Handful of Leaves | Mindfulness & Buddhism in Everyday Life

• Ep 63: Emma Slade - a Bhutanese nun's solo journey across 12 mountain passes

  In this inspiring conversation, Buddhist nun and author Emma Slade (Lopen Ani Pema Deki) shares how compassion fuels her work through Opening Your Heart to Bhutan, a charity supporting children with special needs. From surviving a life-changing hostage experience to preparing for a 37-day trek across Bhutan, Emma reveals how resilience, faith, and kindness can transform both personal suffering and the lives of others.💪 Resilience in Adversity – Lessons from Bhutanese children and Emma’s own journey through trauma.🌏 Compassion in Action – Why widening our hearts creates true peace and supports those in need.🧘 Progress, Not Perfection – How practice and service are about gradual growth, not instant enlightenment.#CompassionInAction #BuddhistWisdom #OpeningYourHeartAbout the Speaker:👤 Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Emma Slade) was born in Kent, and was educated at Cambridge University and the University of London where she gained a First Class degree.  She is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and worked in Fund Management in London, New York, and Hong Kong. A deep seated desire to enquire into the deeper aspects of humanity arise following a life-changing business trip to Jakarta, where she was held hostage at gunpoint. She resigned from her financial career and began exploring yoga and meditation and methods of wellbeing with the ultimate aim of turning a traumatic episode into wisdom and conditions for thriving. ​Her interest in Buddhism as a science of the mind strengthened after meeting a Buddhist Lama (teacher) on her first visit to Bhutan in 2011. This crucial chance meeting led to her studying Buddhism with this Lama and, eventually, led to her becoming the first and only Western woman to be ordained in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan as a Buddhist nun.📄 Transcript: https://bit.ly/hol-ep-63⏱Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction to Emma Slade: Buddhist nun, author, and charity founder(00:47) – Opening Your Heart to Bhutan: supporting children with special needs(01:40) – Preparing to walk the 37-day Wild Bhutan Trail for fundraising(01:59) – Emma’s hostage experience and empathy for children lacking autonomy(03:21) – Story of a boy walking on his knees who now trains for the Paralympics(04:17) – Mindset and resilience: lessons from Bhutanese children(05:14) – Struggles, fundraising challenges, and not giving up(06:08) – Expanding compassion as mental training and peace(07:05) – Following the Bodhisattva vow with aspiration despite obstacles(09:11) – Skillful means: helping others when they are ready to receive(10:49) – The “cup” analogy for openness to Dharma(12:12) – Progress is gradual: not expecting perfection in practice(12:44) – Redefining suffering as mental states, not just physical(14:02) – Preparing physically and mentally for the Bhutan Trail(14:31) – Stretching beyond comfort zones to truly help others(14:40) – How to follow Emma’s journey and support the causeResources:Emma Slade’s website: https://www.emmaslade.com/Emma Slade’s charity fundraiser: https://www.openingyourhearttobhutan.com/Facebook/Instagram: @openingyourhearttobhutan_More about her journey being held at gunpoint: My Path To Becoming A Buddhist | Emma Slade | TEDxSevenoaksSchoolSpecial thanks to our sponsors:Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui Chong, Dennis Lee🙏 Sponsor us: https://handfulofleaves.life/support/🎬 Editor: Hong Jiayi✍️ Transcribers: Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice Bay🎨 Visuals & Sound: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You Shan📱 Get ConnectedTelegram Instagram YouTube Facebook

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• Why a 31-year old Singaporean Techie Chose the Monk Life

  From dating to reading about Elon Musk to politics, he was in search of meaning in his early 20s. That all changed when he read about the Buddha and his monks.We had the awesome opportunity to speak with Phra Ryan before he took on full ordination. Here’s his story of becoming a monk at the prime of his career in the tech industry. This is also how he, as an only son and having family members of a different faith, arrived at this path.#BuddhistWisdom #MindfulLiving #FaithAndPractice About the Speaker:Halfway through university, Ryan embarked on a spiritual journey into the deeper meaning of life, and found himself drawn towards Buddhism during a silent retreat in the Australian bush, which marked the beginning of an eight-year long journey into monkhood. This is his story.📄 Transcript: https://bit.ly/hol-phra-ryan⏱Timestamps:(00:00) – First week as a novice monk: nerves and relief(01:30) – Meeting Ajahn Dhammasiha and first retreats(03:00) – Life as an Anagarika and family’s reaction(05:00) – Growing up privileged but searching for meaning(07:05) – Parents’ and friends’ response to ordination(09:10) – Luang Por’s teaching: life without mindfulness is crazy(10:00) – Goal of practice: freeing the mind from attachment(11:15) – Wearing the robe and facing “imposter syndrome”(12:09) – Choosing Wat Marp Jan under Luang Por AnanSpecial thanks to our sponsors:Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui Chong, Dennis Lee🙏 Sponsor us: https://handfulofleaves.life/support/🎬 Editor: Hong Jiayi✍️ Transcribers: Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice Bay🎨 Visuals & Sound: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You ShanGet connected here: Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook

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• Ep 62: A Narrow Heart Is a Fragile Heart | How to Stop Feeling So Alone

  In this episode, Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven Emma Slade) — a former London investment banker who left after a near-death experience in Jakarta to ordain in Bhutan — explores what it means to widen the heart and become truly unbreakable. She contrasts fleeting, manufactured happiness with the effortless joy that arises from practice and explains how small acts of kindness build resilience. Perfect for listeners curious about practical spirituality and living with purpose.Key Takeaways:🧭 Choose Liberation, Not Comfort — Why training the mind matters, and how practice aims for freedom from samsara rather than temporary ease.💫 Real Joy vs. Manufactured Bliss — The difference between practice-born joy (stable, effortless) and short-lived worldly pleasures.🤝 Small Acts, Big Heart — Two-minute kindnesses, widening your circle of care, and the role of faith/teacher in sustaining practice.#OpeningYourHeart #BuddhistWisdom #MindfulLiving #FaithAndPractice About the Speaker:👤 Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven Emma Slade) was born in Kent, educated at Cambridge University and the University of London where she gained a First Class degree. She is a qualified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and worked in Fund Management in London, New York, and Hong Kong. A deep seated desire to enquire into the deeper aspects of humanity arise following a life- changing business trip to Jakarta, where she was held hostage at gunpoint. She resigned from her financial career and began exploring yoga and meditation and methods of wellbeing with the ultimate aim of turning a traumatic episode into wisdom and conditions for thriving. ​Her interest in Buddhism as a science of the mind strengthened after meeting a Buddhist Lama (teacher) on her first visit to Bhutan in 2011. This crucial chance meeting led to her studying Buddhism and becoming the first and only Western woman to be ordained in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan as a Buddhist nun.📄 Transcript: https://bit.ly/hol-ep-62⏱Timestamps:(00:00) – Introduction to Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven Emma Slade), former banker turned Buddhist nun(01:00) – The challenge of practicing Dharma in a busy modern life(02:31) – Are we seeking comfort in samsara or liberation?(02:51) – What happiness really means from a Buddhist perspective(03:40) – Joy and bliss: natural results of Dharma practice vs. worldly joy(05:28) – Reflections on Bhutan and why happiness can’t be measured easily(06:20) – Mental resilience and faith in Bhutanese life(07:17) – Small daily acts of kindness in a busy life(07:53) – Expanding motivation beyond yourself and loved ones(08:52) – Why bother about anyone else besides your loved ones?(09:20) – Why widening your heart supports resilience(10:24) – The Bodhisattva path: stretching beyond your comfort zone(11:14) – How Lopen Ani Pema Deki became a Buddhist and later a nun(11:40) – Meeting her teacher in Bhutan (12:24) – Moments of clarity and deep spiritual connection(14:27) – Karma and how Lopen Ani Pema Deki ’s path ripened in BhutanResources:Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven Emma Slade) website - https://www.emmaslade.com/Lopen Ani Pema Deki (Ven Emma Slade) charity fundraiser - https://www.openingyourhearttobhutan.com/Special thanks to our sponsors:Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui Chong, Dennis Lee🙏 Sponsor us: https://handfulofleaves.life/support/🎬 Editor: Hong Jiayi✍️ Transcribers: Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice Bay🎨 Visuals & Sound: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You Shan📱Get connected here: Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook

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• Ep 61: How I Built a $200M Business Without Crossing These 5 Lines

