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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#KadampaBuddhism #Buddhism #Meditation #InnerPeace #MindTraining #GesheKelsangGyatso #NewKadampaTradition #BuddhistTeachings #Mindfulness #LetGo #SelfGrasping #Compassion #Patience #HappinessWithin #BuddhistPodcast

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

Cameron Mathison Opens Up About Facing Hate on Social Media

Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 is here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oSYw1flcsUDbauL2feq0h?si=rPsZdHERQOeZcLyr9TqXfA )

In this second part of the interview with actor Cameron Mathison, we learn how it feels to play one of TV's most despised characters. Cameron explains how he was able to see the truth of Buddha's teachings reflected in the character, using it as a mirror that helped him deepen his own spiritual training. However, the training didn't stop there. Cameron faced online hate as well as real-life confrontations from people unable to separate the role from the man behind it. He reflects on how he was able to transform these difficult experiences into spiritual growth that helps and inspires others. The feature concludes with a powerful message: that being authentic and accountable is the foundation of true strength and resilience.

Chapters

00:00 How Playing a Villain Mirrors the Mind

05:02 Handling Hate & Public Criticism

08:47 Building Resilience Through Challenges

12:03 How Delusions Negatively Shape Our Life

15:11 The Inner Conflict of Self-Cherishing

17:02 Why We Need Spiritual Friends & Accountability

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Book References

⁠How To Transform Your Life⁠ by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

⁠Eight Steps To Happiness⁠ by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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

⁠⁠Spotify:⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/7lgQNhbjMGoHOxBnjkfmK4⁠

#Kadampa #Buddhism #Meditation #GesheKelsangGyatso #HowToTransformYourLife #EightStepsToHappiness #ModernBuddhism #MindTraining #Lojong #InnerPeace #SpiritualGrowth #Meditation #MentalHealth #BuddhistWisdom #SelfTransformation

Cameron Mathison on how he rebuilt his life after the LA fires, cancer, death, and divorce

In today’s episode, we’re delighted to welcome actor and talk show host Cameron Mathison, who shares his deeply personal journey—from success in the entertainment industry to discovering lasting inner peace through the teachings of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.

Cameron opens up about a series of profound life challenges, including his battle with cancer, his mother’s dementia and passing, job loss, the breakdown of his marriage, and the devastating loss of his home in a fire—along with the memories it held.

In this honest and inspiring conversation, he explains how meditation and Buddhist practice helped him not only navigate these hardships, but transform his experience—becoming happier, freer, and more resilient in the process.

Chapters

00:00 When Success Was Not Enough

05:12 Discovering Kadampa Meditation

10:18 Learning to Work With the Mind

15:02 Practicing Dharma in the Entertainment Industry

19:03 Kindness in Difficult Relationships

23:48 Humility, Perspective & Real Success

28:04 Accepting Change When Life Falls Apart

32:10 Cancer, Loss & Major Life Challenges

37:40 Training the Mind Through Hardship

43:05 Relying on Sangha, Teacher & Dharma

Book References

How To Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Eight Steps To Happiness 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 -

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

Follow the Modern Buddhism Podcast

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7lgQNhbjMGoHOxBnjkfmK4

#Kadampa #Buddhism #Meditation #GesheKelsangGyatso #HowToTransformYourLife #EightStepsToHappiness #ModernBuddhism #MindTraining #Lojong #InnerPeace #SpiritualGrowth #Meditation #MentalHealth #BuddhistWisdom #SelfTransformation

I Grieved for 20 Years… Until I Learned This

We are delighted to welcome back Gen Gomlam in this powerful episode.

How do you transform the pain of loss into something life-enhancing? In this conversation, Gen Gomlam – a Buddhist nun and former hospice nurse – shares her deeply personal journey through grief, from the loss of her brother to the healing of her relationship with her father.

Drawing on Buddha's teachings on the mind, she explores how attachment keeps us locked in pain, why grief isn't the badge of love we think it is, and how real happiness can only be found within.

