Best Doug McLeod Podcasts (2025)

1
Anne C. Klein on Becoming a Buddha & Being Human too 1:28:47

1h ago1:28:47

1:28:47

You’re human, but are you also a Buddha? If so, which one comes first? What does it mean to be human? What is a Buddha exactly? Is our humanity lost or superseded if we become a Buddha? Such questions might interest our more philosophical listeners. Being Human and a Buddha Too (Wisdom Publications, 2023) by today’s guest Anne Klein explores the 7-…

1
Episode 803: Paul Hunter, Vijay Khurana, Alex Braverman

5d ago

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This week on “BETA, Paul Hunter talks about his very funny Apple TV+ comedy drama series, “Government Cheese.” And Vijay Khurana on his powerful debut novel, “The Passenger’s Seat.” Also, […]

1
Episode 802: Yahlin Chang and Eric Tuchman, Christine Wenc, Felipe Torres Medina

19d ago

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This week on “BETA, “Yahlin Chang and Eric Tuchman join us to talk about the sixth and final season of Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” And Christine Wence on her book, […]

1
Episode 716: Mark Blake, Nora Lange, Charles Yu

26d ago

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This week on "BETA," ...music journalist Mark Blake on his latest book, “Dreams: The Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac.” And Nora Lange joins us to discuss her incredible debut novel, “US Fools.” Author Charles Yu also discusses adapting his novel Interior Chinatown into a mind-bending Hulu streaming series.…

1
Episode 715: JD McPherson, Jean Hanff Korelitz, Ian Nathan

1M ago

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Musician JD McPherson sits down with us to discuss his latest album – “Nite Owls.”Also, Jean Hanff Korelitz joins us to talk about the sequel to her best-selling novel, “The Plot.” It’s called…”The Sequel.” And one of our favorite film critics, Ian Nathan, returns to share his thoughts on Steven Spielberg’s movies.…

1
Episode 714: Nick Lowe, Emily St. James/Noel Murray, Dan Kois

1M ago

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This week on "BETA," ... Britain’s greatest living songwriter, Nick Lowe, joins us to talk about his newest album, “Indoor Safari.”Also, Emily St. James and Noel Murray take us back to the island to revisit the significance of the TV series, “Lost.”And Dan Kois revisits selling newspaper subscriptions on a cold winter’s night in Milwaukee.…

1
Episode 801: Joseph Patel, Sara Sligar, Phil Cook

2M ago

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Producer Joseph Patel joins us to discuss his documentary, “Sly Lives!” It pays tribute to the groundbreaking musician Sly Stone.And Sara Sligar takes us inside her modern gothic novel, “Vantage Point,” which has it all – wealth, status, power…and a curse. Also, musician and Wisconsin native Phil Cook talks with us about his latest album, “Appalach…

1
Episode 713: Sarah Silverman, Gabino Iglesias, Jenny Slate

2M ago

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This week on "BETA," comedian Sarah Silverman joins us to discuss her stand-up tour, “Postmortem.” Also, Gabino Iglesias on his incredibly intense novel, “House of Bone and Rain.” And comedian Jenny Slate shares the complicated beauty of motherhood in her essay collection, “Lifeform.”

1
Peter Sloterdijk Knows it All 1:12:01

2M ago1:12:01

1:12:01

Today’s guest is Dr Thomas Sutherland, author of the Bloomsbury title, Speaking Philosophically: Communication at the Limits of Discursive Reason (Bloombury, 2024), lecturer in digital media at the University of Southampton, and researcher into digital culture and the humanities, the history of philosophy and contemporary continental philosophy, an…

1
Episode 723: Susan Morrison, Leah Kardos, Maggie Su

2M ago

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Susan Morrison joins us to discuss her definitive biography of SNL creator Lorne Michaels.Author Leah Kardos tells us why Kate Bush’s album, “Hounds of Love,” is as fresh as ever 40 years after its release.Also, Maggie Su on her very funny and very moving debut novel,“Blob: A Love Story.”

1
Episode 712: Eugene Mirman, Yael van der Wouden, Walter Chaw

2M ago

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This week on “BETA,” comedian Eugene Mirman joins us to talk about “Bob’s Burgers” and more. Also, Booker Prize nominee, Yael van der Wouden, on her debut novel, “The Safekeep.” […]

1
Episode 722: Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul de Jong, Karen Russell

2M ago

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This week on "BETA," ...Master of horror, Clay McLeod Chapman joins us to discuss his latest novel, “Wake Up and Open Your Eyes.”And musician Paul de Jong talks to us about his captivating found sound music.Also, MacArthur Genius Karen Russell sits down with us to talk her about her incredible novel, “The Antidote,”…

1
How A Concrete Legacy Endures A Century with Paul Ozinga 1:16:18

4M ago1:16:18

1:16:18

What does it take to build a business that not only thrives today but endures for generations? In this episode, Travis McDowell and Doug McLeod sit down with Paul Ozinga, a fourth-generation leader of the iconic Ozinga company. Paul shares riveting stories of risk, faith, and resilience, detailing how his family business has stood strong since 1928…

1
120 Non Buddhist Mysticism: Performing Irreducible and Primitive Presence 1:54:54

5M ago1:54:54

1:54:54

Glenn’s latest, Non Buddhist Mysticism: Performing Irreducible and Primitive Presence (Eyecorner Press, 2022), presents a radical reorientation to “spiritual” practice. Drawing from François Laruelle’s concept of future mysticism and the author’s own previous work on non-buddhism, Glenn Wallis galvanizes a materialist spirituality for the twenty-fi…

1
Ep. 6 - Social Work Practicum Co-ordinator, Bayani Trinidad BA, BSW, RSW 58:54

6M ago58:54

58:54

Ep. 6 - Social Work Practicum Co-ordinator, Bayani Trinidad BA, BSW, RSW. Bayani is the current Practicum Co-ordinator for North of Davidson / Saskatoon students in the University of Regina Bachelor of Social Work Program. Bayani shares about his journey to social work, passion for breakin' and more information about applying for practicum in the B…

1
Using Grit, Faith, and Legacy to Tackle Life's Challenges with Jim Rouzer 53:17

6M ago53:17

53:17

What does courage look like at life's toughest crossroads? In this episode Travis and Doug sit down with Jim Rouzer, the entrepreneur behind Promac and Earth Rings, who shares how faith and grit have driven his biggest moves. From risking it all to create a sustainable product line to blending business with deeply held beliefs, Jim’s journey reveal…

1
119 Alone in a World of Wounds with Zen Abbot Shodhin Geiman 1:29:16

9M ago1:29:16

1:29:16

Shodhin Geiman is Sensei & Abbot at Chicago Zen Center and recently retired Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University. He has written on aspects of the Dharma and on points of interface between Buddhist and Christian spirituality. His book, Alone in a World of Wounds: A Dharmic Response to the Ills of Sentient Beings (Cascade Books, 2022).…

1
118 Nietzsche Now! With Glenn Wallis 1:17:17

11M ago1:17:17

1:17:17

Nietzsche Now! Now? Really, you might ask. Isn’t he dead already? The Great Immoralist on the vital issues of our time. Hmm, how is that you might ask. Find out in this conversation with Glenn Wallis, returning guest and author of Nietzsche Now! We discuss the role Nietzsche might play today in helping all of us exit the culture war bubble and star…

1
117 Building the Future Buddha: A Discussion with Jundho Cohen 59:00

1y ago59:00

59:00

Jundo Cohen is a Zen Buddhist teacher and founder of Treeleaf Zendo, a digital Zen community with members in over 50 countries. He writes on the intersection of Buddhism, ethics, science, and the future of the planet. He resides in Tsukuba, Japan’s “Science City”. He is the author of The Zen Master’s Dance: A Guide to Understanding Dogen and Who Yo…

1
116 Making Sense of Yogacara with William Waldron 1:27:29

1y ago1:27:29

1:27:29

Professor William Waldron teaches courses on the South Asian religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, Tibetan religion and history, comparative psychologies and philosophies of mind, and theory and method in the study of religion at Middlebury College. His publications focus on the Yogacara school of Indian Buddhism and its dialogue with mode…

1
115 Christian Coseru on Perceiving Reality 1:18:27

1+ y ago1:18:27

1:18:27

What does it mean to perceive and just how capable are we of perceiving reality? This is a core question in the work of Christian Coseru, who is today’s guest. He is the Lightsey Humanities chair and Professor of Philosophy at the College of Charleston. Christian works in the fields of philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosoph…

1
114 David McMahan on Rethinking Meditation 1:12:48

1+ y ago1:12:48

1:12:48

If anything, the Imperfect Buddha Podcast has been a rallying cry for the disruption of the myths that abound in the world of Buddhism and meditation. David L. McMahan professor of religion at Franklin and Marshall College, has been something of a crusader himself, writing a much needed correction to many of the myths in western adoption of Buddhis…

1
113 A.I. and Practice with Stuart Baldwin 2:14:43

1+ y ago2:14:43

2:14:43

The technological revolution we are facing today is artificial intelligence. At least this is what we are told. Those doing the telling include tech experts such as Elon Musk, linguist Noam Chomsky, as well as philosophers, politicians and intellectuals of all stripes. What are to make of all this and how are we to manage a world experiencing such …

1
112 Wake up! (Part 3) An Antidote to Stupidity in Three Parts 51:55

1+ y ago51:55

51:55

Wake up! Antidote to stupidity in three parts. This is part 3. What follows is a three-part series on waking up to non-buddhism as an antidote to stupidity. This is an ambitious project designed to look at a curriculum of items that might be useful to contemporary Buddhist practitioners in order to wake up from some of the traps that have been diag…

1
Ep. 5 - Social Work and Private Practice Part 2 with Erin McLeod MSW, RSW 48:10

1+ y ago48:10

48:10

Erin McLeod is a registered social worker practicing privately in Saskatchewan. Erin shares her journey to social work that originally started with her interested in being a scientist before working in a legal environment and now in private practice. She shares about a social worker's role in collaborative separation, the importance supervision has…

1
111 Wake up! (Part 2) An Antidote to Stupidity in Three Parts 28:29

1+ y ago28:29

28:29

Wake up! Antidote to stupidity in three parts. This is part 2. What follows is a three-part series on waking up to non-buddhism as an antidote to stupidity. This is an ambitious project designed to look at a curriculum of items that might be useful to contemporary Buddhist practitioners in order to wake up from some of the traps that have been diag…

1
110 Wake up! (Part 1) An Antidote to Stupidity in Three Parts 26:56

1+ y ago26:56

26:56

Wake up! Antidote to stupidity in three parts. This is part 1. What follows is a three-part series on waking up to non-buddhism as an antidote to stupidity. This is an ambitious project designed to look at a curriculum of items that might be useful to contemporary Buddhist practitioners in order to wake up from some of the traps that have been diag…

1
109 Meditating Three Minutes a Day: A Conversation with Richard Dixey 1:03:00

1+ y ago1:03:00

1:03:00

After a month or two of absence, the podcast returns for a new season, beginning with an unexpectedly wide ranging conversation with Dr. Richard Dixey. Richard holds a Ph.D. from London University, an M.A. with distinction in the history and philosophy of science from London University, and a B.A. Hons from Oxford. He has been a student of Buddhism…

1
108 Curtis White on Buddhism and Transcendence 53:26

2y ago53:26

53:26

Acclaimed cultural critic Curtis White examines current fissures in Western Buddhism and argues against the growth of scientific and corporate dharma, particularly in the Secular Buddhist movement. Most of his career has been spent writing experimental fiction, but he turned to writing books of social criticism, the latest of which is Transcendent,…

1
107 Simon Cox on the Subtle Body 1:16:11

2y ago1:16:11

1:16:11

What links Vajrayana Buddhism and Vajrayogini to Alistair Crowley and the neo-Platonists? A topic of speculation, desire and imagination, the Subtle Body, also known as the energy body, is an odd phenomena with deep roots in Taoism, Hinduism and Buddhism, but many are unaware that it has a rich history in European thought too. Simon Cox traces its …

