Learn Buddhism with Alan Peto

Two seemingly unrelated festivals have a Buddhist connection: The Hungry Ghosts Festival and the Ullambana Festival (also called Sangha Day). Both go back to the time of the Buddha where he gave instruction to one of his most revered disciples on how to help his mother who had passed away and was in the hungry ghosts realm. We celebrate today using the same instruction as the Buddha: support the s...

Blessings are a beautiful and important part of Buddhism, but they can often be confused with merits. Learn about what blessings are, how they are invoked, and how to integrate into your Buddhist practice. Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcast Podcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer

The third installment of questions asked by you! - "How can I integrate the practice with my day-to-day life as a westerner?" - "Can I become a Buddhist if I drink or smoke socially?" - "How can you create karma with outflows?" - "Is it ok to mix Buddhist traditions, I was told it's best to stick to one, but I follow two." Have a question for a future ep...

Buddhists have "virtues" they uphold on their path towards enlightenment and nirvana. What is wonderful about the virtues is that they are meant to be practiced and upheld in everyday life! Learn about nine (9) Buddhist virtues in this episode, why they are important, and how to practice them. Wisdom. Ethical Conduct Patience Generosity Loving-kindness (Metta) Compassion (Karuna) Sympath...

What are all the 'realms of rebirth' in Buddhism (and "Samsara" or the "Cycle of Rebirth")? And what do they mean to you as a layperson Buddhist practitioner? Are they real? Are they a state of mind? Let's explore! Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 08:00 The Hell Realm 10:08 The Animal Realm 11:40 The Hungry Ghosts Realm 14:56 The Human Realm 19:11 The Titans or Asuras R...

Learn Buddhist Mindfulness Breathing! Want to do breathing meditation like the Buddha? It's known as Ānāpānasati / Ānāpānasmṛti but is commonly referred to as "mindfulness of breathing". And it can be as straightforward as that. (Jump to 17:20 minutes in this episode for the meditation session; view all the chapters below) You are observing the breath without control, force, judgemen...

The Diamond Sutra is the 'diamond' or 'lightening bolt' that cuts through 'illusion' that helps us become enlightened. It is one of the most well respected sutras in all of Mahayana Buddhism and found practiced widely in Zen/Ch'an traditions. Learn more about it in this episode and how to apply it to your daily life and practice! Free eBook by Venerable Master Hsing Yun...

I received so many questions related to Buddhism, I have another episode! Learn what I think about these questions! Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:20 - How much time does it take to reach nirvana? 03:17 - How can I take the Triple Gem if there is no temple or master in my country - can I do it on my own? 05:33 - Can I be a Buddhist and also believe in God or Gods 08:14 - Is having a family enco...

What is "Western Buddhism"? Practiced outside of Asia where Buddhism is traditionally practiced, Western countries have been adopting Buddhism, but often in different nuanced ways. Let's explore what Western Buddhism means, some misconceptions Westerners have about Buddhism, and how we can practice Buddhism authentically as Buddhists! Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepa...

Did you know the Buddha was once a baby? Learn about the Buddha's birth, and how we celebrate the Buddha's birthday in May! Read the article: https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/buddha-birthday/ and https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/buddha-mothers-day/ Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcast Podcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer

Buddhist altars are an important part of Buddhist practice. Let's explore why they are important, what they do, how we build them, and where to place them. Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcast Podcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer

The most popular Bodhisattva is Avalokiteśvara  (Guan Yin, Kannon, etc.). Because they are known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion and can be called upon, you see Avalokiteśvara as the one Bodhisattva that most Buddhists know and love. Get an introduction to this Bodhisattva in my latest episode! Read the article: https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/bodhisattva-path/ Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Po...

I'm answering YOUR questions about Buddhism in this episode! Recently I asked on my social media if anyone had questions about Buddhism and here are a few of those questions that I answered. Be on the lookout for me asking again or simply message me from my website. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:30 Do Monastics Have a Better Chance at Nirvana Over Laypersons? 05:13 Buddhism and Vegetarian? 1...

