Breaking Free from Self-Imposed Limitations

Buddhability

SGI-USA

Health & Fitness, Self-help, Self-care, Religion & Spirituality, Mental Health, Buddhism

4.9 • 603 Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2023

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Believing that we each possess limitless wisdom, courage and compassion—what we call Buddhability—can be a daily battle. Many of us impose limitations on ourselves, believing that we’re not capable of accomplishing our dreams and becoming happy.

Today’s guest, Daniel Sun, of Boston, shares how he used Buddhism to overcome his limiting beliefs and become an accomplished Harvard scientist and scholar. We discuss the key role chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and studying Buddhism played in his ability to shift his mindset.

Cheat Sheet:

7:20 Daniel tries Buddhism to get through graduate school

11:05 Dreaming of a research career in the U.S.

21:03 What Buddhism says about self-doubt

33:56 Fresh confidence to apply for a large grant

43:46 How studying maximizes the effects of Buddhist chanting

References mentioned:

A Piece of Mirror and Other Essays, pp. 39-43
The Hope-Filled Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 133
The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, pp. 3–4
The Light of Learning, p. 130

Transcript

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0:00.0	From SGI USA, I'm Cassidy Bradford, and this is bootability.
0:10.4	The weekly series where I talk with Buddhists from all walks of life
0:13.7	about the power we each have to change our lives and the world around us.
0:19.0	As we hit the halfway point of December, many of us might be feeling
0:23.3	like we're really being dragged to the finish line, waiting for the time where we can take a
0:29.1	break and tune out. Each of us deserves the rest and self-care. I like to think of part of my
0:36.2	end of year care as finishing strong. I was just talking
0:40.1	with some Buddhist friends about how the way that we end one year is actually how we start the next.
0:46.4	So for this episode's question, we asked you to share something that you want to challenge
0:50.4	before we close out 2023. That doesn't mean totally beating it, just mustering the
0:55.7	courage to face it head on before the end of the year. As always, you guys did not hold back
1:01.1	and we got some really great answers. We had a couple really concrete goals, like someone wants
1:06.1	to work on their professional website for networking and booking work. Several folks shared
1:10.7	their determination to get
1:12.0	their daily Buddhist practice in rhythm. Some even mentioned being able to wake up early enough to
1:18.3	better prepare for their day by chanting. You have no idea how much I relate to that one.
1:24.3	One of you wants to challenge your lack of belief in yourself i hope that you're tuning into
1:29.4	today's episode because our guest is sharing exactly how he did that believing in yourself
1:41.0	feels like a perennial struggle right the one great theme of my life seems to be like struggling to see and believe in my own worth.
1:51.0	The value of my life, whether it's the value of my ideas, my friendship, the words that I use.
1:59.0	The list could go on and on.
2:01.6	I'm sure you've heard the common phrase,
	...

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