Podcasts by The Imperfect Buddha Podcast
The Imperfect Buddha podcast explores the world of contemporary Western Buddhism mixing in banter with analysis, no holds barred discussion, and guest interviews. We shun Ted style talks in favour of in-depth discussion and interviews that have room to breathe.
The podcast has a host site which features articles and essays on contemporary Western Buddhism, as well as show notes for each episode.
Follow the link to find out more: http://imperfectbuddha.com
The podcast is sponsored by O'Connell Coaching. For support with any of the issues discussed in the podcast, check out the link for an approach that is perfectly suited to Buddhists, post-Buddhists, non-Buddhists, secular sceptics, and New Age refugees. I use Buddhist tools, modern counselling and coaching techniques and practices, along with neo-Shamanic practices and models to help folks rekindle their relationship with personal-growth, development and change work or re-evaluate a relationship with Buddhism or other spiritual paths. https://oconnellcoaching.com
You can leave comments at the Imperfect Buddha Facebook page or Twitter feed. Feel free to make suggestions for topics to cover and guests to interview.
Our original theme tune was provided by RSD (Smith & Mighty)from Bristol, UK. Check him out at: https://rsdbristol.bandcamp.com
Our new theme tune comes from Trieste and the artist Emerald Dream. Check out his work at: https://emeralddreams.bandcamp.com/releases
Original street art Buddha image by Bristol's Banksy: http://banksy.co.uk/menu.asp
Further podcasts by The Imperfect Buddha Podcast
Podcast on the topic Religion und Spiritualität
All episodes
Last Act @Soundcloud: Moving to a New Home from 2021-11-25T09:53:44
The Imperfect Buddha Podcast is moving on to new terrain and a new home over at the New Books Network, a location for intelligent conversations. Here's the link:
https://newbooksnetwork.co...
82. IBP: Richard K. Payne on Securalising Buddhism from 2021-08-10T09:09:17
From immanent Buddhism to cruel optimism, from secular subjectivity to the unconscious material running through your personal practice, today's episode features a returning guest in the figure of R...
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82. IBP: Richard K. Payne on Securalizing Buddhism from 2021-08-10T09:09:17
From immanent Buddhism to cruel optimism, from secular subjectivity to the unconscious material running through your personal practice, today's episode features a returning guest in the figure of R...
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81. IBP: You need non-practice! from 2021-06-26T20:07:50
Something like a provocation, something of an introduction; this audio-cast presents a recent piece of work over at the Imperfect Buddha site on non-practice for all those interested in how to appl...
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80. IBP: Tina Rasmussen PhD Concentrating on Practice from 2021-04-04T16:54:55
Tina Rassmussen is one of our first meditation teachers on in a long while. Well, being a practice based series, this was inevitable. Tina was co-author of a book on jhana states and concentration ...
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79. IBP: Jane Affleck PhD on the Environment & Art as Practice from 2021-04-04T16:48:45
Who will think on Buddhism? Who has the chops to do so? What does it mean to place Buddhism in a configuration of contemplation alongside other thought and one’s personal experience of living a lif...
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78. IBP: Glenn Wallis on Personal Practice & Anarchism from 2021-02-21T09:33:20
Down the country path we stroll for another practice episode, this time with our regular guest Glenn Wallis. We go through the personal questions I've been posing to all the guests this season, but...
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77. IBP: Gregory Kramer on Practice from 2021-02-08T11:49:52
And so it goes on. This is our second episode in the new practice series. In the meantime, I had something of an allergic reaction to social media, and the internet more broadly. Despite a pretty d...
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76. IBP - Chenxing Han: Be the Refuge, Asian Buddhism in America from 2021-01-18T09:52:03
Asian and Buddhist and living in America: Does any of that matter? Those focussed in on practice and not much else regarding Buddhism might proclaim a resounding no. Others, all too aware of the te...
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75. IBP - George Haas on the Practicing Life from 2021-01-09T13:30:32
Happy New Year to one and all and welcome to this new season (proper) of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast. Focussed on practice, this season engages Buddhist teachers, long-term practitioners, and crea...
