Episode 22: Buddha Nature

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This week’s topic is, Buddha Nature, in sanskrit: tathāgatagarbha (如来藏). All sentient beings are considered to be in possession of the Buddha Nature, the potential to attain enlightenment. In this episode we discuss a bit about how to understand this concept, and compare it to philosophical ideas of human nature, and its connection with morality. […]

XuanZang, book recommendation

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Recently I found a book on the travels and life of Master XuanZang. When I found that it was freely available due to it’s age, I thought I would share it more widely. Hope you enjoy reading it, and that you are inspired to look into Master XuanZang’s life a bit more. Exploring his journey […]

Episode 21: Buddhism; East and West

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In this week’s Podcast we look at Buddhism as practiced traditionally in Asia, as compared to forms popular in Western nations.  In our ongoing advocacy for traditional Buddhist practices, we make the case for maintaining the entirety of the Buddhist tradition, rather than selecting a small portion, one specific practice, or removing ideas or concepts […]

Episode 20: “Esoteric” Buddhism

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In this episode we discuss “esoteric” Buddhism. There are many misconceptions regarding Shingon as a school of Buddhism, most often discussed in terms of “secrecy”. Often understood to be a completely secret school of practice, or generally withheld from public view. In this episode we discuss this misconception, and attempt to explain Shingon, that as […]

Episode 19: On Faith

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Is there a role for faith in Buddhism, and if so what is that role?  How is faith developed?  How did Faith, become the “f” word of Western Buddhism? In this episode we discuss the importance of faith, how it differs in Buddhism from some other traditions, and how it can be a powerful support […]

On Desire

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Continuing an annual tradition, I am staffing for a retreat this summer, and the first week of it just came to a close (I wrote this in June). Every Monday is my day off, and during the week, I had been planning it as my perfect day. Desirous thoughts arose—oh how I craved my matcha […]

Episode 18: Buddhist retreats & temple experiences

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In episode 18 we discuss Buddhist retreats.  Often presented as vacations, or spa-like experiences, the traditional Buddhist retreat or temple experience is generally geared at creating a highly structures environment that is at once transformative, as well as educational. Sometimes compared to military or other highly structured programs, the monastic experience provides an atmosphere in […]

Episode 17: The Importance of compassion

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Episode 17 of True Words, a Shingon Buddhist podcast focusses on compassion, bodhicitta.  In this episode we cover, (1) Compassion, (2) both within Buddhism generally, (3) why this concept is important, actually a key component, and (4) specifically its place within Shingon practice. http://www.shingonbuddhism.org/truewords/ep17.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS

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