1
106 Think Piece: "I Refuse to Change" 31:14

2y ago31:14

31:14

“There is positive and negative resistance, and plenty of somethings in between. But who determines the terms upon which such a psychological force is cast? If it’s you, then you may have a small problem on your hands. That is if you are interested in transformation and change.” In the latest Think Piece, we look at why so many begin but never end …

1
105 Ken McLeod on the Magic of Vajrayana 1:48:12

2y ago1:48:12

1:48:12

“A moving description of a life in practice which goes far beyond text-based ideas of prayer, devotion, guru-connection, or meditation, and most especially of tantric practice." Anne Klein, former Chair of the Department of Religion at Rice University. A ground-breaking book, The Magic of Vajrayana (Unfettered Mind Media, 2023) opens new doors to t…

1
104 Doug Bates on the Ancient Greek Version of Buddhism 37:09

2y ago37:09

37:09

“It is not events that disturb us, but what we believe about them.” Is this true? Well, apparently Pyrrho, a rather obscure Greek philosopher claimed it to be the case and he may have been influenced by Buddhism in his creation of what today is called “Pyrrhonism”. Pyrrho agreed with the Buddha that delusion was the cause of suffering, but instead …

1
103 Incognito: The Astounding Life of Alexandra David-Neel 48:09

2y ago48:09

48:09

I grew up with Alexandra David-Neel’s books on my mum’s bookshelf. She was part of the myth making process that led to my own fascination with Tibet, as something real, and as fantasy, a description that is often used to define Neel’s relationship and presentation of Tibet. She was either a key that helped open the door into the world of Tibet with…

1
102 A Review of "A Critique of Western Buddhism" 51:44

2y ago51:44

51:44

Regular guest to the podcast Glenn Wallis wrote A Critique of Western Buddhism: Ruins of the Buddhist Real (Bloomsbury) back in 2018. Time has flown since and in honour of the non-Buddhism project, and some interesting news coming up, the Imperfect Buddha Podcast presents this audio review of the text that will serve as a useful introduction to the…

1
Ep. 4 - Social Work and Private Practice Part 1 with Karen Wasylenka MSW, RSW and Jenna Hesse MSW, RSW 41:08

2y ago41:08

41:08

Social Work and Private Practice looks different across different provinces in Canada. Today we sit down to chat with the Saskatchewan Association of Social Work's Executive Director Karen Wasylenka and Member Support, Co-ordinator, and Advocacy, Jenna Hesse. For the show notes and links to all the resources, please go to: https://www.swss.ca/2023/…

1
Ep. 3 President Keshen PhD 20:12

2y ago20:12

20:12

With a new cohort of students being accepted into the Social Work Program and to mark Social Work Week, President Keshen sat down with us to welcome new students to the program. During this conversation we learn about President Keshen's own family's experience collaborating with the support of a Social Worker, his love for Veteran's History and how…

1
101 Contemplative, Existential Psychotherapy and Dzogchen 1:29:26

2y ago1:29:26

1:29:26

Ken Bradford, Ph.D., has been a practitioner in the Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist traditions since 1975, and engaged in introducing meditative sensibilities and nondual wisdom streams into the experience-near practice of psychotherapy since 1988. Formerly, he was in private psychotherapy practice for 25 years, an Adjunct Professor at John F. Kenne…

1
100 Nietzsche, Wokeism, Non-Buddhist Mysticism 1:54:42

2+ y ago1:54:42

1:54:42

What does it mean to be a hundred? Perhaps Fredric Nietzsche would know. He’s in part the star of the show. Along with regular guest Glenn Wallis. We look at the ideal reader, the ideal thinker, and perhaps the ideal practitioner. We discuss his work in progress, Nietzsche NOW! A book that wonders what Nietzsche would have to say about Wokeism. We …

1
Ep. 2 Doug Durst, BA, MSW, PhD 31:58

2+ y ago31:58

31:58

Our second episode is with Doug Durst, BA, MSW, PhD. Doug recently retired in December of 2022 as a Professor of Social Work at the University of Regina. During this episode, Doug reflects back on his decades spent within the Faculty of Social Work and answers questions sent in by students in advance of the interview. We wish Doug all the very best…