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74. IBP: Being at Large with Santiago Zabala from 2020-10-30T09:10:52
Santiago Zabala was once described as a most ignorant philosopher by the American philosopher Brian Leiter: An interesting take that one will need to interpret for themselves in listening to this c...
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73. IBP: Buddhism & Magic with Sam van Schaik from 2020-10-26T20:17:37
This episode involves a conversation with the Tibetologist Sam van Schaik. Sam wrote his original PHd thesis on Dzogchen and the work of Jigme Lingpa and has been involved in the International Dunh...
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72. IBP: Non-Philosophy with John Ó Maoilearca from 2020-10-23T10:01:04
In an attempt to make more sense of non-Philosophy, and therefore non-Buddhism, I interview Irish philosopher and academic John O Maoilearca, the author of All Thoughts Are Equal, an exceptionally ...
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71. IBP: Podcast Resurrected from 2020-10-19T19:51:08
"How do animals think? What does it mean to be at large? What is Buddhist Magic or even Tibetan Zen? These are questions posed by the three guests to follow in a rather lovely triad of interviews a...
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70. IBP: Incite Seminar - Rethinking Practice at the Great Feast (You're all invited) from 2020-07-12T16:49:16
Rethinking Practice at the Great Feast @INCITE Seminars
Saturday, July 25th, 10am-2pm EST / 4-8pm Europe /3pm-7pm UK. Online via Zoom.
Come and join us on the 25th at Incite Seminars f...
69. IBP: The Wonkiness One (Preamble ahoy) from 2020-06-26T17:12:40
Ok, I went and did something a little bit different. I spoke directly to the time we live in. It may work. It may not.
This is the first in a short series of audio articles. You can read ...
68. IBP - Conspiracy Afoot from 2020-05-08T11:49:04
A new episode is here. The lingering challenge of conspiracies, fake news, and the emergence of information silos means that we as a global society are being confronted with a major challenge to ou...
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67. IBP: Dr Ashley Frawley on Happiness & the Present from 2020-04-11T07:36:51
“In a society that has no future, the present gains exponentially in importance.”
In the time of Corona, what are we to do with happiness? Today’s guest is an expert on the subject and the...
66. IBP: Facing the Coronavirus: the practising life in a time of crisis from 2020-03-22T14:59:17
The Practising Life in many ways starts when there is a crisis. Our capacity to walk the talk, make our practice more than a mere means for survival, or for managing the banality of our existence i...
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65. IBP: The Ideological Turn (a pedagogical platter) from 2020-03-11T08:05:44
This Turn takes us deep, deep down into the deep dark world of ideology to show why it's such a fundamental concept for understanding ourselves and the world, and the entanglement between the two, ...
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64. IBP: Side View's Adam Robbert on Philosophy as a Way of Life from 2020-02-11T08:04:02
Podcast meets Podcast. Adam Robbert from the Sideview boards the Imperfect Buddha to discuss the work of Pierre Hardot, author of Philosophy as a Way of Life, along with a long list of our shared f...
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63. IBP: Daniel Ingram on Integral Theory from 2020-01-23T09:23:11
Off we go with our first long-form interview/conversation for 2020, and it’s with returning guest Daniel Ingram! Are you ready for more? It seems that many of you are. Back in 2019 when Daniel was ...
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62. IBP: Introducing 2020 from 2020-01-09T07:57:15
What's coming up in 2020 in the coming months? Find out by listening to this tidy little introduction and update on the podcast.
Music provided by Funki Poricini: https://funkiporcini.ba...
61. IBP: Dr Michelle Haslam & her psychological report on the controversial New Kadampa Tradition from 2019-12-05T06:23:26
This is our fourth foray into the land of Buddhism, Cults and Cult-like behaviours across mainstream Buddhist groups. Let’s be honest, this topic is always perversely interesting. If you missed out...
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60. IBP: Brooke Lavelle & Zach Walsh on the Great Transition from 2019-11-05T08:00:42
In a time of environmental meltdown, political and economic crisis, what should we do? What role can practice play? How are we to envision our place in the world, as protagonists in the destruction...
