<p><em>New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.</em></p> <p><br /></p> <p>We all know that change is inevitable and impermanence is non-negotiable. But somehow it can feel surprising, maybe even wrong, when we personally hit turbulence. The Buddha had a lot to say about this, and so does our guest. </p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Kaira Jewel Lingo</strong> is a Dharma teacher who has a lifelong interest in blending spirituality and meditation with social justice. Having grown up in an ecumenical Christian community where families practiced a new kind of monasticism and worked with the poor, at the age of twenty-five she entered a Buddhist monastery in the Plum Village tradition and spent fifteen years living as a nun under the guidance of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. She received Lamp Transmission from Thich Nhat Hanh and became a Zen teacher in 2007, and is also a teacher in the Vipassana Insight lineage through Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Today she sees her work as a continuation of the Engaged Buddhism developed by Thich Nhat Hanh as well as the work of her parents, inspired by their stories and her dad's work with Martin Luther King Jr. on desegregating the South. </p> <p><br /></p> <p>In addition to writing <a href="https://www.parallax.org/product/we-were-made-for-these-times/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>We Were Made for These Times: Skilfully Moving through Change, Loss and Disruption</em></a><em>,</em> she is also the editor of Thich Nhat Hanh's <a href="https://www.parallax.org/product/planting-seeds-practicing-mindfulness-with-children/#product-content" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children</em></a>. Now based in New York, she teaches and leads retreats internationally, provides spiritual mentoring, and interweaves art, play, nature, racial and earth justice, and embodied mindfulness practice in her teaching. She especially feels called to share the Dharma with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, as well as activists, educators, youth, artists, and families. Her newest book, co-written with Marisela B. Gomez and Valerie Brown, is <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/healing-our-way-home-black-buddhist-teachings-on-ancestors-joy-and-liberation-valerie-brown/20067414?ean=9781952692642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation.</em></a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>In this episode we talk about:</strong></p> <ul> <li>waking up to what's happening right now</li> <li>trusting the unknown (easier said than done) </li> <li>A Buddhist list called the five remembrances </li> <li>how gratitude helps us in times of disruption</li> <li>And accepting what is (and why this is different from resignation or passivity)</li> </ul> <p><br /></p> <p><em>Please note: There are brief mentions of domestic violence, abuse, the suffering of refugees, and war in this episode</em>.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Related Episodes:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.happierapp.com/podcast/tph/kaira-jewel-lingo-news" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3 Buddhist Strategies for When the News is Overwhelming | Kaira Jewel Lingo</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.happierapp.com/podcast/tph/kaira-jewel-lingo-363" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How to Keep Your Relationships On the Rails | Kaira Jewel Lingo</a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Sign up for Dan's weekly newsletter</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3QtGRqJ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Follow Dan on social:</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Instagram</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>TikTok</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Ten Percent Happier online</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/46TZglY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>bookstore</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Subscribe to our</strong> <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>YouTube Channel</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Our favorite playlists on:</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3Qa8kMT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Anxiety</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3MjtMxF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Sleep</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QvyA5J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Relationships</strong></a><strong>,</strong> <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QxZASc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Most Popular Episodes</strong></a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Full Shownotes:</strong> <a href="https://www.happierapp.com/podcast/tph/kaira-jewel-lingo-390" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.happierapp.com/podcast/tph/kaira-jewel-lingo-390</a></p> <p><br /></p> <p><strong>Additional Resources:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Download the Ten Percent Happier app today: <a href="https://10percenthappier.app.link/install" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://10percenthappier.app.link/install</a></li> </ul> <p><br /></p>
Actionable Insights
1. Recognize Your Innate Preparedness
Believe that you already possess everything needed to navigate current challenges and be a force for transformation. Avoid feeling intimidated or overwhelmed by difficulties, and instead, trust in your inherent capacity to adapt and move with the flow of life.
2. Embrace Tough Times
When facing difficulties, recognize that you are exactly where you need to be and possess the necessary resources to navigate the situation. This perspective helps in moving through challenging periods.
3. Practice Acceptance, Not Resignation
When faced with difficult situations, accept “what is” to avoid creating tension, stress, and frustration, which only worsen the situation. This allows you to engage with patience and firmness, see others’ humanity, and ultimately achieve more effective change.
4. Practice Five Daily Remembrances
Regularly reflect on the five truths: you will grow old, get sick, die; you will be separated from loved ones; and your actions are your only true belongings. This practice desensitizes you to fear, encourages living fully in the present, and helps you prepare for a good death.
5. Cultivate Gratitude Amidst Difficulty
Actively seek and acknowledge things to be grateful for, even during challenging times, to create more space and lightness. This practice acts as an antidote to overwhelm, shifts emotions, and resources you to face pain with greater strength.
6. Embrace Unknown’s Infinite Possibilities
Cultivate comfort with not knowing what the future holds, viewing it as a source of infinite possibilities rather than a deficit. Letting go of the need to control or define your identity in advance can bring peace and happiness.
7. Anchor in the Present Moment
When experiencing tumult or anxiety, consciously bring your attention to the present by taking a breath, feeling your feet and hands, or noticing clothing on your skin. This creates space for more than strong emotions and provides an anchor to what is real and supportive.
8. Care for the Present Moment
Focus your attention and care on what is happening right now, rather than rushing or sacrificing the present to control future outcomes. By doing so, you wisely influence the future and avoid unnecessary stress.
9. Engage Fully in Mundane Tasks
Approach every task, no matter how simple (e.g., feeding a pet, sweeping, typing an email), with full care and attention, as if it were a sacred act. This prevents rushing, improves the quality of the present, and shapes a more desirable future.
When facing profound uncertainty or insecurity, rely on the simple realities of the present moment, such as your breath, your steps, and your immediate awareness. Recognize that these fundamental elements are sufficient for peace and well-being.
11. Support Others During Turmoil
Even when in a desperate or uncertain situation, actively seek ways to support, care for, and lift up others. This outward focus can foster inner light, grace, and dignity, transforming a victim mentality.
12. Set Intentions for Daily Actions
Before performing routine tasks, like feeding a pet, pause to set a positive intention for the action. This practice can transform mundane moments into opportunities for care and connection, making the experience more meaningful.
13. Embrace Individuation Challenges
Step outside protective structures and meet the world as an individual, even if it means facing new responsibilities and loneliness, as this process can lead to personal growth and understanding.