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/

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161 episodes
Updated May 24

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Episodes161

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Jun 12, 2022 · 29 min
Working with Desires -- the wholesome and the unwholesome
Send us Fan Mail Desire 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 Emptiness Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Jun 5, 2022 · 27 min
The Non-Commandments-- the Buddha's teachings on Ethics
Send us Fan Mail Unlike 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 show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
May 29, 2022 · 26 min
The Meditation Industrial Complex- Part 1-- Making a living teaching meditation and dharma
Send us Fan Mail We 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 show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
May 22, 2022 · 27 min
Unconditional Friendliness?- It's a big Ask
Send us Fan Mail The 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/sujato Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
May 15, 2022 · 30 min
Learning How to Respond Appropriately to Tough Situations
Send us Fan Mail We'll discuss a recent example of self-immolation, as well as difficulties some of the Buddha's senior disciples had with serious illness. How do we face challenging situations in our personal lives and in society. It's going to be a pretty deep episode, but worth spending time with. Doug's YouTube episode Buddhism on Suicide and Euthanasia: https://youtu.be/a62ZgVWANz4 Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
May 8, 2022 · 29 min
Being an Investigative Reporter of Our Own Experience!
Send us Fan Mail In the Seven Factors of Awakening- one of the maps in the early teachings- Investigation is the second factor after Mindfulness. Doug and Jon speak discuss what it is we are investigating. What are the questions we can plant that bring insights into a new light. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
May 1, 2022 · 29 min
So Many Ways to See: The Buddhist Maps for Liberating the Mind
Send us Fan Mail In the early Buddhist teachings there are many, many lists! Quite a few of these provide different ways of exploring our experience. They are maps to liberate the mind. In this episode, we look at the some of these teachings and how they have helped our own practice. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Apr 24, 2022 · 25 min
Why do I Take Things so Personally? - More on Non-Self
Send us Fan Mail We'll discuss how the practice and realization of non-self in Buddhism helps us see through We don’t know about you, but seems like most of us can take everything so personally. This is an other form of suffering which the Buddha’s teachings attribute to clinging to self-view. It’s seems unavoidable until we start to hold to who we think we are a bit more lightly. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Apr 17, 2022 · 28 min
Who Am I Really? The Buddha's teaching on Non-Self
Send us Fan Mail Doug and Jon start a conversation on one of the most misunderstood and yet probably the most important of the Buddha’s teachings. The teaching of Anatta- usually defined as “non-self”. Join us as we as we try to clarify without adding more confusion. Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Apr 10, 2022 · 25 min
Dukkha: I Can't Get No Satisfaction!
Send us Fan Mail Dukkha: unsatisfactoriness, suffering, or just untranslated it's the difficulty that we find in our lives. We'll discuss how it's understood and experienced. How do you see it in your life? Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Apr 3, 2022 · 24 min
How Our Lives Change
Send us Fan Mail In this episode we'll discuss anicca or change and impermanence, how it effects our lives. Doug's recent experience with a house fire will provide a good example! Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Mar 27, 2022 · 27 min
Ignorance---It's not what you think!
Send us Fan Mail The last of the three poisons and the root of all dukkha. What is ignorance in Buddhism and how does it harm us? Leave comments or questions at our website: https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Mar 20, 2022 · 26 min
How Does Anger Show Up in Our Lives
Send us Fan Mail Anger, ill-will, hatred. What does the Buddha teach us about this and how does it change the way we deal with these powerful emotions. The sutta on the three types of people with anger: https://suttacentral.net/an3.132/en/sujato Check out our new website! https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Mar 13, 2022 · 28 min
Who Are You Calling Greedy?
Send us Fan Mail How does greed-- or desire-- arising in our lives? It's subtler than we think. What is greed, what are its effects, and how should we look skillfully at our intentions so as to defuse it? Check out our new website! https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Mar 6, 2022 · 26 min
Integrating Mindfulness Into Our Lives
Send us Fan Mail What have we discovered as mindfulness and meditation have been integrated into our lives? We share lots of tips! Check out our new website! https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Feb 27, 2022 · 28 min
What is Mindfulness?
Send us Fan Mail These days with the overuse of the word "mindfulness" we look at what the early teachings tell us about this practice and how it relates to the “modern mindfulness movement”. Check out our new website! https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Feb 20, 2022 · 26 min
Why Meditate?
Send us Fan Mail It's a good question, why do we meditate anyway? In this episode we discuss the technicalities of meditation and what it really is in relationship to the practices in the early Buddhist teachings. Check out our new website! https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Feb 13, 2022 · 26 min
What Are Our Practices?
Send us Fan Mail We discuss our own meditation practices. What do we do? For how long? What are our default practices? Check out our new website! https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Feb 6, 2022 · 21 min
Thich Nhat Hanh and "Engaged Buddhism"
Send us Fan Mail With the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh we reflect upon his importance in Buddhism as well as his focus on a practice that engages with social and political problems in the world. Check out our new website: https://digginthedharma.com/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/
Jan 13, 2022 · 25 min
What Brought Us to Buddhism
Send us Fan Mail As we initiate our podcast, in these first few episodes we introduce ourselves, how we came to Buddhist practice, what meditation brings to our lives and what it can bring to yours. How did Buddhism become part of your life? We will discuss how it became part of ours. You can find Jon at: https://www.jonaaron.net/ https://www.space2meditate.com/ You can find Doug at: https://www.youtube.com/c/dougsdharma https://onlinedharma.org/ Support the show Go to our website to leave a comment, buy us a coffee, or see further notes and links: https://digginthedharma.com/