You Are Good, You Are Enough with Lodro Rinzler #221You Are Good, You Are Enough with Lodro Rinzler #221
A Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment
Scott Snibby and Lodro Rinzler talk about the Buddhist idea of basic goodness, how it co-exists with harm and confusion, and ways to actually feel "good enough" through meditation and daily-life practices. Their discussion weaves in grief, activism, parenting and spiritual controversy while still returning to practical kindness towards oneself and others.
45:39•19 May 2026
You Are Good, You Are Enough: Lodro Rinzler on Basic Goodness and Being Human
Episode Overview
- Basic goodness points to an underlying awake, whole nature that co-exists with confusion and pain, rather than denying them.
- Simple practices like mindfulness of the breath and visualising one’s best self help move the idea of goodness from theory into lived experience.
- Loving-kindness towards difficult people, even through a quick glance at their photo and a sincere wish, can soften entrenched anger and change relationships.
- Recognising basic goodness does not cancel accountability; harmful actions still need to be named, understood and learned from.
- Community support, therapy and steady practice can help someone come back from intense grief and self-destructive periods where goodness feels out of reach.
“"There is no substituting theory for practice, in my opinion, when it comes to basic goodness."”
What drives someone to seek a life that starts from "you are good" instead of "you are broken"? This conversation between host Scott Snibby and Buddhist teacher and author Lodro Rinzler circles around that exact pivot point.
Centred on Lodro’s book *You Are Good, You Are Enough*, the episode unpacks the Tibetan Buddhist idea of “basic goodness” – the view that beneath self-doubt, shame and anxiety there’s something already "whole, complete, awake as is." Lodro explains how this isn’t a fluffy slogan but a state you can taste in everyday moments: a fully present hug with his three-year-old daughter, or the instant your mind falls quiet in front of a painting or a forest stream.
Scott presses the questions many people quietly carry: if everyone is basically good, "what about Hitler?" What about harmful teachers, billionaires hoarding wealth, or politicians causing damage? Lodro doesn’t dodge. He points out that basic goodness doesn’t excuse harm; it highlights how far people can drift from their own awake nature, and why accountability, learning and repair still matter.
For those wondering how to actually feel this goodness, Lodro shares practical methods, from simple breath meditation to imaginative guru yoga, and two striking kindness exercises: quietly wishing well for someone you love, and the tougher version – keeping a photo of someone you struggle with and offering them a brief, honest wish like "may you feel safe." One woman’s experience of doing this with a hostile ex-wife shows how inner work can soften very real conflict.
The episode also touches on burnout and activism through the old parrot-and-forest-fire story, making a case for small, consistent acts of care over despair and hot takes. If you caught yourself thinking "I’m just not good enough" this week, what would change if you held even a tiny bit of doubt about that thought instead?
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