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59. IBP: Clair Brown on Buddhist Economics from 2019-10-19T11:48:41
Our year long-series on practice continues and we stray further into the world of politics and economics with this episode's guest. Economics is a form of human practice of course, and not a solid,...
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58. IBP: Sam Mickey on Co-Existentialism & the Practising Life from 2019-09-29T08:43:41
Professor of philosophy, religion and integral ecology, at San Francisco University, Sam Mickey is our guest in this episode. We tackle many a topic but return throughout to the theme of the Great ...
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57. IBP: The Political Turn (The Great Feast) from 2019-08-12T15:59:24
It took a long time to get this one done and I hope it was worth it. Please note that the creative extras took up very little of that time, rather, it was finding a way to talk about big issues as ...
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56. IBP: Cleo Kearns on Ritual & Resistance from 2019-07-18T08:16:47
It's been another busy period but finally it's time for Cleo Kearn's interview to be released into the world before I head off on holiday.
Ritual and Resistance is the title of our conver...
55. IBP: Daniel Ingram Down the Rabbit Hole from 2019-06-24T06:24:04
Are we all going down it too? Daniel Ingram returns to the podcast for a third and final conversation and what a rich one it was. I believe it is well worth your time. After reading some Trash Theo...
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54. IBP: Daniel Ingram Meets Trash Theory from 2019-06-17T20:43:29
You’ve had the initial goods and as promised here’s the second helping of Mr Daniel Ingram. This conversation gets right to the point and tackles, in a rather condensed and humble manner, a work of...
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53. IBP: Daniel Ingram on the Practicing Life from 2019-06-17T11:37:36
After the creative wonders of the Critical Turn #1, we have the magical appearance of Daniel Ingram in two conversations covering a great deal of ground. Our first conversation covers a wide range...
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52. IBP: The Critical Turn (Buddhism & Beyond) from 2019-06-03T10:30
Critical turn #1
On a deep dark night in a deep dark wood, something strange happened over at the Imperfect Buddha podcast. Was it a moment of folly? Was it a moment of genuine madness? It rema...
51. IBP: Ken McLeod & Hokai Sobol on Practice & Mysticism (p.2) from 2019-05-24T08:57:52
This is the second instalment of my wide-ranging conversation with Ken McLeod and Hokai Sobol. It features an extended introduction that is, in part, a response to feedback from episode 50, and I i...
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50. IBP: Ken McLeod & Hokai Sobol on Practice (p.1) from 2019-05-09T20:38:03
This is a quick introduction to help you on your way through the new season of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast. After a year of traipsing the globe with academics in an outrageous attempt to address t...
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49. IBP: Donald S. Lopez on the Buddha, Tibet, Myth, & Context from 2019-04-03T07:09:20
We have come to the end of our series engaging with academics from the world of Buddhist studies and other relevant disciplines and what better way to complete it than with an interview with Donald...
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48. IBP: Richard K. Payne, Critical Reflections on Western Buddhism from 2019-03-25T07:54:12
We reach our penultimate episode in this series with Buddhist academics. Richard K. Payne is former Dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies and Yehan Numata Professor of Japanese Buddhist Studies...
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47. IBP: Ann Gleig on American Dharma & Buddhism Beyond Modernity from 2019-03-05T11:34:53
Here we are, the last in our three-part series on Buddhist Modernism, post-Modernism, and what comes after. We hope you've enjoyed it and found it educational and are ready for the final run.
...
46. IBP: David L. McMahan on Buddhism, Science & the Humanities, & Modernity from 2019-02-19T13:26:31
In this second part of the series on Buddhist modernism, Buddhist post-modernism, and what comes next, I interview David L. McMahan, who is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Religious Studies at Fra...
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45. IBP: [Incite] AK Thompson on The Culture of Revolt from 2019-02-11T07:30:30
Date: Saturday, February 23, 9am-1pm, at Culture Works in Philadelphia
Cost: Pay what you can, upwards to $90.
For more than a decade, movement-based scholar AK Thompson has worked wit...
44. IBP: Scott Mitchell on American Buddhism, Global Buddhism from 2019-02-06T09:06:22
“All Buddhism is Cultural Buddhism.” Scott Mitchell is the Rev. Yoshitaka Tamai Professor of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley and the author of "Buddhi...
