Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox JoAnn Fox: Buddhist Teacher

For the average person, Moments of anger are inevitable. They can flare up in response to various triggers, from personal frustrations to global injustices. However, according to the Buddha's teachings, there is a powerful antidote to this destructive emotion: compassion. In Buddhism, compassion is revered as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards healing and awakening. 
 
At the heart of Buddhist philosophy lies the understanding of interconnectedness. Understanding interconnectedness leads to an awareness that everything we do as an individual affects the rest of humanity. It is also the idea that all beings are deeply interconnected by sharing a common desire for happiness and freedom from suffering. This fundamental principle forms the basis for cultivating compassion to overcome anger.
 
Compassion is not merely a lofty ideal but a practical tool for navigating the complexities of human emotions. Buddha invites us to embrace the humanity in others, even in moments of conflict and turmoil. Through the lens of compassion, Buddha reminds us that every soul carries its burdens, and every heart yearns for solace and peace.
 
In the face of anger, Buddha encourages us to pause and breathe. Witness the storm raging within with gentleness and understanding. Like a fragile bloom breaking through rocks, we can nurture the seeds of compassion within our hearts, even in the harshest environment.
Buddha's teachings invite us to reclaim our power from the clutches of anger. No one benefits more from our patience and compassion than we do! 
 
Compassion can be like a warm embrace—soothing our weariness as we acknowledge the pain and struggles everyone faces. By extending compassion to others, we dissolve the barriers that separate us.
 
Relying on compassion as an antidote to anger requires daily mindfulness—the awareness of our thoughts, emotions, and actions in the present moment. Through mindfulness, we observe the arising of anger without becoming consumed by it. Instead of feeding our painful feelings with angry thoughts, we feed them with thoughts of compassion towards that person. Rather than suppressing our emotions, we acknowledge them with compassion and guide them to pass without causing harm.  
 
By cultivating compassion, we can overcome the grip of anger and replace the habit with a sense of connection and harmony with all beings. In a world filled with turmoil and conflict, may we each strive to embody compassion and sow the seeds of peace and understanding wherever we go.
In this episode, JoAnn Fox guides a meditation called taking and giving that helps us develop compassion toward someone who makes us angry or that we have some resentment toward. 
To practice taking and giving meditation with someone you feel anger toward:
Begin by visualizing the person in front of you.
Try to recognize their humanity, acknowledge that they experience suffering and desire happiness just like you.
Consider the ways in which this person suffers.
Imagine a day walking in their shoes. What causes them pain or frustration?
Contemplate how you make them suffer. 
 
This meditation not only transforms your relationship with this person, but it also creates inner peace and harmony in your life.
 
Him I call a brahmana, who is free from anger, who practises austerity, who is virtuous and free from craving, who is controlled in his senses and for whom this body (i.e., existence) is the very last.
--Buddha, The Dammapada, Verse 400
References with Links
Buddha (1986).The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories. Translated by Daw Mya Tin, M.A. (Website). Edited by Editorial Committee, Burma Tipitaka Association Rangoon. Courtesy .of Nibbana.com. For free distribution only, as a gift of dhamma. Retrieved from https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=400
Je Tsongkhapa (2014). Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 1 and Volume 2

In this episode, we delve into a universal human experience: anger. But fear not! We're not just exploring the problem; we're diving into solutions. Get ready for an enlightening journey as we uncover practical strategies rooted in Buddhist wisdom to tame the flames of anger and cultivate inner peace. 
 
We can learn how to transform the energy of anger into understanding and compassion. Through understanding and compassion we can heal ourselves and be a refuge of peace for others. In fact, in the story associated with the following verse, Buddha said:
‘Because I am patient and do no wrong to those who do me wrong, I have become a refuge to many."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:
Him I call a brahmana, 
who, without anger endures abuse, beating and being bound, 
and to whom the strength of patience is like the strength of an army. 
--Buddha, The Dhammapada (Verse 399)
 
Interested in live weekly classes with Joann Fox? 
Visit www.Buddhismforeveryone.com to enroll or learn more.
Find us at the links below: 
Website: BuddhismforEveryone.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buddhismforeveryone
Podcast Facebook Group: Join our private group at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanghatalk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buddhism.with.joann.fox
References with Links
Buddha (1986).The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories. Translated by Daw Mya Tin, M.A. (Website). Edited by Editorial Committee, Burma Tipitaka Association Rangoon. Courtesy .of Nibbana.com. For free distribution only, as a gift of dhamma. Retrieved from https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=399
Je Tsongkhapa (2014). Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 2 (Kindle). Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Joshua Cutler, Editor-in-Chief, and Guy Newlan, Editor.

