Inner Peace in a World We Can’t Control
The Modern Buddhism Podcast
From Festival-Goer to Dharma Practice
Gen describes her early encounters with Buddhism and the path from youthful curiosity to committed practice.
In today’s episode, Gen Demo shares her journey of working with the mind through Kadampa Buddhism and how this practice has transformed her experience of happiness and meaning. Reflecting on her early encounters with Buddhist teachings, international festivals, and meeting Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, she explains how learning to observe and train the mind gradually shifted her priorities and sense of fulfillment. Gen Demo describes how ordination and daily practice helped her see that unhappiness is not caused by external conditions, but by the way the mind responds to them.
Through practical examples and personal insight, she shows how difficulties can become opportunities for inner growth, and how cultivating a peaceful, flexible mind leads to a stable happiness that does not depend on circumstances. This episode highlights the Kadampa approach to modern life - using meditation, reflection, and compassion to turn everyday experiences into a meaningful spiritual path.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Training the Mind
05:40 Discovering Kadampa Buddhism
11:05 Meeting Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
17:10 Ordination and Kadampa Nun Life
23:20 Daily Meditation and Inner Change
29:15 Overcoming Problems with Buddhism
35:10 Mind Training in Everyday Life
41:05 Using Difficulties as the Path
47:00 Finding Meaning and Lasting Happiness
Book References
Modern Buddhism:
https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhism
How to Transform Your Life:
https://howtotyl.com/
Gen Kelsang Demo 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
https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z
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