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43. IBP: Dr Mikel Burley on Reincarnation, Rebirth & Wittgenstein from 2019-01-21T11:16:16
Does western philosophy lack imagination when thinking about rebirth and reincarnation? What would Wittgenstein say?
This episode features Dr Mickel Burley, a philosopher of religion from...
42. IBP: 2019 Seasonal special with guest host Gavin McCloskey from 2019-01-09T20:12:24
Hey, it’s 2019 and we’re off to a bang with two new episodes! The first one is quite the experiment with our first guest host filling in for the mysterious, ephemeral stranger that is Mr Stuart Bal...
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41. IBP: [Incite] Joshua Ramey on Money & Metaphysics from 2018-12-21T10:29:55
Date: Saturday, January 19, 9am-1pm
Cost: Pay what you can: Suggested amount: $90
Facilitator: Joshua Ramey is a writer, teacher, and activist who studies political economy and anti-ca...
40. IBP: Jason Josephson Storm on the Myth of Disenchantment from 2018-12-21T09:52:34
Jason ?nanda Josephson Storm received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Stanford University in 2006 and is tenured at Williams College in their Religious Studies Department. He has three primary ...
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39. IBP: Dale S. Wright on Buddhist Enlightenment from 2018-12-10T10:18:12
Dale S. Wright is distinguished Professor of Religion at Occidental College in Los Angeles. He is author of The Six Perfections: Buddhism & the Cultivation of Character, and Philosophical Meditatio...
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38. IBP: William Edelglass on Shantideva, Levinas, & philosophy for Buddhists from 2018-11-16T11:55:36
Our year long jaunt through the world of academic engagement with Buddhism continues. In this episode of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast, we talk to William Edelglass, professor of Philosophy, Environ...
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37. IBP: Yves Citton on the Ecology of Attention from 2018-10-31T00:00
What is attention? Where are the boundaries between 'my' individual attention and that of those around me? Whose paying attention to what? And, what are the consequences of how attention is manipul...
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36. IBP: Zack Walsh on the Contemplative Commons, Ecological & Revolutionary Practice from 2018-10-11T08:14:37
This week, you lucky listeners get two episodes for the price of one! Unusually for the podcast, we recorded two episodes back-to-back in just two days and for this reason they are kin, intimately ...
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35. IBP: Robert Forman P.hD on Enlightenment, Mysticism, Pure Consciousness & Yogic Flying from 2018-10-11T07:58:27
This week, you lucky listeners get two episodes for the price of one! Unusually for the podcast, we recorded two episodes back-to-back in just two days and for this reason they are kin, intimately ...
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34. IBP: Unlearning with Glenn Wallis [Incite extended] from 2018-09-21T00:00
Our second podcast episode for the week is for Incite Seminars with regular guest Glenn Wallis. As per usual, our conversation takes many interesting and creative turns, and is longer than the usua...
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33. IBP: Charles S. Prebish on American Buddhism & Buddhist Studies from 2018-09-17T00:00
This week regular listeners to the podcast will be fortunate enough to get two episodes in a single week. The first will be with Charles S. Prebish, a figure well known in Buddhist studies. Charles...
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32. IBP: [Incite] John Paetsch on Deleuze & the Larval subject (+extended intro) from 2018-08-30T08:06:42
John Paetsch joins us for a short chat about his upcoming seminar for Incite. We discuss Deleuze, philosophy, freedom and what you might expect from the event. I also add an extended introduction f...
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31. IBP: Ron Purser on neo-Liberal Mindfulness, neo-Liberal Buddhism from 2018-08-01T00:00
In this episode, Ron Purser comes on to the imperfect Buddha podcast to talk about neoliberalism and its impact on mindfulness, Buddhism, spirituality, and the experience of all these in the indivi...
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30. IBP: [INCITE] Glenn Wallis on Darkness, Sloterdjik, & more from 2018-07-20T16:11:12
In this episode of the imperfect Buddha podcast I speak with Glenn Wallis again. We cover a range of topics but at the core of our discussion is darkness: a topic that many folks shy away from and ...
