Buddhability

Today we are covering some of the basics of Buddhism for anyone who might be new to chanting or simply wants a refresher. We speak with Ryan Hayashi, who starting chanting in high school, when he was going through some pretty serious challenges. Now, over 10 years later, he’s an amazing high school math teacher in Arizona and also really active in the local Buddhist community there.

If you’re new, we recommend listening to this episode all the way through, but if you just want to skip around for answers to your questions, see the cheat sheet below for timestamps.

Show Notes

Today we are covering some of the basics of Buddhism for anyone who might be new to chanting or simply wants a refresher. We speak with Ryan Hayashi, who starting chanting in high school, when he was going through some pretty serious challenges. Now, over 10 years later, he’s an amazing high school math teacher in Arizona and also really active in the local Buddhist community there.

If you’re new, we recommend listening to this episode all the way through, but if you just want to skip around for answers to your questions, see the cheat sheet below for timestamps.

Cheat Sheet

0:16 On how to join the February Buddhability Journey
2:41 The basics of chanting Nam-myoho-renge kyo: how, when, for how long
4:24 Should I be thinking about something while chanting?
7:15 Is chanting the same as meditation?
9:01 How does chanting make you feel? What changes will I see?
11:36 How chanting impacted Ryan’s day-to-day life as a teacher
14:54 Why chant in the first place?
17:22 What is Buddhability? What are we trying to tap into by chanting?
20:33 How is SGI Nichiren Buddhism different from other forms of Buddhism?
25:50 What’s the point of having a Buddhist community?
30:39 How does my daily practice connect to changing the world?
30:04 What if I chant and don’t feel or see any changes?
16:20 Tips for those trying chanting for the first time

What is Buddhability?

The reality is, we’re already enlightened. It’s only as we face obstacles, stress and our own messiness that we start to forget it. This is a show about how to believe in yourself again, told by a community of Buddhists doing it every day, and changing the world along the way. Hosted by Cassidy Bradford, each week you’ll hear an honest conversation about real life and how to tap into your Buddhability. From relationships and dream jobs to lessons from psychology and activism, subscribe to Buddhability on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts so you never miss an episode. For more stories, tips on practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism, and our newsletter, visit www.buddhability.org.