1
99 Non-Duality: A Discussion with Peter Fenner 1:08:51

2+ y ago1:08:51

1:08:51

Peter Fenner, Ph.D, is an adapter and teacher of non-duality, and an author. His two books, Radiant Mind: Awakening Unconditioned Awareness (Sounds True, 2007) and Natural Awakening: An Advanced Guide for Sharing Nondual Awareness (Sumeru Press, 2015), draw on a dialectical method adapted from his monastic training with the Gelugpa School of Tibeta…

1
98 Being Buddhist and Some Thoughts on "Identity" 28:50

2+ y ago28:50

28:50

The Think Pieces continue. This month, it is a look back at a piece on being Buddhist and identity. The text version can be found below. Themes picked up on in this episode include: Identity in an age of identity politics Playing identity politics, or not The discomfort of committing to the Buddhist identity True me versus contextual me The therape…

1
97 Buddhist Medicine and Buddhish 1:27:39

2+ y ago1:27:39

1:27:39

In this episode, Pierce Salguero comes on to discuss two of his books: Buddhish, A Guide to the 20 Most Important Buddhist Ideas for the Curious and Skeptical (Beacon Press, 2022) and A Global History of Buddhism and Medicine (Columbia UP, 2022). Pierce is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities, fascinated by historical and contemporary i…

1
96 Doubt: Part 5 30:18

2+ y ago30:18

30:18

And so it continues. The fifth and final installment in this series on doubt continues to explore an enlightened vision of practice in the 21st century. It explores the call to practice, honesty, doubt’s place and epistemic humility. It also looks at how to practice with doubt through suggestions for meditation practices and contemplative explorati…

1
Ep. 1 Ellen McGuire MSW, RSW 25:04

2+ y ago25:04

25:04

Our inaugural episode is with Ellen McGuire the Director of Service Delivery for Child Protection and Childcare Programs for Southern Saskatchewan. Ellen also serves as the Chair of the Education Committee for the SASW and as a sessional instructor for the University of Regina Faculty of Social Work Program.…

1
95 Intercultural Buddhism and Philosophy: A Discussion with Jin Y. Park 1:11:37

2+ y ago1:11:37

1:11:37

Welcome to the new season of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast. After a well-earned and challenging summer filled with drought, war, political strife and ridiculous heat, we’re back in the saddle and raring to go with some intellectual stimulation aimed at the practicing life. Four episodes are lined up with Buddhist scholars, philosophers and practitio…

1
94 Derrida Meets Nagarjuna, with Peter Salmon 1:56:05

3y ago1:56:05

1:56:05

In an historic event, the second Buddha himself Nagarjuna returns from the dead to team up with Jacques Derrida, non-Buddha, perhaps, to take on emptiness. They clash with identity politics. Bump into Jordan Peterson and the misses, and go for a coffee with John Gray. What you say? All of that in a single episode! Yes, dear listener. All of that in…

1
93 Doubt: Part 4 23:22

3y ago23:22

23:22

The fourth installment in this series on doubt continues to explore an enlightened vision of practice in the 21st century. It explores the call to practice, honesty, doubt’s place and epistemic humility. Text version here. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebo…

1
92 Jason M. Wirth on Zen, the Kyoto School, and Whether Nietzsche is a Buddha 1:54:51

3y ago1:54:51

1:54:51

Welcome to this Great feast conversation. Philosophy Professor at Seattle University, Soto Zen Priest, Sangha leader, and Dharma teacher, Jason M. Wirth is the author of Nietzsche and other Buddhas: Philosophy after Comparative Philosophy (Indiana UP, 2019), Engaging Dogen’s Zen and Mountains, and Rivers, and the Great Earth, both from 2017. In a r…

1
91 Peter Salmon on Jacques Derrida and the Buddha 1:24:56

3y ago1:24:56

1:24:56

Today I talk with Peter Salmon, author of An Event, Perhaps; an intellectual biography of Jacques Derrida. Our conversation was rich: We tackle Derrida and Buddhism, Derrida and the culture wars, Derrida and practice. Foucault gets a mention, as does Heidegger, as does spiritual enlightenment, mindfulness and spirituality. Our conversation was inco…

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