The Modern Buddhism Podcast

In today’s episode, Gen Kelsang Norden explores the meaning of karma and how understanding it can become a liberating and empowering force in our lives. Speaking from her heart and her own experience of practicing these teachings, she explains how our thoughts and actions shape the way we experience the world and what we encounter in the future.
We learn that karma is something we can actively reshape through the choices we make each day. By recognizing that our experiences arise from our own past actions, we can free ourselves from the painful mental states of blame, victimhood, and resentment, and instead cultivate genuine personal responsibility and inner freedom.
Gen Norden also explains the “mirror of karma,” the idea that every experience reflects our actions back to us, helping us to live with greater integrity and authenticity. She reminds us that at the end of our lives, what remains with us is not how others saw us, but the imprints of our own actions.
Alongside this, she shares transformative practices such as taking and giving meditation and rejoicing in the happiness of others, showing how compassion and selflessness not only bring happiness and confidence, but also create powerful positive karma.
This episode offers a clear and heartfelt presentation of one of Buddha’s principal teachings, and a practical guide to living with greater authenticity, freedom, and joy.

Chapters
00:00 A Powerful Method to Overcome Fear
6:33 The Secret to Feeling Joy Anytime
15:50 Can You Love People Who Hurt You?
19:20 Why We Lose Control (And How to Catch It)
23:28 Is Reality Actually Subjective?
31:07 Why You’re Not Stuck in Your Life
35:15 How to Take Control of Your Future
47:10 Integrity, Authenticity and Self-Confidence
53:00 Can I be Happy In an Uncertain World?
58:05 The Path to Inner Freedom

Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.



Book References


In this episode Gen Kelsang Norden references:
How to Transform Your Life
 - https://howtotyl.com/
The New Eight Steps to Happiness - https://kadampa.org/book/eight-steps-to-happiness

Want More?
Find a meditation center near you - 
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=en
Listen to teaching clips
 - https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z

#Buddhism #Meditation #MindTraining #Karma #InnerPeace #SelfGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #Mindfulness #Compassion #SpiritualGrowth #AnxietyRelief #EmotionalIntelligence #LettingGo #HappinessWithin #Wisdom #Dharma #Podcast

Cameron Mathison Opens Up About Facing Hate on Social Media

Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 is here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oSYw1flcsUDbauL2feq0h?si=rPsZdHERQOeZcLyr9TqXfA )

In this second part of the interview with actor Cameron Mathison, we learn how it feels to play one of TV's most despised characters. Cameron explains how he was able to see the truth of Buddha's teachings reflected in the character, using it as a mirror that helped him deepen his own spiritual training. However, the training didn't stop there. Cameron faced online hate as well as real-life confrontations from people unable to separate the role from the man behind it. He reflects on how he was able to transform these difficult experiences into spiritual growth that helps and inspires others. The feature concludes with a powerful message: that being authentic and accountable is the foundation of true strength and resilience.

Chapters
00:00 How Playing a Villain Mirrors the Mind
05:02 Handling Hate & Public Criticism
08:47 Building Resilience Through Challenges
12:03 How Delusions Negatively Shape Our Life
15:11 The Inner Conflict of Self-Cherishing
17:02 Why We Need Spiritual Friends & Accountability

Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.

Book References
⁠How To Transform Your Life⁠ by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
⁠Eight Steps To Happiness⁠  by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Want More?
Find a meditation center near you -
⁠ https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=en⁠
Listen to teaching clips -
https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z⁠

Follow the Modern Buddhism Podcast
⁠⁠Spotify:⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/7lgQNhbjMGoHOxBnjkfmK4⁠

#Kadampa #Buddhism #Meditation #GesheKelsangGyatso #HowToTransformYourLife #EightStepsToHappiness #ModernBuddhism #MindTraining #Lojong #InnerPeace #SpiritualGrowth #Meditation #MentalHealth #BuddhistWisdom #SelfTransformation

Cameron Mathison on how he rebuilt his life after the LA fires, cancer, death, and divorce

In 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.

Chapters
00:00 When Success Was Not Enough
05:12 Discovering Kadampa Meditation
10:18 Learning to Work With the Mind
15:02 Practicing Dharma in the Entertainment Industry
19:03 Kindness in Difficult Relationships
23:48 Humility, Perspective & Real Success
28:04 Accepting Change When Life Falls Apart
32:10 Cancer, Loss & Major Life Challenges
37:40 Training the Mind Through Hardship
43:05 Relying on Sangha, Teacher & Dharma

Book References
How To Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Eight Steps To Happiness  by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.

Want More?
Find a meditation center near you -
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=en
Listen to teaching clips -
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z

Follow the Modern Buddhism Podcast
Spotify: 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 This
We 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.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:24 Early Experiences With Loss
04:11 Pain Comes From Our Reaction
06:41 Understanding Attachment
11:27 Prolonged Grief Is Attachment
19:07 Love Doesn't Die When They Die
20:36 Healing With Her Father
27:02 Tara's Mantra and the Funeral
31:03 Looking for Love vs. Loving Others
34:00 Therapy, Dharma and Lasting Change

Book References
How to Understand the Mind  by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Gen 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=en
Listen to teaching clips:
https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z
Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.

Follow the Modern Buddhism Podcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernbuddhismpodcast
Instagram: 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.

Chapters
00:00 Facing Cancer & Wake-Up Call
05:10 Business Career & Ethical Challenges
10:40 Bringing Compassion Into Leadership
16:20 Meditation in Everyday Decisions
22:30 Long-Term View of Happiness
28:00 Crisis as Spiritual Turning Point
34:15 Discovering Kadampa Buddhism
40:10 Applying Dharma in Daily Life
46:00 Meaning, Purpose & Inner Change
52:20 Advice for Modern Practitioners

Book References
Modern Buddhismhttps://kadampa.org/book/modern-buddhism
How to Transform Your Lifehttps://howtotyl.com/

Want More?
Find a meditation center near you:
https://kadampa.org/nkt-center-search/?lang=en
Listen to teaching clips:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nktikbu
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QPCFEyZz74nOHZbQr1B4z
Subscribe to get notifications of new episodes.

#KadampaBuddhism #GesheKelsangGyatso #MeditationInDailyLife #ModernBuddhism #SpiritualGrowth #MindTraining #CompassionInBusiness #OvercomingCancer #InnerPeace #CancerJourney #BuddhistWisdom #PersonalTransformation #MindfulnessPractice #MeaningOfLife #KadampaPodcast