What did the Buddha "awaken" to 2,600 years ago? It was "Dependent Origination"! This teaching is so fundamental to Buddhism, that it is where all the other things we focus on, such as karma, rebirth, five aggregates/skandhas, not self, etc., come from. Learn more about Dependent Origination in this episode! Get my FREE eBook on Buddhism (and check out the Dependent Origination...

Want to try something special for your Buddhist practice this year? Mix in a monthly focus that compliments your daily practice! Join me in incorporating the Threefold Training throughout the year and be exposed to different Buddhist practices. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:30 The Eightfold Path & Threefold Training 02:00 The 12 Month Plan 03:27 Wisdom 11:26 Conduct & Morality 19:00 Conc...

Can a Western Buddhist participate in Western holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving? What about Buddhist or country specific holidays? Let's explore in this episode! Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:05 Western Buddhism and Western holidays 00:30 should I engage in Western holidays? 01:22 finding Buddhism in western holidays 01:55 the path as a Buddhist with western holidays 03:15 Buddhist qua...

How can you, as a lay-Buddhist, "be like The Buddha" in your daily life? Here are my five observations about the Buddha and his life that we can incorporate into our life! 00:00 - Introduction 05:00 - Mindfulness 10:18 - Generosity 13:08 - Precepts 18:00 - Compassion 21:22 - Concentration 25:18 - Conclusion Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcast Podcast...

Did you know the Buddha was "super"? He had supernatural and supranormal abilities. But this was something he didn't see as central to Buddhism, but as a consequence of meditative concentration. Yet, it is a key part of skillful means in Buddhism where the Buddha (and also Buddhas and Bodhisattvas) used these abilities in many ways to aid others with the path in Buddhism and achieving liberation....

The most chanted, studied, and copied sutra in the Buddhist world is the Heart Sutra. Found in most traditions that follow Mahayana Buddhism (the path of the Bodhisattva) chant this sutra daily. It teaches the profound nature of Prajna or supreme wisdom into the nature of "emptiness" and the teaching of not-self so that fear is ended, enlightenment achieved, and Nirvana realized. Contact...

Mahayana Buddhism makes up the largest branch of Buddhism, and they follow the "Bodhisattva Path". What is that and why is it so important to them? A Bodhisattva is an enlightened being that practices for themselves and others and makes great vows to eventually become a Buddha. It provided a way for all people, not just monastics, to actively progress on the Buddhist path. Read the artic...

Impermanence in Buddhism is so important and central to our practice that we can't ignore it. However, it is also a very hard concept to understand. The Buddha essentially said that all conditioned things (that includes you and me) are every changing, impermanent, and interdependent on other things to exist. Because our existence is temporary in nature, thus impermanence, it is of the nature t...

Do Buddhists "repent"? Yes! And it's not what you think. Repentance in Buddhism is a fundamental part of Buddhist practice because it helps us "get out" the misdeed/transgression of the five precepts we created so that we can understand why, ask for help, and set an aspiration of action and cultivation of good deeds. This is important because morality/conduct is part of the...

Check out episode three (3) of this podcast for the first part! In this new episode, I talk about more misconceptions you may have heard about Buddhism in the West. Here are the misconceptions covered in this episode: "The Buddha was just a regular guy", "There are no gods in Buddhism", "The Pali Canon in Theravada is the oldest", "Zen is not part of Mahayana&quo...

One of the most important teachings in Buddhism is that of the "Three Fires" or "Three Poisons" of greed, anger, and ignorance. Why? Because it is the cause of our unwholesome karma keeps us trapped in the cycle of rebirth, which the Buddha said is Dukkha ("suffering"). The absence of the Three Fires is Nirvana...our true natural state and the goal of all Buddhists. L...

Hundreds of millions of Buddhist pray. But why? And more importantly, why should you pray as part of your Buddhist practice? Prayer in Buddhism is not the same as in other religions where you might be praying to a creator God or other being to have forgiveness, worship, or help. Instead, Buddhist prayer has many components and uses, one of which is showing devotion, respect, love, and reverence fo...