What is Enlightenment with Dr. Jan Willis #90

What is Enlightenment with Dr. Jan Willis #90

Author: Scott Snibbe November 2, 2021 Duration: 45:10

Is enlightenment really possible for people like you and me? Do we lose ourselves when we become enlightened? Are there people on earth who are enlightened right now? Buddhist scholar Dr. Jan Willis answers these questions and more as we explore what enlightenment (or awakening) really means.

Episode 90: What is Enlightenment with Dr. Jan Willis

Dr. Jan Willis has a distinguished career as a scholar and teacher of Buddhism that spans fifty years. She first met Tibetan Buddhists in India and Nepal at age nineteen and went on to earn degrees in Philosophy and Indic and Buddhist Studies from Cornell and Columbia Universities.

Dr. Willis has taught Buddhist Studies and Philosophy at UC Santa Cruz, the University of Virginia and Wesleyan University. Now in retirement, she teaches part-time at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia and leads workshops exploring Race and Racism through a Buddhist Lens.

In her academic and popular books and essays, Dr. Willis writes with moving precision on Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist saints’ lives, Women and Buddhism, and Buddhism and Race. Her latest book is the compelling essay collection Dharma Matters: Women, Race, and Tantra. And her unique personal story is captured in her memoir Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist, and Buddhist—One Woman’s Spiritual Journey.

This Earth Day, I’ll be sitting down with one of the most inspiring voices on climate and the future—author Kim Stanley Robinson—for a live online conversation hosted by UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism.

We’ll explore how his work offers real hope in the face of the climate crisis—a chance to imagine not just what could go wrong—but what could go right.

It’s free, April 22nd at 5:30pm Pacific. Sign up here to watch on Zoom.

If you’d like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.

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In a world that often equates busyness with purpose, How to Train a Happy Mind offers a different path. Host Scott Snibbe guides conversations that explore a secular, practical approach to well-being, drawing from a rich tapestry of sources including modern psychology, science, and contemplative traditions. This isn't just about sitting quietly; it's an active training of our innate capacities for intelligence and emotional resilience. Listeners will find a podcast dedicated to actionable techniques that move beyond basic mindfulness, engaging our imagination and compassion to reshape our inner experience and outward relationships. Each episode, often featuring insightful guests, breaks down complex ideas into accessible practices aimed at building genuine, lasting happiness from the inside out. The discussions naturally weave through themes of mental fitness, spiritual inquiry, and physical health, reflecting a holistic view of what it means to live meaningfully. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a thoughtful workshop for the mind, where abstract concepts become tools you can use in your daily life to foster personal peace and contribute to a kinder world. Scott’s grounded perspective helps demystify meditation, presenting it as a trainable skill for modern life challenges, making the pursuit of a happy mind both a practical and profound journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 322

How to Train a Happy Mind
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