Living Clarity

In this episode, Kadam Mick Marcon explores how wisdom can literally change the way we see the world — and why that matters for our everyday happiness. He shares real life stories that illustrate how due to ignorance we are deceived by appearances and how simply by turning to our meditation practice we can dispel fear and confusion.

In this episode, Gen Kelsang Leksang explores one of life’s great mysteries — why do the people we care about most sometimes cause us the greatest pain? She begins by drawing a clear distinction between two things we often mistake for the same feeling: love and attachment. One is a source of lasting peace; the other, she explains, is like chasing a mirage. Through relatable examples she exposes the negative emotional mechanics functioning in our closest relationships. And offers a way out. Further reading in the following book: How to Transform Your Life

In this episode, Gen Kelsang Lhachog, talks about our fears — of failure, loss, loneliness, or rejection. First she explains the difference between fear that can help and protect us, such as fear of deadly Australian snakes! And fears that paralyse our happiness and wellbeing. She then drills down to what is under those fears — the root fear that affects us all. Further reading in the following books: The New Eight Steps to Happiness How to Solve Our Human Problems

Kadam Bridget explains how we can actively shape our future through small, everyday acts of kindness. She shares a story about someone living in a community whose quiet contributions were only noticed after her death showing that creating positive karma doesn’t require world-changing heroics, just a good intention to benefit others. Everyone can transform their lives. Further reading in the following book: How to Transform Your Life

The sadness we feel when we go through loss or separation is not coming from the loss itself, it’s coming from the irrational mind of attachment. Buddha gives scientific teachings on how our pain is created by this and other negative states of mind. Based on Understanding The Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Gen Gomlam explains that by understanding the distinction between love and attachment and realising how Buddhist wisdom overcomes this irrational and painful mind, we can heal our emotional pain. Further reading in the following book: How to Understand the Mind

In this episode, Kadam Adam Starr explores why, even when we try to slow down, our minds remain busy and easily pulled into distraction. Reading from The New Eight Steps to Happiness by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, he explains that although our deepest wish has always been to be happy and free from suffering, we often look for happiness only in external conditions, which leaves us feeling stressed, restless, and unfulfilled. In this excerpt, Kadam Adam explains how by committing to the inner work of training the mind, while continuing our normal lives, we can gradually reduce distraction, restore balance, and discover the deeper, more stable happiness we have been searching for all along. Further reading in the following book: The New Eight Steps to Happiness

Patience is a mind that welcomes wholeheartedly whatever arises having given up the idea that things should be other than what they are. In this extract from a teaching by Gen-la Jampa we learn to distinguish outer problems from inner ones and how our mental reaction to difficulty causes more suffering than the hardship itself. He introduces us to using life’s difficulties as a path to lasting inner peace and mental freedom. Further reading in the following book: How to Solve Our Human Problems

When we discover the true source of all pain and problems: distorted perspectives within our own mind we see the possibility of true freedom. In this teaching Gen Devi discusses how ignorance, attachment, and aversion are the roots of suffering. Learn about the cycle of contaminated life (samsara) and how to develop an authentic wish to escape this mental prison. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Discover the Buddhist perspective on karma, not as a system of punishment, but as a universal law of cause and effect. This extract from a teaching by Gen Demo explores how our mental intentions are the root of all our actions and how cultivating a positive motivation can transform our interactions, creating beneficial ripple effects for the future. Based on the book Introduction to Buddhism by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

In this podcast, Gen Chodor explains that all personal and spiritual growth begins in the imagination: we each hold a vision of who we want to become – less stressed, more confident, more peaceful – and without that vision, change is impossible. Drawing on Eight Steps to Happiness, he describes how just as buildings and inventions first exist in the mind of an architect, our inner qualities and identities also begin as mental blueprints. Although we often change external identities – careers, relationships, locations – in search of happiness, these shifts alone never bring lasting freedom from problems. By vividly imagining and identifying with our highest spiritual potential through meditation, we create a clear inner blueprint that, with practice and mental training, can gradually become our lived reality. Based on the book The New Eight Steps to Happiness by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

In this inspiring talk, we’re reminded that our endless search for happiness – through stimulation, possessions, or relationships – will never give us the satisfaction we are seeking, Why? Because true happiness isn’t found outside; it arises from within. Building on the theme of meaningful relationships, we’re invited to reflect on the real purpose of life. Buddhism teaches that our natural state is one of happiness and lasting peace and joy come from connecting with this nature. From this experience comes the ability to make ourselves and others happy. Book reference: How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Gen Tubchen explores the intricate workings of the mind through the lens of Buddhist psychology. Learn how the function of ‘discrimination’ shapes your reality and transforms your experience. Discover that beneath the surface of temporary thoughts and feelings lies a deep, peaceful potential that gives us the possibility for change and pure happiness.