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29. IBP: [INCITE] Ulrich Baer on Rilke & Heidegger from 2018-06-18T19:02:34
Welcome to a new project.
The Imperfect Buddha podcast is collaborating with Incite seminars by bringing you short podcast interviews with workshop facilitators at their upcoming events. T...
28. IBP: Sex, Desire, & Karmamudra with Ben Joffe from 2018-05-31T07:35:22
So what about sex?
The latest episode of the imperfect Buddha podcast touches on an area that I've wanted to discuss for some time on the podcast: sex, sexuality, and desire. These are such com...
27. IBP: Why not join a cult? Stuart & Matthew go deep into cult-land. from 2018-05-07T13:03:18
Why wouldn’t you want to join a cult? That’s a question Stuart and I get round to addressing in the latest episode of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast. We also find time to cover Alison Mack and life a...
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26. IBP: Evan Thompson on Philosophy, Buddhism, & Embodied Consciousness from 2018-01-19T10:08:09
Welcome back to the Imperfect Buddha Podcast. After our lively discussion of theory and practice, we embark on a new series of interviews for all you Imperfect Buddhas. Our first for 2018 features ...
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25. IBP: Going critical! Theory, Practice & New Year show from 2018-01-05T16:54:51
Happy New Year folks!
Stuart finally makes his return to the Imperfect Buddha podcast in an in-depth discussion of the role theory and practice might play in a post-traditional engagement...
24. IBP: Unfettered Mind's Ken McLeod on many things from 2017-10-27T10:19:02
In this episode, I spoke to Ken McLeod, in person, in Croatia and we discussed a variety of topics, including; Vajrayana Buddhism, issues of language and his appreciation for Wittgenstein, direct e...
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23. IBP: Hokai Sobol answers listeners' questions from 2017-07-21T10:43:50
Here it is folks, the latest episode of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast and the last in our series on post-traditional Buddhism. It is also the final part of our series with Hokai Sobol.
In ...
22. IBP: Hokai Sobol on practice from 2017-06-06T17:23:23
Hokai Sobol joins us for an in-person chat in Trieste. Our conversation was a second attempt at a podcast episode and this time it all worked out and there was enough content to span two episodes.<...
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21. IBP: Hokai Sobol on Buddhism from 2017-05-26T11:40:52
Hokai Sobol joins us for an in-person chat in Trieste. Our conversation was a second attempt at a podcast episode and this time it all worked out and there was enough content to span two episodes....
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20. IBP: introducing post-traditional Buddhism (P.2) from 2017-04-12T20:57:12
Oh what fun we had...in putting this episode together, which is actually our twentieth!
This episode takes forward our exploration of post-traditional approaches to Buddhism but we begin with a...
19. IBP: introducing post-traditional Buddhism (P.1) from 2017-01-25T20:05:33
This episode starts off our exploration of post-traditional Buddhism, or better, post-traditional approaches to Buddhism. This might just be a major feature of the future of Buddhism in the West, i...
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18. IBP: David Chapman on stages of maturation, Dzogchen & the future of Buddhism from 2017-01-06T09:27:46
In this episode of the imperfect Buddha podcast, we finally get round to speaking to David Chapman. For those familiar with David’s work, there is so much that could have been discussed as he write...
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17. IBP: Glenn Wallis on the Immanence & Transcendence Divide in Buddhism from 2016-09-22T09:13:54
In this episode, writer, critic, Buddhist scholar and Philadelphia punk legend punk Glen Wallis returns to the Imperfect Buddha podcast for the second part of our discussion on non-Buddhism and its...
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16. IBP: Glenn Wallis on non-Buddhism from 2016-09-16T07:01:03
(Note: please be aware that the sound quality is not at its best in this episode. Skype was apparently having a bad day! We did our best to make it listenable. The second interview has much better ...
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15. IBP: the liberating force of non-Buddhism from 2016-08-29T19:45:08
This episode tackles a complex but thoroughly important topic, namely non-Buddhism. A theoretical project/applied critique of Buddhism as ideology; as an unintentional prison. This work gets at the...