 







Virtual Classes with JoAnn Fox start this Saturday, March 2nd! You can enroll any time!
 
What: An ongoing study program to practice the entire path of Buddhism. Join us at any point!
 
When: Saturdays 10 am EST
 
Why: People often have to study Buddhism in a piecemeal fashion. JoAnn participated in a virtual teacher training program for over ten years that presented the whole path of Buddhism. This systematic approach makes the path very clear. It makes it much easier to practice and creates deeper inner change. JoAnn wants others to have the same opportunity! We’ll also find ways to create a connected sangha.
 
How: Live Classes will be held on Zoom. Or watch the recordings
 
Two Class Options: Join the ongoing study program or enroll in short courses.
 
Enroll on the website Buddhismforeveryone.com
 
 - For Ongoing Buddhist Study Program: https://buddhismforeveryone.com/ongoing-buddhist-study.../
 
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You can pause or cancel your subscription at any time. 
 
100% Satisfaction Guarantee: If you discover the classes aren’t for you, get a full refund within the first 30 days.
 
Questions: email joann@buddhismforeveryone.com

Renunciation is the determination to be free from our own cycle of suffering and dissatisfaction. Renunciation is a state of mind, like patience, compassion, or contentment. Much like these virtuous states of mind, developing renunciation leads us to deeper and deeper levels of inner peace. In this episode, we explore how renunciation directs our focus toward spiritual development, creates happiness, and how we can develop this state of mind. 
 
Normally, we're always looking for something...something to ease discomfort, abate dissatisfaction or boredom, or give us pleasure. If we're lonely, we might seek out a new partner. If we're depressed, we might eat a bowl of ice cream or drink to intoxication. We turn to these things for some refuge, but the relief is brief, and they don't address our real problem. In fact, these sources of relief often bring us more problems! The first step in developing renunciation (the wish to be free of the cycle of suffering and dissatisfaction) is to understand that these external sources of refuge don't work. But don't just believe me! You can check whether the things you are trying to solve your problems are true or false refuge.
 
The four-point way to check whether something is a false refuge or real refuge:
1. Does it create any unwanted side effects or more problems?
2. Does it address the real source of the problem?
3. Does it create peace in the mind?
4. Does it always give you relief when you turn to it? 
 
If you answered yes to all four questions = real refuge 
If you answered no to any of these questions = false refuge 
 
When we realize that we seek relief in false sources of refuge, we look for real solutions. This search for real solutions is renunciation. Often, people hear the teachings on renunciation and think it's about giving up worldly pleasure. Because renunciation is necessary for the attainment of enlightenment, we might think that enlightenment is only possible for monks or nuns. Renunciation is not about giving up worldly pleasure but relating to pleasures differently. As we develop renunciation, we begin to transcend the desire for the fleeting happiness or relief that arises from worldly pursuits. But when delight graces our path, we welcome it, savoring the enjoyment without chaining it to our expectations. 
 
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we weren't shocked or sad when something we really enjoyed ended? Perhaps, for example, we'd be grateful for the good times when a relationship ended, knowing they were bound to end somehow. Often, we become angry when the most pleasurable things cease to give us the same pleasure but instead give us mostly pain. Generally, we don't attribute this pain to our mental habits. We keep getting lost in the valley of some familiar pain. Or we addictively desire the same peak of pleasure. We experience the same cycles of pain because our mind is set up for similar disappointments or dissatisfaction. 
 
The solution to pain or dissatisfaction, therefore, is within the mind. With this growing wisdom of renunciation, we turn to what can help us solve our real problems. For Buddhists, this means taking refuge in the teachings, the teacher, and the spiritual community. When we start developing real sources of refuge, like patience or compassion, we stop being tossed on the waves of changing fortune and turn our attention to a higher goal: cultivating our inner potential. 
 
Him I call a brahman
who has cut the strap of ill will,
the thong of craving,
and the cord of wrong views together with latent defilements,
who has lifted the bar that fastens the door of ignorance,
and who knows the Truth. 
—Buddha, The Dhammapada, Verse 398
 
References with Links
Fronsdal, Gil (2023).The Dhammapada: A Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations. (Kindle). Published by Shambala (Link).
 
Je Tsongkhapa (2014). Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 1 a

In today's episode, we explore the profound concept of renunciation in Buddhism. True renunciation isn't about abandoning pleasure but transforming our relationship with it. Join us as we unravel the complexities of renunciation and explore a path to genuine contentment.
 