Kadam Bridget explores how small, consistent changes in our thoughts and actions cultivate a resilient and happy mind in daily life. This teaching reveals how our inner state—the thoughts we hold— dictates our experience. Discover the mind’s infinite potential and learn practical ways to cultivate meaningful thoughts and find peace within. Further reading: How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

This episode with Kadam Adam Starr is a powerful reminder and inspiration to tap into the inner peace that exists within us every day. Discover the starting point for finding inner calm. This teaching explains how to move beyond the turbulence of a busy mind through simple breathing meditation – and how this practice can improve our experience of everyday life. Based on the book The New Meditation Handbook by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

Discover a powerful technique to improve our understanding of other people’s perspective this will enable us to improve our communication and be much more patient in our interactions with friends and colleagues. This episode introduces the practice of ‘exchanging self with others,’ using the analogy of climbing another’s mountain to see their perspective instead of only seeing things from the point of view of the ‘mountain of self’. Learn how to observe in a logical way understanding that seeing another’s viewpoint doesn’t require agreement, only a willingness to understand. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

Strength of mind is the ability to remain peaceful and positive in the face of adversity, which is an inevitable part of life and a capacity that can be developed. Buddhism teaches that unhappiness is not caused by external situations or other people, but by inner mental tendencies—especially attachment to the fulfilment of our own wishes—and recognizing this shifts us from blame which makes us weak to wisdom and resilience. Based on the book How to Solve our Human Problems by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Why does life so often feel unfulfilling, despite our best efforts? In this podcast, Gen Devi explores the Buddhist perspective on dissatisfaction, as taught by the Buddha in his explanation of the Four Noble Truths. These teachings describe the truth of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path that leads to that cessation. Through this lens, we discover the subtle mental distortions and unrealistic expectations that lie at the root of suffering and unhappiness. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Why do we seek relationships, and how can we find fulfilment in them? This teaching extract explores our universal search for lasting happiness. Kadam Morten reveals that when we understand that the true source of happiness is inner peace, we discover that our connections with others are not obstacles, but essential opportunities for training the mind and developing the virtuous qualities that lead to genuine fulfilment and a meaningful life. Based on the book The New Eight Steps to Happiness by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this enlightening episode, Gen-la Khyenrab explains the Buddhist belief that all living beings are our kind mothers. He challenges us to question our ordinary perceptions of the people around us and to cultivate the view that others have been our mothers in countless previous lives. He explains that by holding this belief—because it is based on wisdom—we can solve all our daily problems. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this episode, Kadam Bridget explores a powerful Buddhist teaching on the nature of happiness, suffering, and true freedom. Rather than blaming our problems on people or circumstances, we’re invited to look inward and understand how disturbed states of mind—such as anger, jealousy, and attachment—are the real source of our suffering. Through honest self-examination, we learn to recognize what our mind is producing moment by moment, and how negative emotions are not permanent truths but temporary “weather” passing through the mind. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this episode Gen Tubchen shows how holding a mind of love can free us from so many unhappy minds such as loneliness, resentment, jealousy, grief and anger. Around Christmas time these minds can arise quite strongly so we need the mind of love to protect us from them. As a Christmas present this episode includes a short guided meditaion. Based on How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Move from being overwhelmed by life’s challenges to finding opportunities for growth. This teaching extract with Kadam Adam Starr, explores patient acceptance as the key to inner peace. Learn how meditation cultivates a calm, resilient mind, giving you the space to find a peaceful solution and freedom from worry, even amid difficulty and uncertainty.

