The Buddha was a revolutionary. He found his own path and encouraged us to do the same. He gave us a recipe that he followed and offered us to try it – and said that if it didn’t work, feel free to cast it aside. What does it mean when you also have a rebellious soul and want to honor the teachings and also your own inner voice to find your own path? What if you don’t quite fit in with the usual picture of a Buddhist practitioner, peacefully smiling amidst a calm rock garden and bubbling water features? Can you want to tame your mind + strive for a spiritual life AND want it to be filled with wild adventures (and misadventures)? Can you love the solace of silent retreats AND sweating to thumping dance music at 2am? What does it mean if you sometimes overdrink, swear a lot, or party too much yet identify as a sincere Buddhist practitioner? This podcast is about going back to the grassroots nature of Buddhism, where we practice in community and explore day to day life in order to find our own path. Where we learn by talking with each other about our experiences and practice, and not just relying on guidance from a handful of teachers (if we’re lucky enough to even have such access). We do this while using the guidance of the Buddha’s experience, the wisdom of the teachings, and our community of like-minded practitioners.