What We’re Listening To

GUIDED MEDITATION

“457: What’s Going On When You’re Procrastinating?,” Ten Percent Happier

What if procrastination isn’t something to overcome but an invitation to explore what’s causing us to distract ourselves? That’s the premise of this guided meditation by Jay Michaelson, a meditation teacher and senior content strategist at Ten Percent Happier. Whether you’re in the thick of doing everything but the task at hand or reflecting on a time when you lacked focus, Michaelson invites you to take stock of what is happening in the body and mind so you can get the task done (whatever it is).

DHARMA TALK

“Our Daily Practice with Human Suffering and Psychological Trauma,” Yuki Kobiyama

In this dharma talk, Yuki Kobiyama, a monastic at San Francisco Zen Center, explains how every kind of seed sown in our own mind becomes the circumstances of our life. Kobiyama, who grew up in Japan after World War II and was living in the US as a graduate student on September 11, 2001, reflects on these specific experiences, as well as how recent events have fostered worldwide violence and hatred, and how our daily Buddhist practices allow us to stand up to fear, suffering, and other challenges.

PODCAST SERIES

“59 Days of Healing,” Prajna Sparks

This podcast series takes on all 59 lojong (“mind training”) maxims in Seven Points for Healing Dualistic Mind, written by Kadampa Geshe Chekawa Yeshe Dorje in the 12th century CE. With one episode for each maxim, hosts Lama Yeshe and Prof. Tania Israel give contemporary commentary and tips on the slogans, which include “Train wholeheartedly” and “Don’t be a drama queen.” Practiced formally on the cushion and informally as we go about our day, the slogans help us shift from habitual ego-based thinking to the cultivation of bodhicitta.

PODCAST

“Dad Died by Euthanasia,” Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, episode 248

Palliative care and assisted dying are two healthcare issues long supported in Buddhist circles. But what would it be like to help your own father through the bureaucratic and emotional process of ending his life? Host Chris Gethard speaks with a woman about her elderly father, who is blind and has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and has attempted to take his life three times. The conversation includes the hurdles of accessing care in Canada, where assisted dying is legal, and how she prepared herself when her father’s death was suddenly scheduled.