A Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment

101

The How to Train a Happy Mind podcast brings meditation to modern people hungry for happy, meaningful lives. Each week, host Scott Snibbe and his guests share powerful mind training techniques that go beyond mindfulness to harness our intelligence, emotions, and imagination. Learn how to build a happy mind, fulfilling relationships, and a better world through a secular approach to meditation that is based on modern science and psychology, yet grounded in the authentic thousand-year old Tibetan Buddhist tradition of analytical meditation.

How to Train a Happy Mind is a project of the nonprofit Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment. Our host, Scott Snibbe, is a twenty-five-year student of Tibetan Buddhism whose teachers include His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Snibbe is the author of the popular How to Train a Happy Mind book, and leads meditation classes and retreats worldwide infused with science, humor, and the realities of the modern world.

Mindfulness Awareness Meditation with Susan Piver #189
Apr 22, 2025 – 11:31
Inexplicable Joy—On the Heart Sutra & Buddhism Without Belief with Susan Piver #188
Apr 15, 2025 – 58:00
The Interdependent Nature of Reality #39 [rebroadcast]
Apr 8, 2025 – 26:34
From Panic to Peace: A Guided Meditation with Kazu Haga #187
Apr 1, 2025 – 15:44
Beyond Us vs Them: Transforming Society Through Fierce Vulnerability with Kazu Haga #186
Mar 25, 2025 – 56:27
Guided Meditation: How Things Exist #38 [rebroadcast]
Mar 18, 2025 – 30:57
How Things Exist: Emptiness, Dependent Origination, and your Smartphone #37 [rebroadcast]
Mar 11, 2025 – 28:35
How to Use Your Phone Mindfully: A Guided Meditation for Digital Wellness—Jay Vidyarthi #185
Mar 4, 2025 – 12:31
How to Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology–Jay Vidyarthi on Digital Wellness #184
Feb 25, 2025 – 01:17:01
Bitcoin and Buddhism #70 [rebroadcast]
Feb 18, 2025 – 42:18
Meditation on Generosity #183
Feb 11, 2025 – 33:15
A Buddhist Take on Homelessness & Generosity #182
Feb 4, 2025 – 43:14
Guided Meditation: Universalizing our Problems and Pleasures #32 [rebroadcast]
Jan 28, 2025 – 14:46
Universalizing: Transforming Pain and Pleasure into Love and Compassion #31 [rebroadcast]
Jan 21, 2025 – 23:54
Two Meditations on Emptiness with Dr. Jan Willis #181
Jan 14, 2025 – 21:31
What Are the Six Perfections? with Dr. Jan Willis #180
Jan 7, 2025 – 49:22
Meditation on Self-Compassion with Tenzin Chogkyi #179
Dec 31, 2024 – 17:18
Self-Compassion with Tenzin Chogkyi #178
Dec 24, 2024 – 34:07
Exchanging Self with Other #177
Dec 17, 2024 – 39:53
What is Compassion? #28 [rebroadcast]
Dec 10, 2024 – 26:23
Guided Meditation on Love #26 [rebroadcast]
Dec 3, 2024 – 22:03
How to Live a Happy Life: NPR's Laura Sydell Talks with Scott Snibbe #176
Nov 26, 2024 – 53:03
What is Love? #25 [rebroadcast]
Nov 19, 2024 – 21:41
Compassion for our Country: Meditations for Healing After a Divisive Election #175
Nov 12, 2024 – 53:27
Meditation on Nonviolence with Kazu Haga #174
Nov 5, 2024 – 16:34
Does Nonviolent Protest Work? Kazu Haga #173
Oct 29, 2024 – 55:05
Memorial: Universal Love in Christianity & Buddhism with Greg Hillis #108 [rebroadcast]
Oct 22, 2024 – 42:36
Guided Meditation: Transforming Bias with Equanimity #23 [rebroadcast]
Oct 15, 2024 – 19:05
Spiritual Democracy #22 [rebroadcast]
Oct 8, 2024 – 29:12
Loving Yourself, Loving Others, & Letting Go—Paula Chichester #172
Oct 1, 2024 – 21:43
Diary of a Yogini with Paula Chichester #171
Sep 24, 2024 – 45:36
Stories We Tell Ourselves—Laurie Anderson & Scott Snibbe at Tibet House #170
Sep 17, 2024 – 57:58
The Determination to Be Free - Guided Meditation on Renunciation #18 [rebroadcast]
Sep 10, 2024 – 23:30
The Red Pill of Renunciation: Embracing Reality as It Is #17 [rebroadcast]
Sep 3, 2024 – 27:14
Dr. Cornel West: Truth, Justice, and Love #169
Aug 27, 2024 – 43:41
DJ Spooky + Snibbe at the Rubin Museum #168
Aug 20, 2024 – 49:39
Freeing Ourselves from Suffering: Anger, Craving, Pride, and War #167
Aug 13, 2024 – 53:13
Am I More Important Than Everyone Else in the Universe #15 [rebroadcast]
Aug 6, 2024 – 38:41
Ven. Thubten Chodren Meditation on Anger #166
Jul 30, 2024 – 21:45
Thubten Chodron on Working With Anger #165
Jul 23, 2024 – 38:16
Tenzin Chogkyi & Scott Snibbe San Francisco Book Launch for How to Train a Happy Mind #164
Jul 9, 2024 – 49:57
Finding Refuge in the Mind—A Guided Meditation #112 [rebroadcast]
Jul 2, 2024 – 30:50
What Do You Do When You're Alone? #14 [rebroadcast]
Jun 25, 2024 – 27:45
Tara Meditation on Hope—Ven. Robina Courtin #163
Jun 18, 2024 – 13:21
How to Heal Despair with Venerable Robina Courtin #162
Jun 11, 2024 – 47:03
Robert Thurman & Scott Snibbe at Tibet House: How to Train a Happy Mind #161
Jun 4, 2024 – 40:40
Guided Meditation—Mental Cause and Effect #12 [rebroadcast]
May 28, 2024 – 23:39
Mental Cause and Effect #11 [rebroadcast]
May 21, 2024 – 32:34
Contentment and Ambition with Yangsi Rinpoche #160
May 14, 2024 – 31:27
sujatha baliga & Scott Snibbe in conversation: How to Train a Happy Mind #159
May 7, 2024 – 43:02

