The Modern Buddhism Podcast

Cameron Mathison on how he rebuilt his life after the LA fires, cancer, death, and divorceIn today’s episode, we’re delighted to welcome actor and talk show host Cameron Mathison, who shares his deeply personal journey—from success in the entertainment industry to discovering lasting inner peace through the teachings of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.Cameron opens up about a series of profound life challenges, including his battle with cancer, his mother’s dementia and passing, job loss, the breakdown of his marriage, and the devastating loss of his home in a fire—along with the memories it held.In this honest and inspiring conversation, he explains how meditation and Buddhist practice helped him not only navigate these hardships, but transform his experience—becoming happier, freer, and more resilient in the process.This is Part 1 of the conversation, with Part 2 coming soon.Chapters00:00 When Success Was Not Enough05:12 Discovering Kadampa Meditation10:18 Learning to Work With the Mind15:02 Practicing Dharma in the Entertainment Industry19:03 Kindness in Difficult Relationships23:48 Humility, Perspective & Real Success28:04 Accepting Change When Life Falls Apart32:10 Cancer, Loss & Major Life Challenges37:40 Training the Mind Through Hardship43:05 Relying on Sangha, Teacher & DharmaBook ReferencesHow To Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang GyatsoEight Steps To Happiness  by Geshe Kelsang GyatsoSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.Want More?Find a meditation center near you -https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zFollow the Modern Buddhism PodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7lgQNhbjMGoHOxBnjkfmK4#Kadampa #Buddhism #Meditation #GesheKelsangGyatso #HowToTransformYourLife #EightStepsToHappiness #ModernBuddhism #MindTraining #Lojong #InnerPeace #SpiritualGrowth #Meditation #MentalHealth #BuddhistWisdom #SelfTransformation

I Grieved for 20 Years… Until I Learned ThisWe are delighted to welcome back Gen Gomlam in this powerful episode. How do you transform the pain of loss into something life-enhancing? In this conversation, Gen Gomlam – a Buddhist nun and former hospice nurse – shares her deeply personal journey through grief, from the loss of her brother to the healing of her relationship with her father.Drawing on Buddha's teachings on the mind, she explores how attachment keeps us locked in pain, why grief isn't the badge of love we think it is, and how real happiness can only be found within.Whether you're navigating loss right now or simply want to understand your mind better, this conversation offers practical wisdom and genuine hope.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:24 Early Experiences With Loss04:11 Pain Comes From Our Reaction06:41 Understanding Attachment11:27 Prolonged Grief Is Attachment19:07 Love Doesn't Die When They Die20:36 Healing With Her Father27:02 Tara's Mantra and the Funeral31:03 Looking for Love vs. Loving Others34:00 Therapy, Dharma and Lasting ChangeBook ReferencesHow to Understand the Mind  by Geshe Kelsang GyatsoGen Kelsang Gomlam is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide.Want More?Find a meditation center near you:https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips:https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.Follow the Modern Buddhism PodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernbuddhismpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernbuddhismpodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@modernbuddhismpodcast#KadampaBuddhism #ModernBuddhism #GesheKelsangGyatso #Geshela #TrainTheMind #ModernLifeBuddhism #InnerPeace #MindTraining #KadampaLife #BuddhistPodcast #HappinessWithin #MeditationPractice #SpiritualJourney #NewKadampaTradition

In today’s episode, Kadam Adam speaks with Shelley about her journey through illness, business leadership, and spiritual transformation, explaining how facing cancer became a powerful wake-up call to re-examine her priorities. Drawing inspiration from the teachings of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, she reflects on the challenges of bringing compassion and wisdom into the workplace, especially when making difficult decisions such as letting staff go or navigating ethical dilemmas. She describes how meditation helped her develop a long-term perspective on happiness and success, and how applying Buddhist principles in daily life transformed not only her own mind but also the way she related to others. This episode shows how difficulties can become the fuel for spiritual growth and how, by training our mind with patience and compassion, we can find meaning and purpose even in the hardest moments.Chapters00:00 Facing Cancer & Wake-Up Call05:10 Business Career & Ethical Challenges10:40 Bringing Compassion Into Leadership16:20 Meditation in Everyday Decisions22:30 Long-Term View of Happiness28:00 Crisis as Spiritual Turning Point34:15 Discovering Kadampa Buddhism40:10 Applying Dharma in Daily Life46:00 Meaning, Purpose & Inner Change52:20 Advice for Modern PractitionersBook ReferencesModern Buddhismhttps://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhismHow to Transform Your Lifehttps://howtotyl.com/Want More?Find a meditation center near you:https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nktikbuSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.#KadampaBuddhism #GesheKelsangGyatso #MeditationInDailyLife #ModernBuddhism #SpiritualGrowth #MindTraining #CompassionInBusiness #OvercomingCancer #InnerPeace #CancerJourney #BuddhistWisdom #PersonalTransformation #MindfulnessPractice #MeaningOfLife #KadampaPodcast

