(Photo above courtesy of Molly Leebove)
Today we’re talking about family and what to do if you just can’t reconcile differences with them.
Our guests are sisters Lauren and Molly Leebove from Michigan, whose intertwined stories of beginning their Buddhist practice and transforming their relationship with their parents are rich with lessons on what Buddhability looks like in a family setting.
(You can also listen to Buddhability on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.)
Cheat Sheet
1:22 Quote from Daisaku Ikeda in The New Human Revolution, vol. 26 p. 203–4.
2:04 Introduction to Molly and Lauren
2:54 How Molly started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism
5:45 What Lauren’s reaction was to her sister’s practice and why she started her own
7:37 What it was like growing up eight years apart
12:08 Lauren’s struggle with her mental health in college
17:28 How they both ended up back home in Michigan
19:37 How Molly decided to challenge her struggle with being home
21:44 The Buddhist concept “transforming karma into mission”
24:12 How Lauren’s life changed when she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
26:43 Why caring for others can be so healing
30:42 What it takes to set aside political or social differences
39:31 How Lauren transformed rejection into shared love
44:56 How starting fresh in every moment can change relationship dynamics
51:58 What uniting for family harmony looks like
56:31 How Buddhism changed my sister
61:06 Advice for anyone struggling with a family rift