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Jan 7, 2023
Zen Buddhism, Mardi Gras, and the Metaphysics of Eternity
Talking about Buddhist and Christian Mysticism
Summary
David Basile (who was our guest in Episode 01) returns to talk about his ten years in as a Zen Buddhist monk at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Retreat Center in California. He tells the story of how he went from being a child in a lukewarm Catholic home, to a teenage atheist, to an ardent Buddhist at the monastery—where he encountered the Benedictine mystic, David Steindl-Rast—and finally back home to the Catholic Church. He and I discuss the commonalities and significant differences between Buddhism and Christianity. David also explains the radical departure that Buddhism took from Hinduism 2500 years ago, and how all three of these faiths approach the questions of existence and eternity. Finally we consider life, death, life-after-death, and why Christians think of God as a loving Father.
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Your Host
Krzysztof Odyniec
Krzysztof Odyniec is a historian of Medieval and Early Modern Europe; he is also the host of the 'Almost Good Catholics' podcast.