In today’s episode, Gen Rinchung reflects on loss, grief, spiritual growth, and the transformative power of Dharma. Drawing on her personal experience of losing her brother at a young age and her subsequent search for meaning, she shares how this loss revealed there was something within herself that was causing her pain. Seeing how destructive mental states shaped her suffering set her on a quest to find a spiritual teacher—someone who could teach her about her mind and how to work with it.Meeting Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche profoundly changed her life. This episode explores how changing our mind is the only realistic way to change the world, bringing hope, purpose, and deep peace, and how authentic spiritual practice helps us live a more meaningful and compassionate life.Chapters00:00 Facing Death and Loss05:20 Losing Her Brother and Grief10:00 Spiritual Search and Meeting Venerable Geshe-la15:20 Meeting Venerable Geshe-la and Authentic Dharma20:02 Changing the Mind, Changing the World24:10 Meditation, Effort, and Stubbornness29:04 Ordination and Daily Commitment32:01 Goals, Prayer, and Letting GoBook ReferencesModern Buddhism: https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhismHow to Transform Your Life: https://howtotyl.com/Gen Rinchung is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide.Find a meditation center near you: https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clipsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nktikbuSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.#Kadampa #Grief #GesheKelsangGyatso #NewKadampaTradition #BuddhistWisdom #ModernBuddhism #Dharma #Meditation #Compassion #SpiritualGrowth #InnerPeace #MindTraining #GriefHealing #LifeMeaning #KadampaPodcast

In this episode, Gen Ananda explores the Buddhist practice of patience, understanding it as a profound practice of acceptance - not passive tolerance, but a powerful method for transforming anger, conflict, and emotional pain. Through real-life examples, personal stories, and Kadampa Buddhist wisdom, we learn how patience creates inner freedom, courage in difficult conversations, and a healthier way to meet conflict - without suppressing our feelings or fueling them. A deep, practical conversation on emotional maturity, forgiveness, and changing the world by changing the mind.Chapters00:00  Why Patience Matters05:20  Working with Anger & Emotional Triggers09:20 Courage, Conflict & Inner Freedom13:45  Conflict Without Drama17:20  Healthy Ways to Process Anger22:15  Meditation as Real-Life Training25:20  Conflict with the World & Society33:45  Forgiveness & Letting Go of Blame40:00  Healing Through Responsibility & InsightBook ReferencesModern Buddhism: https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhismHow to Transform Your Life: https://howtotyl.com/Gen Ananda is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide.Want More?Find a meditation center near you
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips
https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.Follow The Modern Buddhism PodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernbuddhismpodcast
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#Kadampa #Buddhism #Kadampa #Meditation #Patience #EmotionalHealing #InnerPeace #AngerManagement #SpiritualGrowth #MeditationPractice #MindTraining #RadicalAcceptance #Forgiveness #MentalHealth #ModernBuddhism #SelfDevelopment

