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- The Junkie Mind
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Venerable Robina Courtin, a fast-talking Buddhist nun from Australia, is a fireball — a former karate black-belt, she talks tough and fast. This is a fascinating, surprising and very entertaining interview!
We're all like addicts, says Courtin. As she explains it, while we may crave different things (not necessarily drugs or alcohol), from a Buddhist point of view we all share the same fundamental problem: We're driven by the aching, craving need of "the junkie mind."
"It's this non-stop assumption that I must get what I want, and then the second I don't get it: upset, frustration, hurt, anger, fear and all the other drama comes. So we think that's normal life. But Buddha says, 'No, it's mental illness. You're junkies!'"
So how do we deal with our addictive mind? And if we're all addicted, what's it like not to be an addict? It's wonderful, she says, but the steps to get us there are "the toughest job we'll ever do."
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Piece Description
Venerable Robina Courtin, a fast-talking Buddhist nun from Australia, is a fireball — a former karate black-belt, she talks tough and fast. This is a fascinating, surprising and very entertaining interview!
We're all like addicts, says Courtin. As she explains it, while we may crave different things (not necessarily drugs or alcohol), from a Buddhist point of view we all share the same fundamental problem: We're driven by the aching, craving need of "the junkie mind."
"It's this non-stop assumption that I must get what I want, and then the second I don't get it: upset, frustration, hurt, anger, fear and all the other drama comes. So we think that's normal life. But Buddha says, 'No, it's mental illness. You're junkies!'"
So how do we deal with our addictive mind? And if we're all addicted, what's it like not to be an addict? It's wonderful, she says, but the steps to get us there are "the toughest job we'll ever do."
Broadcast History
Broadcast on The Tibet Connection via Sprouts (Pacifica Network) September 2010
Transcript
PROMO TRANSCRIPT: "It's this non-stop assumption that I must get what I want, and then the second I don't get it: upset, frustration, hurt, anger, fear and all the other drama comes. So we think that's normal life. But Buddha says, 'No, it's mental illness. You're junkies!'"
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:This month in our Open Mind series, Venerable Robina Courtin (roh-BEE-nuh KOOR-tin), a Buddhist nun from Australia, talks with producer Peter Aronson about how all of us are like addicts. As she explains it, while we may crave different things, from a Buddhist point of view we all share the same fundamental problem: We're driven by aching, craving need of "the junkie mind."
OUTRO:That was Venerable Robina Courtin (roh-BEE-nuh KOOR-tin), a Buddhist nun from Australia, talking with producer Peter Aronson. This interview first aired on The Tibet Connection. More information at The Tibet Connection dot org.
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Brian Cagney
Posted on December 29, 2011 at 09:42 PM | Permalink
Great listen
Great little piece! This nun is straightforward and spot on!