Recent Reviews

DocJHigh

A Big Life Improvement

Listening to this podcast has changed my life for the better. Being mindful is so important to my every day now.
Svenskanonomous

Absolutely love this podcast

Scott approaches his talks and mediations in such a relatable way. I have found them incredibly helpful in challenging my old thought patterns and reducing anxiety. I’ve listened to all of his episodes more than once. I’m so appreciative of this resource.
NamrebNod

Excellent Podcast

My partner, Jane, and I have been involved with Buddhism for decades. Nonetheless, we listen to, and learn from, this podcast regularly. The guests are wonderful, and Scott Snibbe's style of interviewing makes their messages accessible to those just discovering this path, as well as informative for those who have been on it for quite a while. Additionally, Scott's own teachings are helpful.
ari@SF

Grateful foe this podcast

A podcast about Buddhist ideas and technology in the modern world and how to understand ancient concepts in our context
dolanducker

Thank you!

This podcast has grown my knowledge of meditation, self and The Buddha. You guys are doing an amazing job, i cannot thank you enough.
Jay Sun Day Rule Oh

Smart and engaging

Deep, quality explorations into how Buddhism intersects with the modern world and offers practical guidance (including guided meditations) on how we can come to be at peace with our own minds.
sarainbloom

Wonderful!

Well produced and a great selection of guest speakers. I look forward to hearing more!
Derek Fagerstrom

Highly recommend!

The perfect podcast for anyone interested/curious in Buddhism, consciousness, happiness, love, the relationship between spirit + science, meditation or just general well-being. All the ideas and concepts (even the really big ones!) are presented with much thought and clarity. Great guided meditations, great guest interviews...Haven’t missed an episode and am constantly recommending it to anyone I think could benefit from it...which is, um...EVERYONE.
Fitdayuser

Informative and engaging

Great podcast. I look forward to more.
Alan Blake

Not Only for Skeptics

The title of this podcast made me expect a thoroughly secularized form of Buddhism. While it is thoroughly in harmony with modern science, it is also grounded in Tibetan Buddhist tradition. I find both the content and delivery of these teachings and guided meditations to be excellent. And the sound engineering gives these podcasts an intimacy and immediateness not usually found. I have listened to recorded guided meditations from many sources, and this is the best so far.
annelie161

Great explanations and very insightful!

So glad my friend Arian introduced me to this podcast! I’m not much of a sceptic, but my analytical mind very much appreciates how Snibbe is offering different, well researched points of view on various spiritual topics - while still always approaching them from an intellectual and scientific standpoint. It also helps that he is providing plenty of relatable examples to explain each Buddhist concept. I’ve had lots of great “aha moments” listening!
darkel2

Very insightful and thoughtful podcast

Really been enjoying this podcast. I particularly appreciate how concisely and clearly some very profound concepts are presented. Excited to follow along :)
Arpac3000

I’m a skeptic and you should listen

I’ve listened to everything from calm to headspace to 10% to Sam Harris’s podcasts and really like the perspective these creators have taken to make me understand why and how I can be more appreciative of what meditation is and the value it can bring me.
ben of the trees

Love the guided meditation

I’m just starting to explore meditation and have now done his first guided meditation twice. It was an incredible experience both times. I’m really excited to see where this podcast goes from here.
Pooooolo

Rewiring Skeptics?

This is an important podcast. The main thing neuro scientists agree on about the way our brain functions is that our reptilian brain will drive us towards our most destructive behaviors. Meditation is a way to bypass that. For this simple reason, skeptics should listen and get this in their toolbox.
Seb de With

A Skeptic’s Review

I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m a bit allergic to ‘spirituality’. My first yoga class featured chanting and much talk of chakras, and it kind of put me on edge. I’m Buddhist-curious, finding its teachings and particularly the overall values extremely appealing, but always felt a bit hesitant due to my rather skeptical attitude. Scott is, so far, offering a very nice introduction to many directly applicable concepts and values in a great and easy to listen to format. It helps that his voice is absolutely excellent — you’d think he’d have become a podcast pro a long time ago. :) Following this podcast with great interest!