Learn the art of adapting your communication to build harmony. This teaching with Gen Demo focuses on the importance of respecting others’ values, beliefs, and personal temperaments. Through engaging stories, it highlights how flexibility of mind and behaviour can make your communication truly effective and enable us to make others happy through our speech. Book reference How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

This extract explores some of the reasons why our spiritual practice does not progress in the way we want it to. Gen Rabten discusses the reasons we resist change and the barriers in our mind that prevent us from truly absorbing transformative teachings. Book reference How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Our culture denies the reality of aging and death, causing us to fear them. This excerpt offers a refreshing perspective, encouraging us to look directly at these inevitable sufferings. Learn how to transform this fear into a powerful “wisdom fear” – a joyful, positive motivation to break free from the cycle of pain. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this teaching extract, Kadam Morten explores how our relationships offer a powerful opportunity to find deeper meaning in life. Rather than pursuing the limited goals we often seek in our connections with others, we can learn to see these relationships not as obstacles to a spiritual life, but as essential opportunities to train the mind and cultivate the virtuous qualities that lead to genuine fulfillment and a truly meaningful life.

Discover one of the main sources of our pain: desirous attachment. This teaching explains how this sneaky mental habit masquerades as a path to happiness, but is in reality deceiving us. Attachment exaggerates the good qualities of someone and erases the bad thereby creating a person who seems to be the key to our happiness but is not! Gen Gomlam explains how to distinguish between attachment and pure love, enabling us build healthy relationships, free from pain. Based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

From a Buddhist perspective, the first step toward true resilience is accepting that hardship, stress, and change are a natural part of being human. Rather than fighting reality or clinging to the idea of “getting back to normal,” resilience invites us to meet life as it is — knowing that we will be changed by our experiences, and that’s okay. What we need is to allow challenges to change us for the better! Resilience doesn’t come from avoiding suffering, but from facing it with patience and compassion.

What is true affectionate love? In this extract, Gen-la Khyenrab introduces the beautiful mind of affectionate love, using the analogy of a mother’s delight in her child to illustrate this warm, open-hearted feeling. Discover the main reason we struggle to feel this for everyone and learn the profound yet simple training to change it. Based on the book, Joyful Path of Good Fortune by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Explore why our lives feel so complicated and why we’re constantly searching for external happiness. This extract discusses the pitfalls of our ‘always on’ culture and reveals why true contentment requires a shift in focus. Discover the importance of balancing outer accomplishments with inner development to find lasting peace. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In today’s fast-paced world, surrounded by constant noise and distraction, it’s easy to feel disconnected from those around us. This sense of isolation can breed misunderstanding and mistrust. In this podcast, Gen Demo explores how recognising our shared humanity can help us foster empathy, build deeper connections, and cultivate greater understanding in our relationships. Book reference How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

A thought provoking episode in which Gen-la Dekyong encourages us to think carefully about what the nature of the mind. She explains that true happiness is impossible unless we understand our mind and learn how to work with it effectively. Without this understanding, we often search for happiness in the wrong way—leading to frustration rather than peace. Based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

A wonderfully practical episode helping us to understand how it is lack of patience the brings stress and unhappiness in our life. We see how by accepting difficulties in our life we come to experience joy and peace. This podcast is an extract of a talk given at KMC Canada based on the book How to Solve our Human Problems by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

We live in a “luxurious prison”—comfortable but deceptive. If we don’t recognize our distorted mental constructs, we stay trapped. But by training the mind through spiritual paths and developing renunciation, we can escape suffering and help others do the same. Gen Devi explains Samsara based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this moving episode, Gen Gomlam explores the deep emotional pain that arises from our attachments to others. Whether through loss or the fear of losing someone, attachment often becomes a source of ongoing suffering that robs us of inner peace. Gen Gomlam gently challenges us to look beyond the surface of grief and recognize that it is not loss itself, but our attachment, that causes us pain. Through compassionate insight, she shows us how we can begin to let go of attachment—without letting go of love. Based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Kadam Morten talks about how to make sure our relationships are not just harmonious but an opportunity for spiritual growth. Our relationships, even the most challenging ones, become powerful tools for transformation when we understand the benefit of having those challenges in our life. Then, every interaction becomes an opportunity to grow, turning life itself into a meaningful journey toward inner freedom and lasting happiness. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this talk given at Tara KMC Dublin, Kadam Adam Starr encourages us to find balance in our lives—particularly the balance between inner and outer development. He explains that it is through finding this balance that we gain the ability to enjoy our good conditions and achievements, develop harmonious relationships, and, especially, the strength to deal with life’s challenges. Based on the teachings of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this podcast, we explore the profound question: Are the body and mind one and the same? Drawing on the logical insights of the Buddha, we examine how the body and mind are, in fact, distinct entities. Understanding this difference can transform the way we experience and live our lives. Join us as we reflect on compelling reasons and everyday examples that reveal the separation between body and mind. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. This is an extract of a talk by Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong, Resident Teacher at Manjushri KMC and the General Spiritual Director of NKT-IKBU

