It’s natural to feel guilt or shame when living in abundance while much of the world faces hardship. In this episode, Dr. Barry Kerzin, the Dalai Lama’s personal physician and a Buddhist monk, shares his approach to managing these emotions with a simple yet powerful tool. He also discusses his journey to becoming a monk, life within the Dalai Lama’s compound, as well as anger management, self-compassion, and impatience strategies.
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Guest Bio: Barry Kerzin, MD is a US born and trained family physician who for the past several decades has resided as a monk in Dharamshala, India — home of the Tibetan community in exile. In addition to serving as H.H. the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Dr. Kerzin is the founder of the Altruism in Medicine Institute, whose mission is to increase compassion and resilience among healthcare professionals and extended professional groups, such as police officers, first responders, teachers and leaders.
Self described as “…a doctor, a monk, a teacher, a lazy man. All of these things, yet none of these things,” you can follow Dr. Kerzin on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram or learn more about his story here.
He’s also got a new app that you might be interested in — AIMIcare. This app is crafted to counteract the distressing prevalence of burnout, depression, and frustration among those facing the brunt of human suffering by instilling the virtues of compassion, mindfulness, and self-care
- Download AIMIcare: here
- AIMIcare Mobile App Website: https://aimicare.altruismmedicine.org/
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- Flameproof: The anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. The next cohort begins Sept 10, 2024
- 4 Free Resources to Elevate Your Career
We Discuss
How Dr. Kerzin made the trade from US-based family doctor to Buddhist monk and the Dalai Lama’s personal physician
- Practiced family medicine in Ojai, California for about seven years, including delivering babies.
- Moved to Seattle after his wife passed away from cancer and took a job at the University of Washington.
- Responded to the Dalai Lama’s public request for a Western-trained physician to come to Dharamsala.
- Took nearly a year to leave his responsibilities at the University of Washington and move to Dharamsala.
- Stayed initially on a six-month visa, extended multiple times, and has now been living and practicing there for 35 years.
Studying Tibetan medicine for the treatment of high blood pressure
- Conducted a research project on the efficacy of Tibetan medicine in treating high blood pressure.
- Faced challenges in creating a control group due to cultural differences in understanding inactive medicine.
- Extended his visa multiple times to complete the project, which took more than six months.
- Concluded that more research is needed to definitively prove the efficacy of Tibetan medicine for high blood pressure.
- Observed many patients benefiting from Tibetan medicine for high blood pressure, despite the challenges in the initial study.
Two experiences in younger life that sparked Barry’s spiritual quest
- Read two Buddhist books by D. T. Suzuki and Alan Watts at age 14, which sparked a strong interest in understanding Buddhism.
- Attended a lecture by Swami Vaikunanda at age 17, which resulted in a powerful spiritual experience.
- Reinforced belief that there is more to reality than what is immediately visible.
- Continued seeking deeper understanding and practice of Buddhism, eventually leading him to Dharamsala.
How Barry feels about being referred to as ‘The Dalai Lama’s Doctor’
- Feels a little embarrassed and uncomfortable with the title as it seems like self-promotion.
- Acknowledges that he is indeed part of a small team of doctors for the Dalai Lama.
- Prefers not to be seen as something flashy or special because of this title.
- Experiences discomfort because people might not see him for who he really is.
- Accepts the title but feels it does not fully represent his identity or contributions.
What Barry’s day life is like in the Dalai Lama’s compound
- Lives in a highly secure compound with armed guards and restricted access.
- Occupies two rooms provided by the Dalai Lama, one for sleeping and meditating, the other for study and office work.
- Provides medical consultations to the 20-30 people working within the compound.
- Often makes house visits or meets patients in cafes for those who cannot enter the compound.
- Advises on serious medical conditions like gastric cancer and navigates treatment options.
What the food is like in the Dalai Lama’s compound
- Food is mostly institutional, army-style cooking prepared by young Tibetan security personnel.
- As a vegetarian, finds the food lacking in good vegetarian alternatives.
- Eats what is available, though it does not always meet his health standards.
- Notices a significant difference in the quality of food when compared to what he would prefer for maintaining his health.
- Manages his diet within the constraints of the compound’s offerings.
The importance of generosity
- Focus on the relationship with material things rather than the things themselves.
- Practice generosity if one has an abundance of resources.
- Recognize that generosity brings tremendous personal richness, though not the primary reason to give.
- Celebrate daily positive achievements to bring more positivity into life.
Healthy self-confidence
- Define healthy self-confidence as neither self-deprecation (imposter syndrome) nor arrogance.
- Recognize sources of self-doubt as imposed, not innate.
- Practice persistence in reprogramming negative feelings through mindfulness and repeated affirmation.
An approach to imposter syndrome
- Identify imposter syndrome as feelings of not being good enough, often imposed by external sources in childhood.
- Recognize these feelings as imposed and not innate (there’s a theme here!!!).
- Use mindfulness to observe and acknowledge these feelings without reacting to them.
- Understand that patience and persistence in this practice will gradually reduce the power of these negative feelings.
Anger management
- Recognize early stages of anger through physiological symptoms like tachycardia, sweating, and muscle tension.
- Use mindfulness to observe these early symptoms and apply methods to diffuse anger.
- See the other person in a different light to reduce anger without suppression.
- Understand that empathy and recognizing the other person’s hurt can diminish anger towards them.
Self-compassion
- Celebrate daily achievements, even small ones, to foster self-compassion.
- Be kind to oneself, similar to being kind to others.
- Lower self-expectations slightly to reduce pressure and increase humility.
- Remember that doing one’s best at any moment is enough and should be recognized as such.
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