Renunciation is the wish to break free from the cycle of suffering (samsara) by overcoming our deeply ingrained mental habits of ignorance and attachment. We begin by realizing the futility of expecting lasting satisfaction from transient phenomena (material things, people, opinions, expectations of others, etc.) 
 
Renunciation, therefore, is not a denial of happiness but a liberation from the cycle of suffering caused by our grasping, exaggerating, and distorting attitude toward pleasure and happiness.
 
Renunciation creates a profound shift in perspective where we no longer rely on sensory pleasures for happiness. When we realize renunciation, we awake to an unlimited, internal source of happiness. 
 
Whoever, having cut off every fetter, 
Does not tremble, 
Is unbound and beyond attachment,
I call a brahman 
--Buddha, The Dhammapada (Verse 397)
 
References with Links
Buddha (1986).The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories. Translated by Daw Mya Tin, M.A. (Website). Edited by Editorial Committee, Burma Tipitaka Association Rangoon. Courtesy .of Nibbana.com. For free distribution only, as a gift of dhamma. Retrieved from https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=396
Je Tsongkhapa (2014). Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 1 (Kindle). Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Joshua Cutler, Editor-in-Chief, and Guy Newlan, Editor.
 
Find us at the links below: 
Website: BuddhismforEveryone.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buddhismforeveryone
Podcast Facebook Group: Join our private group at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanghatalk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buddhism.with.joann.fox
Donate through Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5XPAHDDMJGD7S
 

In this episode, we explore the antidotes to the three poisons — greed, anger, and ignorance. The three poisons are the fundamental sources of suffering. Join us to discover how generosity counters greed, loving-kindness conquers anger, and the realization of emptiness opposes ignorance. Explore the transformative power of applying ancient wisdom to today's busy life.
Anger blinds individuals to compassion and disrupts our inner peace. Anger is also the most potent destroyer of good karma. Greed, or attachment, arises from the craving for possessions, experiences, or people. Attachment leads to a perpetual cycle of desire and dissatisfaction. Ignorance is a lack of understanding of the true nature of reality, which causes the poisons of anger, attachment, and all other delusions, such as jealousy, pride, etc. Overcoming these three poisons through mindfulness, wisdom, and ethical conduct is crucial for attaining enlightenment and freeing oneself from cycles of suffering. 
 
The three mental poisons explained by Buddha:
ignorance
attachment (also called craving)
anger (also called hatred or ill will)
 
The practices that act as antidotes to the three mental poisons:
Wisdom opposes ignorance
Generosity opposes attachment
Loving-kindness opposes anger 
 
 
Generosity opposes Greed/Attachment 
Giving without expecting something in return loosens the grip of attachment (also referred to as greed or craving in Buddhism). Attachment arises from a misperception of scarcity. We may think we don't have enough love, money, success, beauty, etc., to be happy. The belief that there's not enough leads us to cling to possessions, relationships, or experiences out of fear of lacking. Generosity changes this perception of scarcity in several ways.
 
Generosity is a powerful antidote to attachment by helping us accept impermanence, cultivate gratitude, and embrace simplicity. Through these practices, we transform our relationship with material possessions and move towards a simpler and more content way of life.
 
 
Loving-kindness Opposes Anger
Hatred, or aversion, is rooted in the delusion that some people or groups are separate from us. This can be remedied with the practice of loving-kindness, or metta. By consciously cultivating goodwill for both ourselves and our “enemies,” we neutralize the impact of this poison and open a space in which we can become aware of the true roots of hatred in our own wounds. As James Baldwin said, “One of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.”
 
Wisdom Realising Emptiness Oppeses Ignorance
The cultivation of wisdom, particularly the realization of emptiness (Shunyata), stands in opposition to ignorance. Ignorance is the root cause of suffering (dukkha). The cultivation of wisdom realizing emptiness opposes ignorance by challenging misconceptions about the nature of reality. Embracing the concept of emptiness leads to an understanding of interdependence, the impermanent nature of all phenomena, and the absence of inherent existence. This wisdom is a transformative force that liberates us from the cycle of suffering. 
 
I do not call him a brahmana just because he is born from the womb of a brahmana mother.
He is just a bhovadi brahmin if he is not free from moral defilements. 
Him I call a brahmana, who is free from moral defilements and from attachment. (Verse 396)
 --Buddha, the Dhammapada
 
References with Links
Buddha (1986).The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories. Translated by Daw Mya Tin, M.A. (Website). Edited by Editorial Committee, Burma Tipitaka Association Rangoon. Courtesy .of Nibbana.com. For free distribution only, as a gift of dhamma. Retrieved from https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=396
 
Je Tsongkhapa (2014). Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volu