In today’s episode, Gen Demo shares her journey of working with the mind through Kadampa Buddhism and how this practice has transformed her experience of happiness and meaning. Reflecting on her early encounters with Buddhist teachings, international festivals, and meeting Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, she explains how learning to observe and train the mind gradually shifted her priorities and sense of fulfillment. Gen Demo describes how ordination and daily practice helped her see that unhappiness is not caused by external conditions, but by the way the mind responds to them. Through practical examples and personal insight, she shows how difficulties can become opportunities for inner growth, and how cultivating a peaceful, flexible mind leads to a stable happiness that does not depend on circumstances. This episode highlights the Kadampa approach to modern life - using meditation, reflection, and compassion to turn everyday experiences into a meaningful spiritual path.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Training the Mind
05:40 Discovering Kadampa Buddhism
11:05 Meeting Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
17:10 Ordination and Kadampa Nun Life
23:20 Daily Meditation and Inner Change
29:15 Overcoming Problems with Buddhism
35:10 Mind Training in Everyday Life
41:05 Using Difficulties as the Path
47:00 Finding Meaning and Lasting Happiness


Book References
Modern Buddhism:
https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhismHow to Transform Your Life:
https://howtotyl.com/Gen Kelsang Demo is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide.
Want More?Find a meditation center near you
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips
https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.Follow The Modern Buddhism PodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernbuddhismpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernbuddhismpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@modernbuddhismpodcast
#NewKadampaTradition #KadampaMeditation #GesheKelsangGyatso #MentalHealthAndMeditation #AnxietyRelief #PanicAttacks #WatchingTheMind #BuddhistPsychology #InnerPeace #MeditationPractice #AcceptanceAndHealing #CompassionTraining #ModernBuddhism #MentalWellbeing #FindingPeace

In today’s episode, Gen Chogma shares her personal journey of working with anxiety and panic attacks, explaining how meditation transformed her relationship with her mind. Drawing on her lived experience and the teachings of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, she explains how intense feelings can seem overwhelmingly real, even when nothing is actually wrong externally, and why it is so important to control our mind—otherwise, it can easily deceive us.Through clear, honest examples from everyday life, she explores how learning to watch the mind helps us recognize the early stages of anxiety, create inner space, and gradually regain a sense of control. Rather than suppressing difficult emotions, this episode shows how gently pacifying the mind allows thoughts and feelings to settle naturally, like waves calming on an ocean.This conversation highlights a deeply practical approach to meditation and mental training that many people will find beneficial.Chapters00:00 Panic, Anxiety, and First Meditation05:30 Learning to Watch the Mind11:00 Feelings, Fear, and Deceptive Appearances16:30 Acceptance, Impermanence, and Loss22:00 Using Suffering to Grow Compassion27:30 Anxiety, Modern Life, and Mental Tools32:30 Watching the Mind in Daily Life37:45 Shifting from Self to OthersBook References

In this episode Gen Kelsang Chogma references :

How to Understand the Mind https://kadampa.org/books/how-to-understand-the-mindModern Buddhism 
https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhismHow to Transform Your Life
 https://howtotyl.com/Gen Chogma is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide.

Want More?Find a meditation center near you
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips
https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.Follow The Modern Buddhism PodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernbuddhismpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernbuddhismpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@modernbuddhismpodcast
#NewKadampaTradition #KadampaMeditation #GesheKelsangGyatso #MentalHealthAndMeditation #AnxietyRelief #PanicAttacks #WatchingTheMind #BuddhistPsychology #InnerPeace #MeditationPractice #AcceptanceAndHealing #CompassionTraining #ModernBuddhism #MentalWellbeing #FindingPeace

WHY OUR OWN THOUGHTS THAT SCARE US - & HOW TO FACE THEMIn today’s episode, Kadam Lucy James explores the challenges of modern life and the difficulty many people face in keeping their mind peaceful. Drawing on her experience and the teachings of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, she explains how our minds are often dominated by uncontrolled, anxious, or judgmental thoughts - a state that has become normalized in today’s fast-paced, distraction-filled world. She points out that most people are unable to sit quietly with their own thoughts, and so are forced to fill their life with busyness and distraction, which creates a vicious circle of mental pain.Using the powerful analogy of the mind as a vast, clear sky and thoughts as passing clouds, she demonstrates how meditation helps us step back from our delusions, gain perspective, and cultivate a deeper sense of self. This episode emphasizes that peace is already present within us, and by gently letting go of distracting thoughts, we can develop the space to be able to deal with things in a more constructive way.Chapters:00:00 Peace and Letting Go02:00 The Basics of Meditation06:26 Modern Life and Distractions11:03 Experiment on Sitting with Thoughts15:45 Fear of Our Own Mind20:12 Uncontrolled Thoughts and Judgment24:40 The Mind as a Sky29:10 Breathing Meditation Practice34:25 Experiencing Inner Peace39:00 Building a Healthy Sense of Self43:50 Long-Term Benefits of Meditation
Book References
Modern Buddhism:
https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhismHow to Transform Your Life
:https://howtotyl.com/Kadam Lucy James is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide.