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14. IBP: Ben Joffe on the paranormal, Tibetan Buddhism, UFOs & the Ngakpa from 2016-07-27T21:34:51
What do the Dalai Lama, the X Files, UFOs, Sex Magic, Tibetan singing bowls, Yeti-Monsters, demons, dharma, wizards, Tantra & Darwin have in common? Why, Ben Joffe of course, the latest guest on th...
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13. IBP: After Enlightenment, Coaching, Support & Ongoing Development from 2016-07-14T08:02:08
So, what is After Enlightenment?
Here it actually means something quite specific; it means after the myths, stories, and fantasies have failed us or fallen apart.
It means after peak e...
12. IBP: super groovy Daniel Ingram interview from 2016-06-18T11:19:12
In this last episode in the enlightenment series, we interview Daniel Ingram, the Arhat. Dan created quite a bit of controversy when he came out and claimed enlightenment a few years back. For list...
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11. IBP: Professor Adrian Ivakhiv on Immanence & a world after enlightenment from 2016-05-30T12:31:42
In discussing enlightenment, it is necessary to consider the change in perspective that accompanies such a radical shift. We are beset by dualistic thinking and the way we frame our perspectives, o...
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10. IBP: "The Big Enlightenment Show" from 2016-04-15T19:37:21
Stuart & I have made what may be our most controversial episode yet. We tackle "Buddhist Enlightenment" © and its taboos and do what many Buddhists would likely consider sacrilegious. A few of the ...
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09. IBP: Shaun Bartone on Engaged Buddhism from 2016-01-28T21:19:56
This episode features a guest interview with Shaun Bartone, active in the field of activism in Canada and a follower of Engaged Buddhism, Shaun discusses why and how Buddhists could and should enga...
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08. IBP: Engaged Buddhism & the apolitical trend from 2016-01-02T13:55:57
In this episode Stuart & I discuss Engaged Buddhism. We look at whether Buddhism gives people an excuse to disengage politically, as well as the limits that Engaged Buddhists reach when they fail t...
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07. IBP: Jayarava decimates rebirth & karma from 2015-11-03T15:20:24
In this episode, guest Jayarava hits the Imperfect Buddha podcast with some hard truths regarding the impossibility of rebirth & karma whilst drawing on the work of Sean Carroll & his own research ...
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06. IBP: on the limits of Secular Buddhism, on Buddhism & academia from 2015-10-19T08:10:06
In this episode, Stuart starts with a short interview of Ian Lawton, documentary film maker, and they look at his latest project The Dharma Bum. We then get stuck into a discussion of the academic ...
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05. IBP: Tenzin Peljor on leaving a Buddhist cult from 2015-09-07T11:49:56
In this episode, we have our first interview at the Imperfect Buddha Podcast with the wonderfully insightful Tenzin Peljor, an ordained German Buddhist monk. Tenzin is no ordinary Buddhist monk, ho...
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04. IBP: cults, cultish shennanigans & Buddhist groups from 2015-08-15T07:52:31
In this episode Stuart & I discuss Buddhist cults and cultish behaviour in Buddhist groups. We look at cultish behaviours in particular and how they manifest in even innocuous Buddhist groups. We d...
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03. IBP: the Dharma Overground get enlightened & the non-Buddhists cause a stir from 2015-07-23T10:03:39
In this episode, the Dharma Oveground and Buddhist Geeks get enlightened, Francois Laurelle and the non-Buddhists speculate, Hokai Sobol and Kenneth Folk do their own thing. Matthew and Stuart cros...
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02. IBP: Tibetan Buddhism slowly innovates from 2015-07-12T11:19:37
The second episode of the IMPERFECT BUDDHA PODCAST has been released from its cage. This episode is split into two parts. 2.1 explores experimentation within Tibetan Buddhism in the West and discus...
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01. Imperfect Buddha Podcast: introducing the why, the how, the intent of it all from 2015-07-11T21:21:57
This is our updated introduction for the podcast, recorded in May 2019.
Meet the host. Get to know the plans for the podcast & the intent behind it in under 7 minutes.
This is w...