Friends,
This week’s episode of Uncertainty in Medicine: The Good Life asks a radical question: What if uncertainty isn’t a failure of knowledge, but a condition of being alive? We follow a high school teacher guiding his students through philosophy and Buddhism in search of “the good life,” and we meet two women whose lived experiences—one as a Buddhist monk, the other as a disabled social worker—offer a spiritual framework for sitting with the unknown.
In this episode, we explore:
Why students are learning to embrace uncertainty through philosophy, Nietzsche, and Taoism
How Buddhist practice can support clinicians working in high-stress, high-stakes environments
What it means to bring the “temple” into everyday consciousness
How a shift from the medical to the social model of disability changed one woman’s view of her body—and her life
A short guided meditation on impermanence, led by a Buddhist monk
Whether you're a clinician, a patient, or someone simply trying to navigate a complex world, this episode is a meditation on what it means to live well in the midst of not knowing. Enjoy!
Warmly,
Emily and The Nocturnists Team
Resources for this episode:
Atttending, Ronald Epstein. A book about mindfulness and medical practice.
Master of the Three Ways: Reflections of a Chinese Sage on Living a Satisfying Life, Hung Wing-ming (William Scott Wilson translation). Circa 14th century prose poem that combines the fundamental teachings of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki. Prominent zen book in the west.
Hsin Hsin Ming, by Seng-t’san, the third Chinese patriarch of Zen. Written in the 6th century CE, this classic Zen poem shows us how to be aware in each moment.
Comfortable with Uncertainty, Pema Chodron. Teachings on living with uncertainty by popular Western Buddhist teacher.
We want to hear from you!
We’re over halfway through our Uncertainty in Medicine series, and these stories have already catalyzed so many conversations—for us, and we hope for you too.
We’d love to hear what’s been resonating so far. Whether you’ve listened to one episode or all of them, your feedback helps us understand what’s landing, what’s surprising, and what you’d like to hear more of.
If you have a few minutes, we’d be so grateful if you shared your thoughts here:
Featured Episodes
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Want to get in touch?
Recommend a guest, become a sponsor, or give us feedback.