Want More?Find a meditation center near you
:https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=enListen to teaching clips
:https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4zSubscribe to get notifications of new episodes.#MeditationPractice #AnxietyRelief #InnerPeace #Mindfulness #Buddhism #KadampaBuddhism #MentalClarity #SelfAwareness #PeacefulMind #LettingGo #MindTraining #SpiritualGrowth #Contemplation #MindfulLiving #WisdomTeachings

In today’s episode Gen Kelsang Leksang shares her personal journey from a high-powered corporate career to a spiritual life as a Buddhist nun and teacher. Reflecting on her life, she reveals how experiences that once felt like failures were, in fact, profoundly beneficial—shaping her personal development and inner growth. She explains that when life appears to be falling apart, peace and purpose can be found by letting go of attachment, adjusting our expectations, and training the mind in acceptance. Drawing on the wisdom of the New Kadampa Tradition, Gen Leksang explores how focusing on others, cultivating compassion, and developing inner acceptance can transform suffering into clarity and confidence. This episode offers heartfelt reflections on death, purpose, career pressure, and happiness — showing how even life’s most painful moments can become profound teachers. Insightful, practical, and uplifting, this conversation gently challenges modern ideas of success and invites us to discover a deeper, more stable happiness that comes from within.Chapters:00:00 Introduction & Career Shift 02:16 Searching for Purpose 02:30 Father’s Illness & Death 03:36 Refuge, Acceptance, and Peace 05:33 Learning Through Helping Others 07:20 Redefining Success and Happiness 08:10 Finding Depth While Living Fully 12:32 Pressure, Plans, and Life Direction 15:13 Career Advice for Young People 17:09Discovering True Motivation 20:18 Letting Life Evolve Naturally 26:46 Inner Peace Is Happiness 28:02 Acceptance When Life Doesn’t Work OutBook References In this episode Gen Leksang references the following books by by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso:How to Solve our Human Problems https://kadampa.org/book/how-to-solve... Modern Buddhism https://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhism How to Transform Your Life https://howtotyl.com/ Gen Leksang is a senior teacher within the New Kadampa Tradition, an international Buddhist tradition with over a thousand meditation centers worldwide. WANT MORE? Find a meditation center near you: https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search...  #modernbuddhismpodcast #newkadampatradition #innerpeace #buddhistwisdom#meaningfullife #acceptance #compassion #findingpurpose #meditationpractice #mentalwellbeing

Is it really possible to fulfill your dreams?Can you be truly happy all the time?Agnes explores these profound questions with Buddhist nun Kelsang Sama, offering insights into how we can transform our lives by improving our minds with confidence and wisdom. Sama explains how inner change leads to a life that supports spiritual growth and lasting happiness.Book references:How to Transform Your Life ~ https://kadampa.org/books/free-ebook-...Kelsang Sama is the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Center Manchester in the UK. https://kmcmanchester.org/The participants of these podcasts are practicing meditation according to the New Kadampa Tradition, which has over a thousand meditation centers worldwide. See more https://kadampa.org/WANT MORE?   • FREEDOM FROM ANXIETY: BUDDHIST MEDITATIONS...  Find a meditation center near you https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search...Listen to teaching clips:    / nktikbu   https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEy... Follow the Modern Buddhism PodcastFacebook:   / modernbuddhismpodcast  Instagram:   / modernbuddhismpodcast   TIkTok:   / modernbuddhismpodcast   #modernbuddhismpodcast #buddhism #podcast #myjourney #InspiringStories #meaningoflife #motivation #BuddhistPodcast #MeditationForChange #personalgrowth #mindfulnesspodcast #Freedom #truestories #emotionalfreedom #RealLifeStories #transformationstories