Diggin' the Dharma
Jon Aaron and Doug Smith
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
Mentioned books
Aug 7, 2022 • 28min
Bhikkhu Bodhi and the War in Ukraine: Lessons for Buddhists?
The discussion explores how Buddhists can reconcile the precept of non-killing with the harsh realities of war. Bhikkhu Bodhi's insights on defensive violence challenge traditional views, while practical ethics are put to the test in wartime dilemmas. The hosts debate the karma of actions taken in conflict, the role of compassion post-war, and the moral complexities faced by both soldiers and monks. They also touch on the importance of intention and the emotional fallout for those involved, deepening the conversation around compassion and responsibility.
Jul 17, 2022 • 29min
"Digital Dharma" one of the topic from The Future Of American Buddhism with Special Guest Upayadhi
Send a textIn this episode we continue our discussion with Upayadhi on a recent conference she attended, where one topic involved the influence of the digital world on Buddhist dharma. We discuss its current pluses and minuses and what the future holds.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Jul 10, 2022 • 31min
The Future of American Buddhism? With Special Guest Upayadhi
Explore the intriguing future of American Buddhism as Upayadhi shares her insights from a recent conference. The discussion tackles the complexities of 'American Buddhism' and the challenges of representation. Key themes include the divide between immigrant and Western practitioners, and the need for inclusivity in defining Buddhist identity. There's a focus on the importance of Asian American voices and how they influence the conversation. The conference atmosphere emphasized care and action, sparking tough yet necessary dialogues for the path ahead.
Jul 3, 2022 • 29min
What is Enlightenment Anyway?
Send a textThe Third Noble Truth says there is freedom from Dukkha. We have experiences of this freedom often but don’t often recognize them for what they are. It’s been said that “enlightenment is an accident and meditation makes us more accident prone”. There is certainly some truth in this. In this episode we look at Enlightenment from some different perspectives. Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Jun 26, 2022 • 28min
Finding Joy in the Joy of Others!
Send a textWhile it can be hard to believe, there is no limit to the amount of joy in the world. Yet, at times it certainly feels that way. Sympathetic Joy, or Resonant Joy is the third of the Divine Abodes and like the quality of compassion it has the capacity to weaken the boundary between self and other. Doug and Jon discuss the role of the quality in their own lives.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Jun 19, 2022 • 26min
Compassion-- Is it a quality we are born with?
Send a textCompassion is one of the Divine Abodes. Doug and Jon discuss whether this is an innate quality or one that needs to be learned. How do we cultivate that quality and perhaps uncover what is already here.Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Jun 12, 2022 • 30min
Working with Desires -- the wholesome and the unwholesome
Send a textDesire can be the source of great Dukkha whether fulfilled or not. Some desires, however are wholesome and these should be pursued, but even these can be a source of Dukkha. Working with desires is an important part of practice. Doug and Jon discuss their different approaches.Books mentioned:Anālayo, Compassion and EmptinessSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Jun 5, 2022 • 28min
The Non-Commandments-- the Buddha's teachings on Ethics
Send a textUnlike the 10 Commandments in the Judeo-Christian traditions which tell you what not to do, The Buddhist Precepts are actually practices and while they can be read like commandments, that is really not the point. Doug and Jon speak to how they work with Five Practice Precepts in the early Buddhist teachings. Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
May 29, 2022 • 26min
The Meditation Industrial Complex- Part 1-- Making a living teaching meditation and dharma
Send a textWe both manage to make a living teaching dharma and meditation. How do we balance the ideal of "dana" - the practice of generosity -- with the reality of a western capitalist economic system. Support the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
May 22, 2022 • 28min
Unconditional Friendliness?- It's a big Ask
Send a textThe first of the Four Divine Abodes (Brahmaviharas) is Unconditional Friendliness (Metta) and for many this is a very challenging practice. In this episode Doug and Jon explore how this has impacted their own practice, various ways the practice can be done and how it becomes integrated into everything we do.One translation of the sutta on lovingkindness by Bhante Sujato: https://suttacentral.net/snp1.8/en/sujatoSupport the showGo to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
