Stuart & I have made what may be our most controversial episode yet. We tackle "Buddhist Enlightenment" © and its taboos and do what many Buddhists would likely consider sacrilegious. A few of the questions we tackle include; What is it? Who’s got it? Can it be understood, formulated in a way that could liberate the masses as a form of human practice? Why bother? Is it the shiznit? How would it look if unreliant on Buddhism? What could a secular, humanist outlook as the basis for reconfiguring it produce? Who are the top ten enlightened dudes? How can you spot a fake? It’s the sort of material that could drive masses of keyboard warriors to start quoting their favourite Buddhist books or teachers in a furious, emotive rant against all that is evil, for the first time encapsulated in an hour and twenty four minutes of a Soundcloud download. If you are brave enough, download or stream the latest episode and enjoy a rather interesting take on Buddhism’s ultimate goal. We had fun with it and raised as many questions as we may have answered. Questions which one of our upcoming guests will hopefully respond to. Come and get enlightened. Come and listen to the Imperfect Buddha Podcast.Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode features a guest interview with Shaun Bartone, active in the field of activism in Canada and a follower of Engaged Buddhism, Shaun discusses why and how Buddhists could and should engage. We discuss the issue of diversity in Buddhism, including issues for minorities and transgender folks. Shaun has been involved with different forms of Buddhism over the years and is currently on the board of directors of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Stuart and I discuss Engaged Buddhism. We look at whether Buddhism gives people an excuse to disengage politically, as well as the limits that Engaged Buddhists reach when they fail to critique the causes of institutionalised suffering. We discuss Ken Knabb's work in critiquing Thich Nhat Han and put forth some suggestion for meditation practice that could help individuals and groups overcome the trend of apolitical behaviour amongst western Buddhists. Our usual banter will help you through this Xmas/New Year episode and in spite of the subject matter, Stuart & I really had fun with this episode. Enjoy and Happy New year to one and all.Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, guest Jayarava hits the Imperfect Buddha podcast with some hard truths regarding the impossibility of rebirth & karma whilst drawing on the work of Sean Carroll & his own research into Buddhism. It's not an easy pill to swallow but it may just prove liberating to those braver Buddhists willing to confront the finality of death. Whatever you end up deciding, it's a fascinating topic and Jayarava's insights are not easy to dismiss. The interview is straddled by a very short discussion on the challenges of the material and Stuart shares his own destabilising reactions, which will no doubt be shared by many a listener.Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Stuart starts with a short interview of Ian Lawton, documentary film maker, and they look at his latest project The Dharma Bum. We then get stuck into a discussion of the academic world of Buddhist Studies and Secular Buddhism, exploring the role academia can play in informing Buddhist practice. We also look at the potential limitations of Secular Buddhism in its guise as Protestant Buddhism and end by making recommendations on where to go next in order to be enlightened by the more accessible academics. It probably sounds less fun than it actually is bu in the process Matthew invents some wacky theories and Stuart finally sounds professional, so that has to be a plus. Episode 5.2 will feature an interview with Jayarava, self-defined feral scholar, as a follow up and hopefully he will set us both straight on the role of academia in enlightening Buddhists. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we have our first interview at the Imperfect Buddha Podcast with the wonderfully insightful Tenzin Peljor, an ordained German Buddhist monk. Tenzin is no ordinary Buddhist monk, however, he is a crusader for clarity and right information, particularly in the world of Tibetan Buddhism, where he is committed to shining light on untruth. He runs two English language sites which provide a wealth of information and resources including interviews with noted Buddhist Studies academics, as well as exposes of the cultish behaviour that we discussed in our last episode. He is also one of the best informed individuals regarding the NKT and as an ex-member writes with great clarity in order to dispel the myths propagated by that group. He tells his story of his involvement with the NKT and what it was that drove him to leave. We also discuss aspects of a monk's life and explore important texts that help with leaving behind the western romanticism of Tibet.Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Stuart & I discuss Buddhist cults and cultish behaviour in Buddhist groups. We look at cultish behaviours in particular and how they manifest in even innocuous Buddhist groups. We discuss the wider implications of the trade off between belonging and autonomy and the three core theories that explain why people get involved in Buddhist groups. We also look at the difference between cults and new religious movements and the difficulty in the academic world of defining a cult. To avoid such a trap, we focus on cultish behaviours instead and ask to what degree each of the organisations we discuss exhibits them. We invite listeners to consider to what degree their own Buddhist group may exhibit such behaviours and why they are present. We cover the NKT, Rigpa, Shambhala, Michael Roach and HH, Maitreya Ron Spenser. In this episode, someone is bound to get offended, but it's all good as Stuart and Matthew get culty. Second additional note (07/09/2015): Dear Listeners, We recently put out a podcast episode covering cultish behaviour in Buddhism and discussed some of those behaviours along with how they are expressed in a number of small and large Buddhist groups. We also managed to make a mistake which needs clarifying here. In that episode, which has since been edited to remove the offending section, we, or better I, made three assertions concerning the figure of Indy Hack. This was an unfortunate mistake on my part and I wish to clarify that mistake here so listeners who may have heard the earlier edit can be clear on the issue. Indy Hack has asked me to clarify three points and I am happy to do so here for the benefit of mutual understanding and good faith. 1. Fabrication of articles: I wrongly stated that Indy Hack fabricates articles. I have understood from Indy hack that this is not true and I apologise for stating so. This was a mistake on my part. 2. Membership of the NKT: I unwittingly assumed Indy Hack was a member of the NKT. Indy Hack has informed me that this is not true so again this was a mistake on my part. I apologise for making this assumption. 3. CIA & the Dalai Lama: I incorrectly associated a story I had heard about the CIA and Dalai Lama to Indy Hack. This was a genuine mistake. Indy Hack has not told this story and again it was a mistake on my part to have made this link. It is worth noting that Indy Hack has been helpful in clarifying these issues and we at the Imperfect Buddha Podcast will strive to do better with future episodes. We wish Indy Hack all the best with his work. We also wish clarity and wisdom to all those venturing into the public sphere with podcasts. This is the last I will mention of this unless events take a strange turn.Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, the Dharma Oveground and Buddhist Geeks get enlightened, Francois Laurelle and the non-Buddhists speculate, Hokai Sobol and Kenneth Folk do their own thing. Matthew and Stuart cross the line and fumble over names. This is part 2 of our first real episode exploring a number of innovative elements in contemporary western Buddhism. We move on in our discussion from Tibet to look at the Pragmatists that emerged from the Dharma Underground and the intelligent destruction of Buddhism fuelled by French and German speaking philosophers in the form of Non-Buddhism. We also bring in some considerations of the significance of the claims of enlightenment made by a number of the Pragmatists and the importance of some of the critique made by Glenn Wallis and his cohorts. Enjoy and leave feedback, criticisms, complaints and observations at our Facebook page, Twitter feed or even here. The next episode will feature a special guest and discuss Buddhist cults! All show notes can be found at the Post-Traditional Buddhism site. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The second episode of the IMPERFECT BUDDHA PODCAST has been released from its cage. This episode is split into two parts. 2.1 explores experimentation within Tibetan Buddhism in the West and discusses the work of Reggie Ray, Chogyam Trunpa's American student who is doing good work and opening Tantric Buddhism to the LGBT community. We look at the Wales based Tantric Buddhists known as the Aro-Ter, whose monks and nuns are married couples and wear long hair. We also explore Unfettered Mind and Ken McLeod's project of westernising Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism. Enjoy!Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Imperfect Buddha Podcast? Where does it come from? Why listen to it? All of these questions and more are presented in this introduction designed at clarifying for new listeners just what kind of podcast you are getting into. Running since 2015, the Imperfect Buddha Podcast has sought to challenge western Buddhism’s taboos, its anti-intellectualism, its friction with tradition, its enlightenment cults, Buddhist cults, dodgy teachers, flirtation with the New Age and Hinduism, and bring it all to a wonderful little thing called the Great Feast. There’s a whole episode dedicate to this place in case you’re interested.If you like critical, intelligent engagement with contemporary Buddhism, the practising life, and what it means to wake up, get enlightened, meditate and save the world, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Matthew O’Connell and put together by a vast team of Bodhisattvas and Dakinis. Each episode is guaranteed to put merit in your bank.Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices