Eternal Search

23 - Becker & The Buddha: A Meditation on Death with Busshin Nash

This episode focuses on how two systems of thought view death: Ernest Becker's Denial of Death and Zen Buddhism. Ernest Becker was an anthropologist most famous for his Pulitzer-prize winning 1973 book, Denial of Death, where he synthesizes psychology, philosophy and spirituality in a compelling effort to show that much of human behavior is motivated by an unconsicous fear of death. Zen is a school of Buddhism that originated in China in the 5th or 6th century; it can be roughly approximated as a fusion of the Indian Mahayana Buddhist school and Chinese Taoist philosophy. My guest is Busshin Nash, novice Zen priest and resident monastic at Peace House [https://www.cambridgepeacehouse.org/] in Cambridge. He leads many kinds of meditation as part of his ministry, one of them being on death itself. We begin by discussing Becker's ideas and how they relate to Buddhism, before examining how death is treated in Zen.

22 - Saint John & Urban Monasticism with Brothers Lucas Hall & Geoffrey Tristram

This episode focuses on Christian Monastic life and the Society of Saint John the Evangelist [https://www.ssje.org/]. My guests today are Brothers Lucas Hall and Geoffrey Tristram, two monks living at the society of saint john monastery in Cambridge Massachusetts. We begin the conversation talking about what Christian monastic life is like, and how the monastery serves the community. We move into discussing Saint John and his writings.

21 - Sacred Psychedelics With James Davis

This episode focuses on psychedelics, a group of hallucinogenic substances that trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness. Today they're usually known as recreational drugs, but psychedelics have a long history of spiritual use in many cultures around the world. My guest today is James Davis, founder of Bay Staters for Creative Well-Being [https://baystaters.org/], a grassroots community focused on psychedelic advocacy and educating the public about psychedelics. We begin the conversation focusing on how psychedelics were used by ancient cultures, before moving into use in a more modern context. https://baystaters.org/

20 - Mind Sword Path (Shim Gum Do) with Mary Stackhouse-Kim

This interview focuses on Shim Gum Do, a zen Buddhist tradition originating in Korea. As its English translation of "Mind Sword Path" suggests, Shim Gum Do places martial arts and sword training as some of its key practices. My guest today is Mary Stackhouse-Kim, headmaster of the American Buddhist Shim Gum Do association. We discuss how shim gum do was founded and what drew her to the tradition before diving into the practices of Shim Gum Do.

19 - The Desert Fathers with Stephen Davis

This episode focuses on the Desert Fathers, early Christian hermits and ascetics whose practices formed the prototype for modern Christian moasticism. My guest is Stephen Davis, Professor of Religious Studies and Professor of History at Yale University. He has spent much of his career working in Egypt and studying the modern Egyptian monastic communities that trace their lineage back to the desert fathers. We start by talking about what the early Christian world was like before moving into the world of the Desert Fathers themselves.