10/04/2026
"What We Turn Toward: Reclaiming Our Joy" with Tom Moon
The latest dharma talk is now available on the GBF website and podcast.
______________
https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/what-we-turn-toward-reclaiming-our-joy-tom-moon/
Tom Moon addresses the challenge we face of staying grounded, peaceful, and resilient when our world feels overwhelmed by political turmoil, cruelty, and constant outrage.
How? By inviting us to reframe our spiritual focus: true liberation doesn't come from trying to suppress negative emotions or forcing empty, feel-good affirmations, but from intentionally cultivating what is wholesome. Tom draws on Buddhist history, Mary Oliver's poetry, and his own experience recovering from a stroke to remind us that while evil and suffering are real, our brains are also hardwired with a "negativity bias"—acting like velcro for bad experiences and teflon for good ones.
Additionally, when we fall into "survivor guilt" by believing that experiencing happiness during hard times is selfish or disloyal, we actually drain ourselves of the vitality needed to resist harm and care for others.
Tom offers several key insights and practices to help us counteract this bias and incline our minds toward genuine light and joy:
- Reframing Liberation: We learn that we aren't freed simply by turning away from greed, hatred, and delusion, but by actively cultivating wisdom, compassion, and love.
- Overcoming "Survivor Guilt": We recognize that letting ourselves experience happiness isn't an act of disloyalty to those who suffer, but a vital spiritual duty that preserves our well-being and capacity to serve.
- Taking in the Good: Guided by Rick Hanson's practice, we learn to linger on positive moments—such as the warmth of loved ones or supportive community—for at least 20 seconds so those feelings can truly register in our nervous system.
- Directing the Heart: We remember that we become whatever we focus on; by intentionally turning toward kindness, truth, and present-moment awareness, we anchor ourselves in an underlying stillness that outer turmoil cannot destroy.
