Pragmatic Buddhism

Who are you, really? In this Dharma talk, Danielle unpacks the Buddha’s teaching of the Five Aggregates, showing how our sense of “self” is built from changing parts: body, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. With warmth and humor, she reminds us that sometimes the thoughts we take so seriously are just… thoughts.

In this episode of Pragmatic Buddhism , Curtis from the Columbus sangha gives his first dharma talk exploring Loving-Kindness (Metta). Not as a feeling we wait for, but as a practice we cultivate. Through reflection and meditation, we learn how to extend compassion to ourselves, to those we love, and even to those we find difficult, creating ripples of peace that reach far beyond our own hearts.

When the Buddha told the Kalamas not to believe something just because it’s written, taught, or widely accepted, he was teaching more than skepticism — he was teaching discernment. In this episode, Danielle from the St Louis sangha unpacks how the Kalama Sutta invites us to question wisely, test truth through experience, and embody a mindful confidence rooted in understanding, not belief.

Every moment is a gate to awakening but most of us rush past it. In this talk, Glenn from the Columbus sangha considers how a single moment of presence can reveal the nature of awareness itself. Through simplicity and attention, we rediscover what it means to truly be here.

How do you know if a teaching is true? Try it and see if it works. In this episode, Danielle introduces pragmatism, the philosophy that shapes Pragmatic Buddhism. With the St Louis sangha, we explore how to test Buddhist ideas through lived experience, why daily rituals matter, and how even brushing your teeth can become a practice in presence.

Like jazz, the Dharma is an art of listening, responding, and letting go. In this episode of Pragmatic Buddhism , Joe from the Columbus sangha reflects on what Buddhist practice shares with musical improvisation: trust, awareness, and the courage to meet each moment as it unfolds.

Why do things happen the way they do? In this talk by Josh from the St Louis sangha, we explore causality, one of Buddhism’s most essential insights. Everything is connected: our suffering, our joy, our choices, and their outcomes. By seeing how cause and effect weave through our lives, we can act more skillfully and respond to the world with clarity and care.

Why is it so hard to show ourselves the same compassion we freely offer others? In this talk, Glenn from the Columbus sangha reflects on the “mirror of rigorous self-honesty” and how it can open the door to self-compassion. Drawing on Suzuki Roshi’s phrase, “Everything is perfect, and it could always get better,” Glenn reflects on how to see ourselves clearly, accept the present moment fully, and...

Why do we suffer even when we’re doing everything “right”? In this conversation, Danielle and the St. Louis sangha reflect on craving, aversion, and delusion — and why they keep us stuck in cycles of dissatisfaction. From the middle way to Buddhism’s love of lists, we explore how practice helps us feel more content by accepting life as it is.

We started talking about the Four Ennobling Realities but this episode emerged as an honest conversation about craving and addiction. From grief to donuts to dating apps, Danielle and the St. Louis sangha explore how craving shapes our lives, why avoidance often makes things worse, and how Buddhist practice can open a path toward freedom and contentment.

What’s the difference between a “truth” and a “reality”? In this episode on the Four Ennobling Realities, Danielle explains why Pragmatic Buddhism shifts the language of the Four Noble Truths. Together, the St Louis sangha reflects on suffering, practice, and the power of words to open or close us to insight.

The Buddha said that being human means being shot with arrows of suffering. But too often, we keep stabbing ourselves with the same arrow. In this short talk, Joe from the Columbus sangha shares a candid reflection on how we relate to our pain, sometimes using it for attention, sometimes burying it, sometimes replaying it over and over. Through Buddhist practice, we can learn another way: compassi...

We’re often told to “be true to yourself” but what if the self isn’t a fixed thing at all? In this episode of Pragmatic Buddhism , Danielle reflects on enlightenment and the self, showing how our identities are shaped by experience, culture, and change. Together with the St. Louis sangha, we consider how seeing the self as a story can help us respond to life with more intention and less suffering.

When we meditate, reflect, and live more mindfully, the effects reach far beyond ourselves. In this conversation with the St. Louis sangha, Danielle explores enlightenment as a practice that balances self-care with service to others. Using stories, metaphors, and real-life examples, we reflect on how our drops of practice can help clear the pond for everyone.

What if enlightenment wasn’t something you achieved once and for all, but something you do ? In this talk, Danielle discusses awakening with the St Louis sangha as a living, ongoing process. Drawing from Buddhist teachings and everyday experience, we explore how seeing enlightenment as a verb can transform how we approach meditation, compassion, and the choices we make each day.

Enlightenment can sound mysterious, even unreachable. But in Buddhism, realization isn’t about becoming perfect — it’s about seeing clearly. In this conversation with the St Louis sangha, Danielle unpacks what realization means, how it differs from popular myths about enlightenment, and how our practice can help us recognize moments of awakening in daily life.

What if the “self” you defend, protect, and try to perfect isn’t as solid as it seems? In this conversation with the St. Louis sangha, Danielle unpacks the Buddhist teaching of not-self (anatta), the third of the Three Marks of Existence. Together, we explore how this insight can help us relate to ourselves and others with more openness, less fear, and deeper compassion.

We all want to avoid pain, boredom, and disappointment but these feelings are part of life. In Buddhism, this is called dukkha, the second of the Three Marks of Existence. In this conversation with the St. Louis sangha, Danielle unpacks what dukkha really means, why it’s more than just “suffering,” and how accepting its place in the human experience can actually free us to enjoy life more fully.

Everything changes yet we often resist it. In this episode of Pragmatic Buddhism , Danielle explores the Buddhist teaching of impermanence and why embracing change can bring freedom from fear and clinging. Recorded live with the St. Louis sangha, this talk offers practical ways to see impermanence not as loss, but as life’s natural flow.

Everything changes. Stress is part of life. And the “self” isn’t as solid as it seems. In this opening episode of Pragmatic Buddhism , sociologist and Buddhist teacher Danielle joins the St. Louis sangha to explore the Three Marks of Existence — impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self — and how these core Buddhist teachings can help us meet change with clarity, compassion, and mindfulness.