  How can Buddhist principles guide tough business decisions, build trust, and create a healthier workplace culture? In this episode, Glints co-founder Ying Cong shares real-life lessons from 11 years of leading a startup—navigating challenges from employee boundaries to co-founder conflicts—while staying grounded in his “inviolable principles.” His reflections show how mindfulness and compassion can be powerful tools in leadership and life.🛑 Boundaries Build Respect – Why not treating employees as “family” can actually strengthen trust and fairness.🗣️ Truth as a Leadership Asset – How radical honesty during crises kept the team united and loyal.🤝 Compassion in Conflict – Using empathy and gratitude to resolve disagreements without breaking relationships.#MindfulLeadership #BuddhistWisdom #StartupLessons #TruthAndTrust #DharmaInBusinessAbout the Speaker:👤 Ying Cong is a long-time meditator and the co-founder of Glints, a leading career platform in Southeast Asia. Over the past decade, he helped scale the company from an idea incubated by JFDI to a regional startup featured in major publications like The Straits Times and Yahoo News. As Glints’ former CTO and current machine learning engineer, he has worked on recommender systems, fraud detection, and data infrastructure—though he jokes that most of it is just “glorified data cleaning.”His Dhamma journey began in his teenage years and continues to deepen through regular meditation, observing the precepts, and periods of monastic training in the Thai forest tradition. He is quietly exploring how to balance the responsibilities of lay life with the path of practice.📄 Transcript: https://bit.ly/hol-ep-61⏱ Timestamps(00:00) – Introduction to Ying Cong and Glints(00:46) – Why “treating employees like family” caused challenges(02:34) – Setting healthy boundaries while staying compassionate(03:34) – Listening deeply to uncover unspoken struggles(05:24) – How personal connection creates meaning at work(05:54) – Translating individual meaning into team culture(07:04) – Leaders setting the tone for company culture(08:13) – Avoiding the trap of hiring people just like you(09:59) – Using “inviolable principles” as a leadership foundation(10:38) – Close calls with breaking the precept on truthfulness(12:14) – Learning to package truth wisely for investors(13:02) – How truthfulness builds long-term trust with employees(15:02) – Radical transparency during financial crisis kept the team together(16:04) – Biggest co-founder disagreement: shutting down a business unit(19:00) – Applying Buddhist wisdom to make difficult decisions(20:14) – Compassion in execution: acknowledging effort and gratitude(22:23) – Stepping down as CTO and learning from different roles(23:26) – Final reflections and key takeawaysSpecial thanks to our sponsors:Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui Chong, Dennis Lee🙏 Sponsor us: https://handfulofleaves.life/support/🎬 Editor: Aparajita Ghose – Website | YouTube✍️ Transcribers: Hong Jiayi, Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice Bay🎨 Visuals & Sound: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You ShanGet connected here: Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook

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• Ep 60: The $200M Entrepreneur who meditates two hours a day

  What does it mean to build a $200M startup while staying grounded in Buddhist values? In this episode, Ying Cong, co-founder of Glints, shares candid stories from his entrepreneurial journey—from navigating PR crises to letting go of ego and status. With wisdom drawn from his daily two-hour meditation practice and real-world experience, he explores how Dhamma can shape leadership, decisions, and even definitions of success.🧘 Meditation in the Startup World – How mindfulness helps in managing crises and emotional highs and lows💸 The Joy of Giving – Why true generosity pierces the ego and transforms workplace culture🌊 Samsara on Steroids – Lessons in impermanence from building (and rebuilding) a company over 11 years#StartupWisdom #MindfulLeadership #BuddhistEntrepreneur #SamsaraOnSteroids #DhammaInBusiness About the Speaker:👤Ying Cong is a long-time meditator and the co-founder of Glints, a leading career platform in Southeast Asia. Over the past decade, he helped scale the company from an idea incubated by JFDI to a regional startup featured in major publications like The Straits Times and Yahoo News. As Glints’ former CTO and current machine learning engineer, he has worked on recommender systems, fraud detection, and data infrastructure—though he jokes that most of it is just “glorified data cleaning.”His Dhamma journey began in his teenage years and continues to deepen through regular meditation, observing the precepts, and periods of monastic training in the Thai forest tradition. He is quietly exploring how to balance the responsibilities of lay life with the path of practice. Transcript: https://bit.ly/hol-ep-60Timestamps:(00:00) – Startup life as “samsara on steroids”(00:50) – Introduction to guest: Ying Cong, co-founder of Glints(02:02) – Ying Cong’s Buddhist background and early monastic experiences(02:48) – Why he meditates two hours a day and how he finds time(04:34) – How meditation helped during a major PR crisis(05:00) – The PR crisis story: a job listing gone wrong(07:31) – Learning to face problems directly, like in meditation(08:46) – Reputation: years to build, seconds to lose(09:37) – The joy of giving and overcoming stinginess(11:15) – A COVID layoff decision and the pain of letting go(13:48) – Choosing compassion: giving severance from personal funds(15:10) – Letting go of attachment to money and ego(16:21) – Building something meaningful through self-development(16:50) – Startup life and the eight worldly winds(17:23) – From financial freedom to finding deeper meaning(18:01) – “Making it” then losing it: a funding disappointment(19:38) – People come and go: the pain of team members leaving(21:05) – Impermanence and the constant cycle of change(21:47) – Reflections on the Buddha’s noble search(23:02) – Developing wisdom and seeing patterns of impermanence(23:36) – Closing ReflectionSpecial thanks to our sponsors:Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen, Nai Kai Lee, Amelia Toh, Hannah Law, Shin Hui ChongSponsor us here: https://handfulofleaves.life/support/Editor of this episode: Aparajita GhoseWebsite: aparajitayoga.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLdn8TJKbY1uQ9PQr5AUsATranscribers of this episode: Hong Jiayi, Cheryl Cheah, Tan Si Jing, Bernice BayVisual and Sound Effects: Anton Thorne, Tan Pei Shan, Ang You Shan Get connected here: Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook

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