Gen Demo illustrates the difference between deluded pride and genuine confidence, revealing three essential forms of self-confidence: in our potential, in our positive actions, and in our ability to overcome obstacles. Through these insights, we learn to cultivate a stable mind free from arrogance or self-doubt. Based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

In this talk Gen Devi shows how our self-centered view is at the heart of our experiences of stress. She encourages us to go beyond surface-level stress triggers and explore the deeper mental habits related to grasping at the self, to see how we create the inner tension and unhappiness we experience as stress. Based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

What if the happiness you’ve been chasing isn’t out there—but within? Join us for an exploration of the Buddhist view on happiness, which challenges the direction of everyday life. This talk explores why the joy we seek can’t be found in material things or fleeting experiences—and how inner peace is not just a spiritual idea, but a practical path to lasting contentment. Discover how understanding your own mind can transform your relationship with the world and open the door to stable happiness—no matter what life throws your way. This is an extract of a talk by Gen Kelsang Tubchen, Resident Teacher at Vajrasattva KMC, Dumfires, Scotland.

Kadam Bridget strongly encourages us to monitor our minds throughout the day as a way to prevent negativity and unhappiness. Our inner voice can often be harsh and discouraging. In this talk, we explore the Buddhist understanding of negative self-talk, learning that such thoughts are temporary—but we increase their harmful impact by holding onto them and identifying with them. Kadam Bridget offers practical techniques to notice and release negativity at an early stage, thereby protecting our peace of mind. Book reference: How to Solve our Human Problems by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this talk, Gen Khedrub guides us in understanding the power of acceptance in creating harmony in our relationships, and in cultivating happiness and peace of mind within ourselves. Together, we explore the vital difference between genuine love and clinging attachment, discovering how wisdom in our relationships allows us to accept others as they are—without the need to control them. This podcast is an extract of a talk given at KMC Boston based on the book How to Solve our Human Problems by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this inspiring talk, Gen Gomlam explores the difference between love and attachment, revealing how attachment—often mistaken for love—can quietly sabotage our relationships. With warmth and clarity, she shows us that attachment isn’t our ally; it’s actually the hidden poison eroding connection and harmony. But there’s good news: Gen Gomlam introduces a simple shift in mindset that allows us to let go of attachment while deepening genuine love. This transformation feels almost magical, changing the way we see ourselves and others—and opening the door to more joyful, authentic relationships. This is an extract of a talk given at KMC Florida based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this talk Gen Demo helps us understand the difference between deluded pride and true self-confidence. This episode explores how exaggerating our qualities leads to insecurity and critical mind towards others. On the other hand true confidence gives us freedom to learn, grow, improve and feel comfortable about who we are. Learn to spot the difference and start building something real! Based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

In this enjoyable podcast, Gen Chodor, Resident Teacher of KMC Canada, explains how to improve our meditative concentration. Discover the four essential steps of meditation: seeking, finding, holding, and remaining. Understand that distraction isn’t the harmless interruption we often assume but rather the primary obstacle to deeper spiritual practice. Learn how mindfulness maintains focus while alertness stands guard against wandering thoughts. Based on the book How to Understand the Mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

Discover why stress isn’t caused by external events but primarily by your internal reaction. Learn the Buddhist perspective on identifying the true source of problems – your own mind – and understand why controlling your inner world, not the outer one, is the key to lasting peace. This podcast is an extract from a talk by Gen Devi given at KMC Switzerland. It is based on the book How to Transform Your Life by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

In this podcast, we look at the impact of being overly attached to others’ opinions of us. Gen Lekma examines how constantly seeking external validation creates a fragile sense of self that’s vulnerable to criticism and rejection. We see that when our self-worth depends on others’ approval, we develop chronic anxiety about how we’re being perceived. By understanding the way social anxiety develops , we can begin the journey toward a more relaxed life where we make choices aligned with our values rather than being driven by fears of disapproval or rejection. Based on the much loved Buddhist text Advice from Atisha’s Heart. Available from Tharpa Publications

In this podcast, Kadam Lucy explores the transformative potential of universal compassion in our divided world. Drawing from ancient Buddhist wisdom and contemporary examples, she examines whether extending compassion to all beings—even those we find difficult—is truly achievable or merely an idealistic aspiration. Based on the book Universal Compassion by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso