Ep. 164 - What is Engaged Buddhism? A Conversation with Roshi Joan Halifax

At a recent event in support of Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program on January 6th, Ethan was joined by the great Roshi Joan Halifax, to discuss the practice, history and theory of Engaged Buddhism. Why is this integrated approach to the dharma so crucial now? Ethan begins with an impassioned plea after the ICE murder of the Renee Good in Minneapolis to come together as sangha and practice engaged dharma this year. And every time the thought arises "I could do something but it won't really make any difference," please label that thought thinking. Roshi Joan Halifax is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya, a center which focused on Engaged Buddhism in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her vision for the Zen Center embraces comprehensive Buddhist studies, meditation, service, dharma art, and environmental action as integrated paths cultivating peace and interconnectedness. She is also the author of multiple books including Standing at The Edge and Being With Dying. In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber below Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.          

Ethan welcomes back bestselling author and Buddhist Astrologer Juliana McCarthy (Ethereal Culture, The Stars Within You) to dive headfirst into a discussion of the momentous year ahead. They break the discussion into four areas: spiritual practice, creative practice, technology and politics. Juliana predicts big personal and collective moments ahead in February, April and especially in July 2026, including a massive revolutionary placement of planets that coincides directly with July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence (Which Ethan wishes was called the Declaration of Interdependence!). Juliana also talks about why "thick karma" is not a problem. These conversations are always fun, and this one might have been the most impactful of them all. Enjoy! In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Check out about upcoming live events like a New Year's Eve Intention-Settingworkshop and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

After a heavy weekend on Earth, Ethan discusses violence and gun violence via the mass shootings at his alma mater of Brown University and the Jewish community in Sydney at Bondi Beach, along side the movie One Battle After Another and the murders of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer. Ethan contemplates the first precept (to refrain from killing) as both a personal and a political practice. He also argues that the American love of "free speech" and our widespread addiction to guns are directly at odds with each other, and as a society, we must either choose guns or speech and can't have both. How can our mindfulness practice lead us toward an actual end to violence? Can it? Or will it just be "one samsara after another?" Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming live events like a New Year's Eve Intention-Setting workshop and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

Ethan welcomes Dan Harris, one of the leading voices in the mindfulness movement, for a live (and lively) conversation about the quest for stability in an unstable world, and to present the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies Program. When Ethan mentioned a classic quote from the Indian master Shantideva about "covering the world in leather," Dan responded with one of his slightly irreverent and not-safe-for-the-monastery quips. It was a great conversation. Check it out! A former ABC news anchor, Dan Harris is the bestselling author of 10% Happier and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. He hosts the 10% Happier Podcast. You can follow his work and subscribe to his substack at DanHarris.com . Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming live events like a New Year's Eve Intention-Setting workshop and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

The path of awakening is often treated as serious business for serious people. This approach can make us rigid about our experience of reality, when what we want to develop is greater flexibility, appreciation, and openness to ouselves and others. For that, we need the path to include a great sense of humor. So when is the spiritual path funny? When is humor an obstacle or a neurotic defense mechanism? How can comedy point us toward Ultimate Truth? In this solo episode, Ethan explores where comedy and humor aid the path, where they might lead us astray, and why you should crack up every once in a while on your meditation seat. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Subscribe now You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming live events like a live talk with Ethan and Dan Harris December 10, a New Year's Eve Intention-Setting Workshop, and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

Ethan is joined by old friend and teacher Adriana DiFazio for a wide ranging discussion of the limitations of a Western Buddhism that focuses on individualism, individual liberation, and "secular" practice. They discuss how to create a Dharma that is more focused on intersectionality and systems, along with a truly spiritual approach. Enjoy! Adriana DiFazio is a Buddhist meditation teacher, scholar, chaplain, and parent whose work explores the intersections of Buddhism, critical theory, and social change. Her teaching emphasizes the dharma as a collective and liberatory practice, grounded in both personal and systemic transformation. She holds an M.Div. in Buddhism from Union Theological Seminary, where she focused on Engaged Buddhist ethics and Marxism. Adriana teaches meditation and Buddhist studies through her online newsletter and community, Radical Change(adrianadifazio.substack.com). Her website is www.adrianadifazio.com Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Subscribe now You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming live events like a live talk with Ethan and Dan Harris December 10, a New Year's Eve Intention-Setting Workshop, and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

How did NYC become the epicenter of all the tensions and promise of American society and politics, and do the Buddhist teachings have anything to offer to understanding this political moment? Using the rise of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in his home city—a city of perpetual immigrants—Ethan explores themes of community engagement, sangha, social democracy and the power of standing up for what you believe in to talk about this chaotic (yet potent) moment on Earth. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Subscribe now Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming free live events like a panel on Mindfulness and Holiday Stress Nov 12, a live talk with Ethan and Dan Harris December 10, and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including a free webinar with David Nichtern on the new Advanced Teacher training on November 20. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon. Subscribe now Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive.

Drawing on concepts from his latest book, Confidence, Ethan explores how it is that our self-assessment can be so off the mark so frequently, especially when it comes to seeing our progress along a long-term path like meditation, or the deeper journey of spiritual and psychological . Why is it so hard assess our traits, and to see our strengths as well as our stuck places, clearly? How can we overcome our negativity bias and meet the inner critic more skillfully in everyday life. What does it mean to develop clarity when asking ourselves the question: "How am I doing, really?" Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions for a paid subscription. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on the These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming free live events like a panel on Mindfulness and Holiday Stress Nov 12, a live talk with Ethan and Dan Harris December 10, and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including a free webinar with David Nichtern on the new Advanced Teacher training on November 20. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon. Subscribe now Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive.

Ethan is back with a solo episode to discuss the Buddhist experience of liberation and (moksha) and how we can glimpse an experience it in our awareness and meditation practice. He also discusses the related question of the collapsing American mythology of "freedom." In the discussion, he highlights several categories of freedom, first "conditional" freedom versus "unconditional" freedom. Then he discusses individual, or personal freedom versus "collective" freedom. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on the These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming free live events like a panel on Mindfulness and Holiday Stress Nov 12, a live talk with Ethan and Dan Harris December 10, and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive. Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including a free webinar with David Nichtern on the new Advanced Teacher training on November 20. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

Ethan is joined by friend and yoga teacher Francesca Cervero to talk about becoming a teacher as a livelihood, the duty of the teacher when it comes to building community in a post-pandemic world, and how to be clear and open with students about the ethical teachings of Buddhism and yoga in a world of chaos, violence and oppression. Francesca Cervero (she/her) has been a full time yoga and meditation teacher since 2005 and offers private and group yoga classes as well as yoga teacher mentoring and education. She is the host of the podcast "The Mentor Sessions," and you can find out more about her work at FrancescaCervero.com Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on the These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive. Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including a free webinar with David Nichtern on why become a meditation teacheron Sep 23rd, 2025. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.