Welcome to Bright on Buddhism, a podcast where we discuss and explain topics of Buddhism in a casual, conversational, question and answer setting. My name is Nick Bright, scholar of East Asian Buddhism. I am currently studying for my Master’s degree in Religion at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, where I am specializing in pre-modern Japanese Buddhist architecture history. I have researched topics such as Japanese Buddhist responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, Buddhist Haiku poetry, and the Japanese history of science and religion. I will be joined by my friend Proven Paradox.
...see more
Bright on Buddhism - Buddhish Episode 16 - The Matrix as Buddhist
Join us as we analyze the famous 1999 sci-fi movie The Matrix as containing Buddhist elements, allegories, and motifs.
Do you have a question about Buddhism that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by tweeting to us @BrightBuddhism, emailing us at Bright.On.Buddhism@gmail.com, or joining us on our discord server, Hidden Sangha https://discord.gg/tEwcVpu!
Credits:
Nick Bright: Script, Cover Art, Music, Voice of Hearer, Co-Host
Proven...
Episode • 13 September 2024 • 1h, 16m and 34s
Bright on Buddhism - Episode 95 - Do Buddhists reject the world? Do Buddhists believe that life is nothing but suffering? Are Buddhists fatalists or nihilists?
Resources: Davis, Bret W. 2004. "Zen After Zarathustra: The Problem of the Will in the Confrontation Between Nietzsche and Buddhism." Journal of Nietzsche Studies 28:89–138. p. 107.; Amaro, Ajahn (7 May 2015) [2008]. "A Dhamma article by Ajahn Amaro – The View from the Centre". Amaravati Buddhist Monastery. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2019.; Alagaddupama Sutta, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (PDF). Translated by Nanamoli, Bikkhu; Bodhi, Bikkhu. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-09-26...
Episode 95 • 6 September 2024 • 21m and 10s
Bright on Buddhism - Episode 94 - How ought we understand sex in Buddhism? What is the meaning and significance of the doctrine prohibiting sexual indiscretion? How have understandings of this doctrine changed over time?
Resources: Lang, Karen C. (June 2015). Mittal, Sushil (ed.). "When the Vindhya Mountains Float in the Ocean: Some Remarks on the Lust and Gluttony of Ascetics and Buddhist Monks". International Journal of Hindu Studies. 19 (1/2). Boston: Springer Verlag: 171–192. doi:10.1007/s11407-015-9176-z. eISSN 1574-9282. ISSN 1022-4556. JSTOR 24631797. S2CID 145662113.; Langenberg, Amy Paris (April 2018). "Buddhism and Sexuality". In Cozort, Daniel; Shields, James Mark (eds.). The Ox...
Episode 94 • 30 August 2024 • 24m and 8s
Bright on Buddhism - Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra - Chapter 1
Join us as we read and discuss Chapter 1 of DT Suzuki's translation of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra!
Resources: Lindtner, Christian (1992). The Lankavatarasutra in Early Indian Madhyamaka Literature, Copenhagen. Asiatische Studien, XLV, 1, pp. 244–279.; Nanjio, Bunyiu. ed. (1923). The Laṅkāvatāra sūtra, Kyoto: Otani University Press, pp. VIII-IX (Skt. edition); Sutton, Florin G. (1991). Existence and enlightenment in the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra: a study in the ontology and epistemology of the Yogācāra school of Mahāyāna Bu...
Episode • 23 August 2024 • 1h, 32m and 54s
Bright on Buddhism - Asian Religions Series - Daoism Part 1
Hello and welcome to the Asian religions series. In this series, we will be discussing religious traditions in Asia other than Buddhism. Buddhism never existed in a vacuum, and as it has spread all across East Asia, it has developed, localized, and syncretized with local traditions in fascinating and significant ways. As such, we cannot provide a complete picture of East Asian without discussing those local traditions such as they were and are. Disclaimer: this series is very basic and introductory, and does not and cannot paint...
