E35 - The Bodhisattva Shift: Turning Your Karma into Your Dharma
Fri Nov 28 2025
This podcast episode, "From Karma to Dharma," Hosts Scott & Paul explore the concept of the Bodhisattva—an archetypal energy in Mahayana Buddhism focused on personal awakening and helping others do the same. The discussion centers on making a fundamental shift in perspective: moving away from an obsessive focus on karma (personal, conditioned circumstances and plans) to embracing dharma (one's wisdom, teachings, and participation in the bigger, interdependent mystery of life). The hosts discuss how this shift lessens personal suffering, combats "monkey mind" habits (like analysis paralysis and catastrophizing), and brings greater meaning and spiritual growth by allowing one to turn life's conditions into wisdom that can help others.
⏱️ Timestamped Summary0:00 Introduction & Host Catch-up: Scott Berman welcomes Sensei Paul Gyodo. They briefly discuss Paul's recent trip to the East Coast, noting the cultural differences.
2:30 Introducing the Topic: From Karma to Dharma: The episode's focus is introduced: Paul's latest newsletter on Bodhisattvas—how to recognize them and become one.
3:10Norman Fischer Quote & Defining Bodhisattva: Paul shares the quote: "Bodhicattvas don't mind much what happens to them. Their lives are larger than the plans they may have had for them." Paul defines the Bodhicattva as the Mahayana Buddhist ideal—a being that seeks awakening not just for themselves but to help others.
5:35 The Shift from Personal Gravity: Discussion on how the Bodhicattva mindset moves beyond obsession with one's own plans, problems, and personal gravity, recognizing a larger context and interdependent reality.
7:00 The Value of Helping Others: Scott shares his experience that helping others (using his gained knowledge) makes him feel better about his own internal problems, aligning with the Bodhisattva ethos.
8:45 Plans and the Monkey Mind: Discussing the humor in making plans ("How do you make God laugh? Tell her your plans.") and how getting caught up in the perception of what should happen fuels the "monkey mind" when things inevitably change.
10:45 Ignorance as the Root Poison: Referencing the Buddha's three poisons (greed, hatred, and ignorance). Paul emphasizes that ignorance is the most difficult, particularly the self-limiting view of ourselves as isolated and smaller than we truly are.
12:50 Internal Ignorance & Limited Identity: Further discussion on the internal layer of ignorance—believing that our ideas about reality are reality, and limiting our identity to our conditioned life (education, biology, etc.).
14:00 Bodhisattva Ethos: The Parental Mind: Scott connects the Bodhicattva's desire to help to the realization of one's ability to help people, especially seeing it through parenting—the parental mind is an animating spirit of the Bodhicattva.
15:40 Minimizing Maladaptive Habits ("Weather System"): Using the analogy of a weather system to deal with overwhelming internal conditions (like workaholism, catastrophizing). You take refuge and wait for them to pass, rather than trying to stop the storm.
18:50 Turning Karma into Dharma (The Core Reframe): Paul explains his expression: "Bodhisattva turns their karma... into their dharma." Karma is the conditioned life resulting from choices; Dharma is one's wisdom, teachings, and path. The shift is viewing life's circumstances not as limitations but as material for wisdom.
21:20 The Eightfold Path as a Skill Set: Scott connects this reframe to the Eightfold...
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This podcast episode, "From Karma to Dharma," Hosts Scott & Paul explore the concept of the Bodhisattva—an archetypal energy in Mahayana Buddhism focused on personal awakening and helping others do the same. The discussion centers on making a fundamental shift in perspective: moving away from an obsessive focus on karma (personal, conditioned circumstances and plans) to embracing dharma (one's wisdom, teachings, and participation in the bigger, interdependent mystery of life). The hosts discuss how this shift lessens personal suffering, combats "monkey mind" habits (like analysis paralysis and catastrophizing), and brings greater meaning and spiritual growth by allowing one to turn life's conditions into wisdom that can help others. ⏱️ Timestamped Summary0:00 Introduction & Host Catch-up: Scott Berman welcomes Sensei Paul Gyodo. They briefly discuss Paul's recent trip to the East Coast, noting the cultural differences. 2:30 Introducing the Topic: From Karma to Dharma: The episode's focus is introduced: Paul's latest newsletter on Bodhisattvas—how to recognize them and become one. 3:10Norman Fischer Quote & Defining Bodhisattva: Paul shares the quote: "Bodhicattvas don't mind much what happens to them. Their lives are larger than the plans they may have had for them." Paul defines the Bodhicattva as the Mahayana Buddhist ideal—a being that seeks awakening not just for themselves but to help others. 5:35 The Shift from Personal Gravity: Discussion on how the Bodhicattva mindset moves beyond obsession with one's own plans, problems, and personal gravity, recognizing a larger context and interdependent reality. 7:00 The Value of Helping Others: Scott shares his experience that helping others (using his gained knowledge) makes him feel better about his own internal problems, aligning with the Bodhisattva ethos. 8:45 Plans and the Monkey Mind: Discussing the humor in making plans ("How do you make God laugh? Tell her your plans.") and how getting caught up in the perception of what should happen fuels the "monkey mind" when things inevitably change. 10:45 Ignorance as the Root Poison: Referencing the Buddha's three poisons (greed, hatred, and ignorance). Paul emphasizes that ignorance is the most difficult, particularly the self-limiting view of ourselves as isolated and smaller than we truly are. 12:50 Internal Ignorance & Limited Identity: Further discussion on the internal layer of ignorance—believing that our ideas about reality are reality, and limiting our identity to our conditioned life (education, biology, etc.). 14:00 Bodhisattva Ethos: The Parental Mind: Scott connects the Bodhicattva's desire to help to the realization of one's ability to help people, especially seeing it through parenting—the parental mind is an animating spirit of the Bodhicattva. 15:40 Minimizing Maladaptive Habits ("Weather System"): Using the analogy of a weather system to deal with overwhelming internal conditions (like workaholism, catastrophizing). You take refuge and wait for them to pass, rather than trying to stop the storm. 18:50 Turning Karma into Dharma (The Core Reframe): Paul explains his expression: "Bodhisattva turns their karma... into their dharma." Karma is the conditioned life resulting from choices; Dharma is one's wisdom, teachings, and path. The shift is viewing life's circumstances not as limitations but as material for wisdom. 21:20 The Eightfold Path as a Skill Set: Scott connects this reframe to the Eightfold...