Lama Surya Das is joined by Paul Samuel Dolman for a chat that touches on the importance of remembering our true natures, bringing awareness to social action, and learning to love the world by starting with ourselves.

Paul Samuel Dolman is an author, speaker, and host of the What Matters Most Podcast. Learn more at paulsamueldolman.com.

Show Notes

Remembering to Remember (Opening) – Paul talks about first meeting Lama Surya Das and the story of how the two ended up in the ocean, hanging out with Ram Dass together. He shares the teachings and practices that help remind him of his own Buddha nature.

“My mind is crazy like all minds are, my egoic mind will run wild. If I just bring it home with meditation, I ground myself and remember that I am an infinite being. I need constant reminding.” – Paul Samuel Dolman

Awareness and Social Action (22:30) – Lama Surya Das and Paul discuss the past few years of social and political discord. Surya Das talks about the need for us all to bring awareness to how we relate to social action.

Practicing Love (37:35) – How can a regular spiritual practice change the way that we love ourselves and others? Paul looks at the difficult but important practice of self-love and tuning our lives into the positivity that exists all around us.

“We have these reinforced patterns of competition. We are being constantly conditioned. We are bombarded every day, annoying to the point of toxicity, with advertising where the basic message is that you are not good enough. The deck is stacked against us, but you can win with meditation, presence and choice.” – Paul Samuel Dolman

Joseph Goldstein looks at the nuances of bringing love to ourselves with Metta meditation practice on Ep. 51 Insight Hour Podcast

What does it mean to live a happy, meaningful life? How do you respond with resilience to life’s unavoidable stresses and disappointments? How can you forge compassionate connections at a time of extreme busyness, isolation, and division? Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have explored these and other big questions in The Science of Happiness, the online course and podcast—both produced by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center (GGSC)—that have become a global phenomenon.