Episode • 16 August 2024 • 22m and 25s
Bright on Buddhism - Episode 93 - What is Risshō Kōsei Kai? What are its doctrinal roots? What are its historical origins?
Resources: Anderson, Richard W. (1994). "Risshō Kōseikai and the Bodhisattva way: Religious ideals, conflict, gender, and status". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 21 (2–3): 312–337. doi:10.18874/jjrs.21.2-3.1994.311-337.; Gerlitz, Peter, "Die Rissho Kosei-kai und ihre Assimilation im Westen", in: Michael Pye, Renate Stegerhoff (eds.), Religion in fremder Kultur. Religion als Minderheit in Europa und Asien, Saarbruecken: Dadder 1987, pp. 111–122; Gerlitz, Peter (1975). "Kathartische und therapeutische Elemente in der Seelsorge der Risshō Kosei-kai." Zeitschrift für Religions- und Geistesg...
Episode 93 • 9 August 2024 • 22m and 32s
Bright on Buddhism - Kōan Series Episode 10 - Hyakujō and The Fox
Hello and welcome to a new episode of the Kōan Series. In this series, we will read and discuss real Buddhist kōans to try and better understand them. We hope you enjoy.
Resources: Episode 10 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/episodes/What-is-Zen-Buddhism-e1a2sm2
Episode 18 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/episodes/What-is-the-Buddhist-philosophy-of-speech--language--and-words-e1dgqu9
Episode 32 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/episodes/What-are-kans-e1j5scl
Episode 33 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/epis...
Episode • 2 August 2024 • 21m and 38s
Bright on Buddhism - Longer Pure Land Sutra - Part 1
Join us as we read and discuss Part 1 of the Hisao Inagaki translation of the Longer Pure Land Sutra!
Resources: Gomez, Luis, trans. (1996), The Land of Bliss: The Paradise of the Buddha of Measureless Light: Sanskrit and Chinese Versions of the Sukhavativyuha Sutras, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press; Inagaki, Hisao, trans. (2003), The Three Pure Land Sutras (PDF), Berkeley: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, ISBN 1-886439-18-4, archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2014; Müller, Max, t...
Episode • 26 July 2024 • 1h, 21m and 17s
Bright on Buddhism - Episode 92 - What is suchness? How ought we understand it? How have understandings of it changed over time?
Resources: Buswell; Lopez (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism; Robinson, Richard H. (1957). "Some Logical Aspects of Nagarjuna's System". Philosophy East & West. 6 (4): 306. doi:10.2307/1397476. JSTOR 1397476.; Endō, Asai (2014). "The Lotus Sutra as the Core of Japanese Buddhism: Shifts in Representations of its Fundamental Principle". Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 41 (1): 45–64.; Gregory, Peter N. (2002) [1991]. Tsung-mi and the Sinification of Buddhism. University of Hawai’i Press, Kuroda Institute. ISBN 0-8248-2623-X.; Robert, Jean-Noel (2011). "On a Possible Origin of the "...
Episode 92 • 19 July 2024 • 24m and 12s
Bright on Buddhism - Episode 91 - What is Buddhist pilgrimage? What is the purpose of Buddhist pilgrimage? What are characteristics of Buddhist pilgrimage stories?
Resources: McLachlan, Craig (1997). Tales of a Summer Henro. Tokyo: Yohan Publications. ISBN 4-89684-257-X.; Okamoto, Ryosuke (2019). Pilgrimages in the Secular Age: From El Camino to Anime. Tokyo: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture.; Reader, Ian (2005). Making Pilgrimages: Meaning and Practice in Shikoku. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-2876-3.; Sibley, Robert C. (2013). The Way of the 88 Temples: Journeys on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. Charlelottesville: University of Virginia Press...
Episode 91 • 12 July 2024 • 22m and 13s
© 2024 Skill Piper. All rights reserved