We are living in a nation that is deeply fragmented along lines of political affiliation and ideology, race, class, religion, immigration status, and more. For the last few years, it seems that our government is at a standstill, with the divides so sharply defined that it is impossible to move forward. There have been very few attempts to bridge the divides; but, in our experience and in the research we have seen, a collective capacity to bridge the divides seems to be the only viable path to a sustainable future for our species. Our point of view is that recognizing, centering, investing in, and trusting in our common humanity, as the basis for community, is the essence of love. Is this the way it needs to be, with conflicting sides, winners and losers in a zero-sum game, or is there another way forward? When others’ beliefs and opinions differ from our own, it can be challenging to listen and be curious as to why people believe what they do. Yet, when we are able to truly hear each other, we can begin to see our common humanity and shared needs. But how do we do this? What are some of the perspectives and strategies we can use to bridge differences and connect with our common humanity? How can we overcome our resistance to extending compassion to others, even those we think of as threats or as enemies? What are the limits to bridging differences and extending compassion? Are there times that we shouldn’t try to bridge, or extend our compassion? In this episode of the Unlocking True Happiness podcast, we delve into these questions, discussing the opportunities and challenges of broadening our compassion and bridging differences.

Deborah Eden Tull speaks to Tenzin Chogkyi is this deep and heartfelt conversation after losing her home, and almost losing her life, in Hurricane Helene. Eden speaks to her spiritual experience of the "lifequakes" that remind us of impermanence by truly shaking our sense of security.

Back by popular demand, Deborah Eden Tull joins Tenzin for a timely conversation about how to hold space and stay present in deeply challenging times. Recorded at the beginning of the renewed conflict between Israel and Hamas, this episode shares deep insight on how we can navigate polarization and difficulty with compassion and engagement with our shared humanity.

We're often led to believe that our highly-structured, thinking-oriented sides are what make us human, that "hard work" is of value above all else, and that play is simply something that young children do. However, research shows that play has incredible power is developing social bonds, fostering creativity, sparking joy and even helping to make positive changes to our epigenetics. In this episode, Tenzin explores the many types of play, the positives benefits, and how we can bring a sense of play to our own spiritual practice to make it more joyful.

No matter how mindful we are of our thoughts, speech and actions, being human means that we can sometimes act unwisely or hurt someone's feelings. Whether these mistakes are unintentional or not, they can lead to rifts in our relationships; and ultimately damage both our own contentment, as well as the cohesion of our community. In this episode, Tenzin shares the power of apologizing as a roadmap for forgiveness, healing and reconciliation; and then leads a reflection on the impact of both giving and receiving a wholehearted apology.

Join Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers, and Tenzin for the second part of their conversation about Nina’s new book and her important work (listen to our first conversation in Episode 34 of the Unlocking True Happiness podcast). In this conversation, Nina and Tenzin discuss intersecting systems of oppression and how they have led to our environmental crisis, and how we can get out of our multiple crises through relational collective engagement. And when this seems like unrelenting hard work, and we’re even afraid to engage, we must prioritize rest and rejuvenation, joy and play as a way to keep our work in the world sustainable. Nina also discusses her upcoming projects, including a “Sacred Activism” training she will be offering in collaboration with Eden Tull, another guest on our podcast. We hope you enjoy this conversation!

In this episode, Tenzin speaks to Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers and author of Nature, Culture and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership.

In this episode, Tenzin explores the many gifts that gratitude can bring to our lives, helping to offset our natural negativity bias and bring more richness to our experiences and our relationships. She then shares some simple ideas on how we can cultivate our own practice of gratitude with an experiential meditation.

In this episode, Tenzin continued her conversation with Zen meditation teacher, author, activist and sustainability educator Deborah Eden Tull, continuing a rich conversation about her new book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown. Darkness is deeply misunderstood in today’s world; yet it offers powerful medicine, serenity, strength, healing, and regeneration. All insight, vision, creativity, and revelation arise from darkness. It is through learning to stay present and meet the dark with curiosity rather than judgment that we connect to an unwavering light within. Welcoming darkness with curiosity, rather than fear or judgment, enables us to access our innate capacity for compassion and collective healing. Tull shows us how the labeling of darkness as “negative” becomes a collective excuse to justify avoiding everything that makes us uncomfortable: racism, spiritual bypass, environmental destruction. We can only find the radical path to wholeness by learning to embrace the interplay of both darkness and light.

This month, we are excited to have Sara Schairer, compassion educator, as our guest. Sara Schairer is the founder and executive director of Compassion It®, a nonprofit organization and global social movement whose mission is to inspire daily compassionate actions and attitudes.  A facilitator of the Compassion Cultivation Training® (CCT) course, Sara leads trainings for audiences of all walks of life, from corporate executives to inmates at correctional facilities.

Mindfulness meditation has become wildly popular in the last decade or two, and is taught in places as diverse as corporate board rooms, maximum security prisons, and everywhere in between. One of the standard definitions of mindfulness is “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” according Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of the popular program Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.

The Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron says, in relation to contemplative practice, “We are being encouraged to remain open to the present groundless moment, to a direct, unarmored participation with our experience… How many of us feel ready to interrupt our habitual patterns, our almost instinctual ways of getting comfortable?” Many of us find the experience of groundlessness to be profoundly uncomfortable, and in the last few years we’ve experienced this feeling to an accelerated degree, with the changes brought about by the pandemic, the global financial crisis, political unrest, and so on. How do we remain open and view groundlessness as a gift, see the potential inherent in it, and embrace it? Join Tenzin Chogkyi and Mathew Divaris to explore the theme of groundlessness and how to bring it into the spiritual path.

FULL EXTENDED EPISODE Darkness is deeply misunderstood in today’s world; yet it offers powerful medicine, serenity, strength, healing, and regeneration. All insight, vision, creativity, and revelation arise from darkness. It is through learning to stay present and meet the dark with curiosity rather than judgment that we connect to an unwavering light within. Welcoming darkness with curiosity, rather than fear or judgment, enables us to access our innate capacity for compassion and collective healing. Join us as we interview Zen meditation and mindfulness teacher, author, activist, and sustainability educator Deborah Eden Tull about her new book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown.  Tull shows us how the labeling of darkness as “negative” becomes a collective excuse to justify avoiding everything that makes us uncomfortable: racism, spiritual bypass, environmental destruction. We can only find the radical path to wholeness by learning to embrace the interplay of both darkness and light.

Darkness is deeply misunderstood in today’s world; yet it offers powerful medicine, serenity, strength, healing, and regeneration. All insight, vision, creativity, and revelation arise from darkness. It is through learning to stay present and meet the dark with curiosity rather than judgment that we connect to an unwavering light within. Welcoming darkness with curiosity, rather than fear or judgment, enables us to access our innate capacity for compassion and collective healing. Join us as we interview Zen meditation and mindfulness teacher, author, activist, and sustainability educator Deborah Eden Tull about her new book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown.  RADIO VERSION Tull shows us how the labeling of darkness as “negative” becomes a collective excuse to justify avoiding everything that makes us uncomfortable: racism, spiritual bypass, environmental destruction. We can only find the radical path to wholeness by learning to embrace the interplay of both darkness and light.

What is the role of joy on the spiritual path? The bodhisattva path and the path of compassion require us to have an awareness of the suffering of beings – are joy and compassion contradictory? Or can joy be used to sustain our spiritual path and practice? Join us for an exploration of the theme of joy on the spiritual path with Tenzin Chogkyi, who will draw from sources as diverse as 8th Century Indian master Shantideva, research psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and poet Ross Gay.

Our emotions bring us our greatest joys and our deepest sorrows. We wouldn't survive without them, and yet they can also cause us to harm others and ourselves. What is the purpose of emotions, and how can we cultivate more emotional balance? Join us for this conversation with well-known emotions researcher and educator, Dr. Eve Ekman, as we explore these questions. We will also discuss the role of contemplative practice, how our emotions are influenced by our position in the social hierarchy, and Dr. Ekman's "go-to" emotional regulation strategies.

The motto of the United States, E pluribus unum (“Out of Many, One”) speaks to a pluralistic democracy with protections for every citizen, and a freedom from the religious tyranny that gripped much of Europe during the time of the country’s founding. Yet, for many, this promise is being undermined by a small segment of the population insistent on superimposing its own moral values onto the wider population, resulting in a number of recent reversals that unwind decades of civil rights progress. In this conversation, Ven Tenzin shares how we can help foster understanding and compassion in an increasingly polarized civic climate by recognizing the common humanity in our fellow citizens, while at the same time holding our ground.

In these uncertain times, our roles as individuals in the sweeping events washing over the world stage can feel deeply unclear, sometimes frightening and frequently overwhelming.  It is tempting to respond to these often painful situations by vacillating between anger and complacency. Buddhist teachings can offer insight into accepting “what is” while developing the capacity for equanimity and the courage for wise action.  Join Ven Tenzin Chogkyi and Mathew Divaris in a lively conversation originally aired on KSQD Santa Cruz where we navigate the nuances of accepting where we are, while cultivating a wish for positive transformation and avoiding the traps of striving and complacency.

The concept of Right Speech (or "Skillful Speech") is core to many Buddhist teachings about how to live an ethical life and avoid causing harm. In our hyperconnected world, our ability to communicate beyond face-to-face has increased exponentially, and navigating our own speech (and written words) is important because of the wide-ranging ramifications that our words can have on others, as well as on our own minds. In this talk and meditation, Ven Tenzin takes us through the practical advice given in the traditional teachings so that we can exercise our communication with skill and compassion.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has often commented that the foundation of Buddhist practice is cultivating a good heart. As important as mindfulness and concentration meditations are within the Buddhist tradition, it is crucial to balance such practices with the cultivation and development of altruism, good will and care. The practice of the Four Immeasurables is the ideal technique for achieving this goal. The Four Immeasurables, or the Four Brahmaviharas, as they are called in the Pali tradition, are loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These characteristics are essential qualities that when developed lead to constructive emotions, well-being and genuine happiness. Join Ven. Tenzin and host Mathew Divaris for a conversation about these universal human values, how to develop them, obstacles that may arise, and how they support each other.