Live show part two: nembutsu and music

In the second installment of our live show, we answer two listener questions. First, we received a question about Shin Buddhist nembutsu practice and the concern that chanting the nembutsu might be something of a crutch, that while making one more calm it might distract us from very real world social problems. We frame this… Continue reading Live show part two: nembutsu and music

Live show part one: cosmology

Our second live recording -- actually live this time and broadcast via webstream across the Internets -- was recorded in the lobby of the Jodo Shinshu Center. This is the first installment of that day's recording. Our jumping-off point is our previous conversations about science fiction and Buddhism, focusing here on the issue of cosmology… Continue reading Live show part one: cosmology

Buddhism and sci-fi (part two)

Picking up from where we left off, this week we ask what does any of this sci-fi stuff have to do with Buddhism?! On the one hand, while there may be parallels between sci-fi and Buddhism, often they deal with similar issues in very different ways. How movies like Alien or Starship Troopers deal with… Continue reading Buddhism and sci-fi (part two)

Buddhism and sci-fi (part one)

This week, Harry and Scott take up the topic of Buddhism and science fiction, inspired in part by our off-hand conversation about Cthulhu from a couple weeks back and in part by Harry reading Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the novel that in turn inspired the movie Blade Runner. (Spoiler alert!… Continue reading Buddhism and sci-fi (part one)

Seven Masters (part three): is Cthulhu one of the seven masters?

Continuing on in our meandering diversion from a conversation about the Shinshu Seven Masters, this episode starts right where we left off last time in a conversation about the promises and pitfalls of "one Buddhism" or a universal religion. The underlying issue here has to do with problems of difference or "otherness," something that we… Continue reading Seven Masters (part three): is Cthulhu one of the seven masters?

Seven Masters (part two): not really about the seven masters

Some time ago, a listener asked us to talk about the Seven Masters and we dutifully responded with an episode on Nagarjuna. We thought we might take a stab at the other Masters, but this post quickly veers off topic — but the diversion is well worth a listen! The conversation begins with a discussion… Continue reading Seven Masters (part two): not really about the seven masters

Listener question: where is the Vow?

Inspired by a conversation amongst fans on our Facebook page, we take up the issue of vows in Buddhism. Obviously, we need to start with how vows are understood specifically in the Mahayana context, especially Bodhisattva vows. But these aren't the only types of vows in Buddhism, and we discuss different types of vows. Some… Continue reading Listener question: where is the Vow?

Live show part four: marriage and politics

In the final episode of our first live broadcast, we tackle more audience questions. To get things started, we field a question about the BCA's official position on same-sex marriage (a big shout out to Rev. Briones' officiating at the wedding of George Takei and Brad Altman!). This bounces us around some questions regarding BCA's… Continue reading Live show part four: marriage and politics

Live show part three: abortion and shinjin

In part of three of the live show series, our first question has to do with Shin Buddhism's stance on aborted fetuses. Scott cleverly ducks the question but Harry provides some interesting insight into the Japanese ritual of mizuko kuyo (water baby ceremony) and the efficacy of ritual in Shin Buddhist context. Our second question… Continue reading Live show part three: abortion and shinjin

Live show part two: rants

In the second installment of our Live Show, we start off talking about the distinctiveness of Shin Buddhism and its difference and similarities to other types of Buddhism. This somehow sets us off on a series of rants against, among other things, The Golden Chain and universalistic Buddhism. (Our apologies to Golden Chain or One… Continue reading Live show part two: rants