Adventures in Buddhism

What does it mean to "be" enlightened? In this episode, which Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan gave on Bodhi Day, 2021, he talks about the seven factors of enlightenment and how we might use them as a blueprint for enlightened living. 

The Buddha was once asked, "Are you a god?" And he answered, "I am awake." In this talk, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan discusses how a human being just like us became the awakened one, and what it means to us and our spiritual lives. This talk was given a few days before Bodhi Day, 2021. 

Can you be Buddhist and Jewish, Christian, Muslim, etc.? Can one practice more than one religion at once? A number of people attempt to add Buddhism to the religion of their family or their culture. Is it possible to do and do it well? In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about some ways this might work. 

A monk--a former king--sat in the forest meditating and exclaiming, "What bliss!" He had let go of a life of kingly status, and in return received heavenly bliss. In this episode, Sense Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about the Buddhist principle of renunciation--of letting go of short term gratification in favor of long term happiness. 

After a dharma talk, Sensei Morris typically opens the floor for questions about Buddhist practice. In this episode, he shares some of the results of those question and answer periods. 

Many people are compassionate toward others, but have trouble extending that same compassion toward themselves. In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about the myth of self-esteem and about how to create self-compassion instead. 

Many people come to Buddhism looking for meditation and special practices. But the first lesson in Buddhism is one of the first lessons many of us receive as children--it is important to share. In this episode, Sensei Morris talks about some of the ways to develop a giving heart, and the way we will benefit spiritually as a result. 

When exploring your spiritual path, how can you tell if you're on the right track? In this episode, Sensei Morris talks about the Buddha's advice on how to tell if your spiritual path was taking you somewhere worth going. 

Of course, spiritual practice is an important matter. However, the ability to laugh--and especially to laugh at ourselves--is an important skill to bring along on our spiritual journey. Even the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu consider it essential to living a joyful life. In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about not taking ourselves too seriously. 

Time, and awareness of its preciousness, is an important topic in Buddhist teachings. In this episode, Sensei Morris talks about how to be mindful of time in a way that supports and encourages spiritual growth. 

At one time or another, almost everyone has been harmed by someone else. Often, we carry the weight of this harm long after any physical damage is healed. In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about how to begin the healing process by practicing forgiveness. 

Mindfulness is a big buzz-word these days, but there's a related idea we can call "heedfulness" that the Buddha considered supremely important. In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan shares a story about Sariputta and heedfulness, and then a dharma talk he gave on the subject. 

In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about the fifth factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Livelihood. 

Many people don't think of Buddhism as a faith tradition--the Buddha was a human being who realized something we can realize if we do the things he did. But faith and worship are still important elements to Buddhism. In Episode 26, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about how faith and worship align with practice to lead to liberation. 

In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan tells a story about an unusual lesson in charity Mogallana gave, and then shares a dharma talk on the benefits of being authentic. 

In this episode, Sensei Morris talks about a time when Sariputta showed his compassion for the poor and neglected people in society, and then shares his conversation with Chenxing Han, the author of Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists .

The Buddha was at times referred to as "the Tathagata," and that term appears in Buddhist scripture and liturgy almost universally across traditions. In this episode, Sensei Morris discusses its meaning and how we might apply Tathagata to our practice. 

Sometimes Buddhist practice can seem abstract, or too geared toward monasticism. But the Buddha gave his teachings to people from all walks of life, not just monks or spiritual strivers. He talked to everyone from kings to soldiers and farmers. We can use these teachings to live more skillfully, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. 

Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis is a licensed psychologist in Australia, mental health counselor in New York, and noted speaker and teacher on the subject of Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy. Her late husband, Albert Ellis PhD, developed Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy in the 1950s, and his books on the subject had an enormous influence on the science of psychology and the mental health profession. REBT...

In this episode, Sensei Morris talks about a time when Mogallana's compassion for his mother led to an event still observe by Buddhists around the world today, and then shares a dharma talk he gave at White Sands Buddhist Center on the importance of compassion. 

In this episode, Sensei Morris relates a time when the Buddha helped Mogallana cope with drowsiness during meditation. He then shares a dharma talk about the third jewel of Buddhist practice, the sangha, and the way being together as a community helps us strengthen our own practice and that of others, too. 

In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about an occasion when Mogallana used his powers to help a group of overly boisterous monks awaken. He then shares another adventure story of a more personal nature, with instructions on how to awaken your own abilities. 

In this episode, Sensei Morris talks about an analogy Sariputta once used to describe the essentials of awakening, and then interviews Bharat Jhunjuhnwala, economist, journalist and author of "Common Prophets of Jews, Christians, Muslims and Hindus," about economics and his hopes for cooperation between Indian and Abrahamic faiths.  

In this episode, Sensei Morris Doshin Sullivan talks about a time when the Buddha rebuked Sariputta for stopping short of helping a student fully realize the spiritual path, and then shares a dharma talk--one given outdoors, accompanied by singing cicadas and passing trains--about how we can develop our own paths more fully. 

In this episode, Sensei Morris talks about one of the fruits of Buddhist practice that Sariputta experienced, then shares a dharma talk at White Sands Buddhist Center that looks at questions like "What good does it do me to meditate?" and "What does it mean to be enlightened?"