Rethinking Thanksgiving: A Buddhist Perspective #209

In the United States, we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this week. It’s a time that brings up a variety of challenges for many people: family conflicts, political disagreements, concerns about overeating, and the painful historical roots of the holiday in colonial exploitation of Indigenous people.  In this episode, we share a private talk and meditation Scott gave to the Train a Happy Mind community last Thanksgiving. In it, he grapples openly with these issues, while exploring how we can still make the holiday meaningful.  How can we use the deeper spirit of Thanksgiving—generosity and gratitude—to expand compassion and awareness to include all beings across the planet?  In this episode you"ll learn: How to Celebrate Thanksgiving In a New Way How to Do the Buddhist Practice of Universalizing What Are the Five Delusions in Buddhism What Are the Antidotes to Buddhist Delusions How To Stay Open Through Both Pleasure and Pain Overview: 01:55 The Problematic Side of Thanksgiving 03:45 A Broader Kind of Gathering 08:02 Universalizing: How to Create a Mind of Sharing and Generosity 11:21 Starting the Meditation: Settling In 12:25 The Five Delusions 16:12 Stabilize the Mind 17:50 Love and Compassion 23:52 Universalizing Thanksgiving Support the show