Almost Awakened: 078: Buddhism For Beginners Part 7 – The Basic Characteristics of Life

Bill Sits down with Brittney Hartley and Anthony Miller and they tackle part 7 in a series that seeks to help the Almost Awakened Audience sense the great resources and tools to a life well lived by exposing you to Buddhism and it contemplative nature. We are using as a backdrop the 12 part presentation by Jack Kornfield titled “Buddhism for Beginners”

The goal of this series is to help you to be a more authentic & healthier version of yourself.

In part 7 we discuss the Basic Characteristics of Life as Jack calls it and what is called the 3 Marks of Existence by other sources. Namely that 1.) All things are impermanent, 2.) That Life includes the physical and mental sufferings that follows all through birth, aging, illness, dying; including dissatisfaction from getting what a being wishes to avoid or not getting what one desires to have in that moment, and 3.) that there is no unchanging, permanent Self or soul in living beings and no abiding essence in anything or phenomena, or in other words, everything is always changing and nothing you have or experience is you.

Brittney Hartley is the author of Mormon Philosophy Simplified. She has a masters degree in the Future of American Religion and is in training as a spiritual director with the Center for Non-religious Spirituality. Her work focuses on rebuilding spiritual health after religious trauma.

Anthony Miller is an entrepreneur and education enthusiast in Billings, Montana, with Masters degrees in Business Administration and in Financial Services. After a lifetime of faithful membership in the church, he experienced a faith transition after he stumbled across the Gospel Topics Essays and similar materials in 2016, while he was searching for resources to support his adult gay son. Anthony blogs at UnpackingAmbiguity.com and is a frequent contributor to post and progressive Mormon support communities.

Bill Reel is the Founder and Executive Director of Mormon Discussion Inc. a non-profit whose mission it is to provide resources and support to humans who are deconstructing unhealthy spiritual systems and to help those individuals reconstruct a new world view that values Authenticity and Vulnerability.  Bill is the author of “Faith Development Explained” a document designed to help people understand their own awakening.