual Growth30:00 Understanding the Dharma Protector35:00 Virtue, Truth, and SamsaraBook Referencesby Geshe Kelsang Gyatso📖 Introduction to Buddhism: https://kadampa.org/book/introduction...📖 Clear Light of Bliss: https://kadampa.org/book/clear-light-...📖 Tantric Grounds and Paths: https://kadampa.org/book/tantric-grou...📖 Joyful Path of Good Fortune: https://kadampa.org/book/joyful-path-...Want More?Subscribe to get notifications of new episodesFind a meditation center near you:https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search...Listen to teaching clips:⁠YouTube: / @nktikbu Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEy...Follow the Modern Buddhism PodcastFacebook: / modernbuddhismpodcast Instagram: / modernbuddhismpodcast TikTok: / modernbuddhismpodcast #KadampaBuddhism #Buddhism #Meditation #BuddhistMeditation #GenKelsangSherab #ModernBuddhism #Dharma #SpiritualJourney #BuddhistMonk #InnerPeace #Samsara #DharmaProtector #JoyfulPathOfGoodFortune #MindTraining #Happiness
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    43 mins
  • What If You Lost Everything... And Were OK?

    What If You Lost Everything... And Were OK?
    Aug 12 2026
    In today's episode, Kadam Michelle draws on 25+ years as a student of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso to explore how to find peace amid genuine uncertainty. Recounting her years as a resident teacher through three major hurricanes in Florida, she describes what she calls the "cone of uncertainty" - the idea that our entire life, not just a storm's path, is already pervaded by unpredictability.She explains the practice of patient acceptance: peacefully accepting whatever arises rather than rejecting it, since rejection never changes reality and only adds mental pain on top of an already difficult situation. Michelle shares how thinking of our possessions, and even our own bodies, as merely "borrowed" for this life helps loosen the grip of attachment, and how meditating on death - not to create fear, but to clarify what truly matters - transforms daily interactions into something meaningful.She also addresses a common objection: doesn't real change require anger? Drawing a distinction between the destabilizing energy of anger and the stable, wise energy of compassion, she makes the case that a peaceful mind is not passive, but is in fact the most effective foundation for helping others and for living, and eventually dying, well.00:00 Introduction: Life in Florida's Hurricane Season04:45 Patient Acceptance and Letting Go of Attachment10:06 Community, Compassion, and Helping After Disaster16:06 Uncertainty, Impermanence, and Life's Storms21:04 Training the Mind Through Patient Acceptance26:08 Is Anger Ever the Right Response?30:17 Building an Inner Refuge Through Meditation34:24 Meditating on Death to Live MeaningfullyBook ReferencesHow To Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso https://howtotyl.com/The New Meditation Handbook by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso https://kadampa.org/book/the-new-medi...Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.Want More?Find a meditation center near you:https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search...Listen to teaching clips:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEy...Follow the Modern Buddhism PodcastFacebook: / modernbuddhismpodcast Instagram: / modernbuddhismpodcast TikTok: / modernbuddhismpodcast #KadampaBuddhism #PatientAcceptance #Impermanence #Meditation #InnerPeace #BuddhistWisdom #GesheKelsangGyatso #MindfulLiving #Detachment #MeditationOnDeath #Compassion #NewKadampaTradition #ModernBuddhism #Resilience #SpiritualPractice
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    43 mins
  • I Gave Up Everything (Best Decision I Ever Made)

    I Gave Up Everything (Best Decision I Ever Made)
    Jul 1 2026

    In today’s episode, Gen Chodor reflects on a powerful feeling he had as a young person - that life seemed almost dream-like - and how this sparked a deep search for meaning and purpose. Drawing on the wisdom of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, he explores how meditation can help us see reality more clearly, free ourselves from distraction, and discover a deeper, more lasting sense of inner peace.

    The conversation explores the transformative impact of meeting authentic spiritual teachings, the decision to dedicate one's life to Dharma practice, and the profound benefits of training the mind. Through personal stories and practical insights, Gen Chodor shows how genuine happiness and purpose arise not from external achievements, but from developing wisdom, compassion, and a positive state of mind.


    Chapters

    00:00 Questioning Reality and Finding Buddhism

    05:21 Meaning, Happiness and Inner Development

    10:09 Morning Meditation and Setting Direction

    13:03 Leaving Corporate Life Behind

    20:18 Death, Impermanence and Living Without Regret

    28:35 Why Spiritual Life Brings Meaning

    31:17 Discovering Your Authentic Self

    36:07 Grasping, Reality and the Dreamlike Self

    43:20 The Extraordinary Potential of the Mind

    49:04 Books and Final Advice


    Book References

    How To Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

    How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso


    Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.


    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

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    #Buddhism #Meditation #Kadampa #NewKadampaTradition #GesheKelsangGyatso #MindTraining #InnerPeace #LucidDreaming #SpiritualGrowth #BuddhistWisdom #HowToUnderstandTheMind #ModernBuddhism #Concentration #MeaningOfLife
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    50 mins
  • A Buddhist Monk's Honest Advice On Letting Go & Finding Inner Peace

    A Buddhist Monk's Honest Advice On Letting Go & Finding Inner Peace
    May 9 2026

    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.





    WANT MORE?


    Find a meditation center near you
:

    https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=en


    Listen to teaching clips
:

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z


    Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.


    Follow the Modern Buddhism Podcast:

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    #KadampaBuddhism #Buddhism #Meditation #InnerPeace #MindTraining #GesheKelsangGyatso #NewKadampaTradition #BuddhistTeachings #Mindfulness #LetGo #SelfGrasping #Compassion #Patience #HappinessWithin #BuddhistPodcast
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    38 mins
  • Meditation Tools For When You Can't Control What Happens Next

    Meditation Tools For When You Can't Control What Happens Next
    May 2 2026
    n today's episode, Kadam Mick Marcon explores one of the biggest challenges in life - how to cope with uncertainty. Drawing on his own experience of losing his mother, witnessing a stranger's fear on a turbulent flight, and years of practising and teaching within the New Kadampa Tradition, he reveals why our struggle with uncertainty runs far deeper than the unpredictable events of the outside world. He explains how unrealistic expectations - the wish for things to be permanent in a world defined by impermanence - are at the very root of our suffering, and why no amount of external change has ever, or will ever, resolve this inner conflict.Kadam Mick walks us through the tools Buddhism has to offer for working with the mind - from breathing meditation to the contemplation of impermanence - and distinguishes between the pain of attachment and the freedom of genuine love. Whether you are struggling to let go of a past relationship, facing the loss of someone you love, or simply overwhelmed by the chaos of the modern world, this episode offers a genuinely transformative perspective on how to truly be at peace with uncertainty.Chapters00:00 Introduction - Uncertainty and Human Nature 05:10 Bushfires, Escape Artists, and the Unprepared Mind 08:00 The Travel Blogger on a Turbulent Flight 11:00 Why Taming the Mind Feels Impossible 15:38 Informal Meditation - Becoming a Student of Life 18:07 The World's Problems and the Internal Answer 23:27 Unrealistic Wishes and the Root of Suffering 30:08 Letting Go of a Painful Past 36:03 Relationships, Meaning, and Inner Development 38:14 Detachment vs. Non-Attachment Explained 42:47 Love, Attachment, and the Teachings on ImpermanenceSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.Want More?Find a meditation center near you - 
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips
 - https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z#Kadampa #Buddhism #Meditation #Impermanence #Uncertainty #LettingGo #MindTraining #InnerPeace #Attachment #NonAttachment #Acceptance #BuddhistTeachings #MindfulLiving #GesheKelsangGyatso #Kadampa #SpiritualGrowth #Dharma #Podcast
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    44 mins