The Noble Eightfold Path: Step Two: The Power of Intention

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When I first started my own business years ago, I was full of doubt, excitement, fear, and hope, often all at the same time. Out of nowhere, a major opportunity landed in my lap that could have launched everything forward. There was just one problem. I did not respect the work of the person offering it. In this episode, I reflect on that moment and how a single sentence from my meditation teacher changed the way I understand right intention, karma, and the mysterious consequences of our actions.

This conversation explores right intention through personal experience and Buddhist teachings, moving from practical self examination to a much larger, more mysterious view of how our actions ripple through the world. I also share a personal story about illness, healing, and what it means to work with karma without knowing how or when it will resolve.

Highlights

• The early days of my business and an opportunity that forced a difficult ethical decision
• A Tibetan Buddhist teaching that reframed how I think about success and failure
• What right intention really means beyond good outcomes
• Right view and the radical idea of interconnectedness
• The three cycles of Buddhist teaching and how each understands intention
• How our actions move into the world like wave forms, not straight lines
• A personal story about injury, illness, and how it impacted my view of karma
• Three ways to understand right intention in daily life
• Letting go of expectations while still acting with care and responsibility

Music After Party

I share one of my all time favorites, Bobby Blue Bland’s recording from 1961, Two Steps from the Blues. I talk about why this album is such a turning point in blues and R & B history, and why Bland’s voice remains unforgettable to me. I also reflect on hearing him live while working at Antone’s in Austin, the reverence he inspired, and the joy of recently meeting his son, Rodd Bland, who continues the legacy in his own powerful way.
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Produced by Citizens of Sound

Music by: Derek O'Brien

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