I was hoping to have this episode go out later in the holiday season.  Then I thought about it. Most people won't have even digested their turkey before heading out to the mall for all the Black Friday deals, buying everything in the store to appease society and their own unserving needs.

Before you label me and this episode a Scrooge, let me tell you that true giving is absolutely beautiful.  When someone gives selflessly, with true love, it is a beautiful thing. However, as we all know, the holidays have become truly commercial in every regard.  And as much as everyone feels that way, most people feel powerless to change that and instead just go along blindly overspending and getting caught up in the buying fervor instead of focusing on the real reasons for holidays, love and charity.

In this episode I will focus on the ways you may be giving that don't serve you and how you can change that.

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There is a belief that meditation is supposed to be a somber experience, void of emotion.  However, especially in the beginning, difficult emotions may arise, and to be perfectly honest, it is totally normal.  Today I talk about ways to deal with difficult emotions that arise during meditation.

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Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. Stephen considers Buddhism to be a constantly evolving culture of awakening rather than a religious system based on immutable dogmas and beliefs. In particular, he regards the doctrines of karma and rebirth to be features of ancient Indian civilisation and not intrinsic to what the Buddha taught. Through his writings, translations and teaching, Stephen engages in a critical exploration of Buddhism's role in the modern world, which has earned him both condemnation as a heretic and praise as a reformer. I am honored and delighted to have him on ZEN commuter to help me understand Buddhism.

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