Whether you're navigating loss right now or simply want to understand your mind better, this conversation offers practical wisdom and genuine hope.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:24 Early Experiences With Loss

04:11 Pain Comes From Our Reaction

06:41 Understanding Attachment

11:27 Prolonged Grief Is Attachment

19:07 Love Doesn't Die When They Die

20:36 Healing With Her Father

27:02 Tara's Mantra and the Funeral

31:03 Looking for Love vs. Loving Others

34:00 Therapy, Dharma and Lasting Change

Book References

How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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

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#KadampaBuddhism #ModernBuddhism #GesheKelsangGyatso #Geshela #TrainTheMind #ModernLifeBuddhism #InnerPeace #MindTraining #KadampaLife #BuddhistPodcast #HappinessWithin #MeditationPractice #SpiritualJourney #NewKadampaTradition

In today’s episode, Kadam Adam speaks with Shelley about her journey through illness, business leadership, and spiritual transformation, explaining how facing cancer became a powerful wake-up call to re-examine her priorities. Drawing inspiration from the teachings of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, she reflects on the challenges of bringing compassion and wisdom into the workplace, especially when making difficult decisions such as letting staff go or navigating ethical dilemmas. She describes how meditation helped her develop a long-term perspective on happiness and success, and how applying Buddhist principles in daily life transformed not only her own mind but also the way she related to others. This episode shows how difficulties can become the fuel for spiritual growth and how, by training our mind with patience and compassion, we can find meaning and purpose even in the hardest moments.

Chapters

00:00 Facing Cancer & Wake-Up Call

05:10 Business Career & Ethical Challenges

10:40 Bringing Compassion Into Leadership

16:20 Meditation in Everyday Decisions

22:30 Long-Term View of Happiness

28:00 Crisis as Spiritual Turning Point

34:15 Discovering Kadampa Buddhism

40:10 Applying Dharma in Daily Life

46:00 Meaning, Purpose & Inner Change

52:20 Advice for Modern Practitioners

Book References

Modern Buddhismhttps://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhism

How to Transform Your Lifehttps://howtotyl.com/

Want More?

Find a meditation center near you:

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

Listen to teaching clips:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nktikbu

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

Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.

#KadampaBuddhism #GesheKelsangGyatso #MeditationInDailyLife #ModernBuddhism #SpiritualGrowth #MindTraining #CompassionInBusiness #OvercomingCancer #InnerPeace #CancerJourney #BuddhistWisdom #PersonalTransformation #MindfulnessPractice #MeaningOfLife #KadampaPodcast

In today’s episode, Gen Rinchung reflects on loss, grief, spiritual growth, and the transformative power of Dharma. Drawing on her personal experience of losing her brother at a young age and her subsequent search for meaning, she shares how this loss revealed there was something within herself that was causing her pain. Seeing how destructive mental states shaped her suffering set her on a quest to find a spiritual teacher—someone who could teach her about her mind and how to work with it.

Meeting Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche profoundly changed her life. This episode explores how changing our mind is the only realistic way to change the world, bringing hope, purpose, and deep peace, and how authentic spiritual practice helps us live a more meaningful and compassionate life.

Chapters

00:00 Facing Death and Loss

05:20 Losing Her Brother and Grief

10:00 Spiritual Search and Meeting Venerable Geshe-la

15:20 Meeting Venerable Geshe-la and Authentic Dharma

20:02 Changing the Mind, Changing the World

24:10 Meditation, Effort, and Stubbornness

29:04 Ordination and Daily Commitment

32:01 Goals, Prayer, and Letting Go

Book References

Modern Buddhism: https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhism

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

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

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

Listen to teaching clips

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nktikbuSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z

Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.

#Kadampa #Grief #GesheKelsangGyatso #NewKadampaTradition #BuddhistWisdom #ModernBuddhism #Dharma #Meditation #Compassion #SpiritualGrowth #InnerPeace #MindTraining #GriefHealing #LifeMeaning #KadampaPodcast