The Bad Buddhist Podcast

From Sakyong Mipham, leader of Shambhala, one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the West,  to the Karmapa Lama, head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, powerful Buddhist teachers seem not to pay attention to the teachings of the Buddha himself for monastics:  No Sex!   None of these so-called enlightened teachers, even well-known American yogis like Lama Surya Das, seem to be able to practice the wisdom and compassion of non-harmful, appropriate student/teacher boundaries.  As more and more Buddhist and ex-Buddhist women come forward with their stories of sexual abuse, it is obvious that Buddhism, especially the Vajrayana, has a problem.  In this episode I talk with Carol Merchasin, a lawyer and sexual abuse investigator, who speaks candidly about her experiences in investigating and helping to prosecute prominent teachers of the Buddhist community.   Carol discusses her participation with the Buddhist Sunshine Project, suggests changes that can be made to make practice spaces safer and offers her advice for survivors wanting to heal from guru abuse.

In this episode we sit down with international interfaith artist Kiki McGrath (www.kikimcgrath.com)  to continue our series on defining what Buddhism is for both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.  We clarify and define terms specific to Buddhist practice so that we can have a more full conversation about the challenges facing Vajrayana Buddhism in America.   As a practitioner of Catholicism, Kiki's questions emphasize an honest curiosity in faiths outside her own and, at the same time, provide an opportunity for explanation and clarification of Buddhist terminology that is often culturally misunderstood or mistranslated.  The answers, given from the Dzogchen perspective, apply to all Vajrayana practice and create a common framework from which to build future discussions.

Stay tuned for more interesting and exciting interviews, personal stories and informational series that shed light on the challenges facing Vajrayana Buddhism in America today.  Join our discussion as we explore what can be done to best promote safer practice environments and more supportive instructional systems  within tantric Buddhism.  We're working on even more great content so please tune in or go to the BadBuddhistPocast.com webpage for links to resources, podcast episodes, merchandise or, if you'd like to share your story with us, upload a short 2 minute audio for a chance to hear it on the podcast!

To help layout a clear path to understanding Buddhism, in this first part of a short series of episodes, we try to clarify some important  terminology and introduce the main types of Buddhist practice and what makes them different from each other.  We discuss the four main schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, their philosophical views and how they came to be and, finally, the importance of taking refuge and what that means.  It's my hope that we'll come away with a better grasp of all the various influences that have helped make tantric Buddhism what it is today.

In this audio essay the host shares some of his personal experiences with Vajrayana Buddhism, both life changing and beneficial as well as  those that brought about a great deal of harm and confusion.  He discusses practices he thinks need improvement in Tantric Buddhism before it can be successful in the West and those that need to be discarded, with an eye toward creating a safe space for other Buddhists who have encountered abusive or exploitative situations in their practice to share their experiences.

Introduction to season one of the Bad Buddhist Podcast, which will tackle some of the challenges facing the Vajrayana in America along with some informational deep dives about Buddhism and discussions about how, if possible, to incorporate these timeless teachings into a modern lifestyle.