The Imperfect Buddha Podcast

The Imperfect Buddha podcast has been addressing anti-intellectualism and ideological capture in western Buddhism and spirituality more broadly since its inception. It provides a space for dynamic conversations designed to bring out what is so often hidden and so often despised by critics and intellectuals engaging with contemporary forms of practice. Matthew O’Connell hosts the Imperfect Buddha podcast and writes at The Imperfect Buddha site. Email: imperfectbuddha@outlook.com. Twitter: @imperfectbuddha. Facebook: @imperfectbuddha. Original street art Buddha image by Bristol's Banksy.

Speaking Philosophically: Communication at the Limits of Discursive Reason
Jun 8, 2025 – 54:16
Anne C. Klein on Becoming a Buddha & Being Human too
May 21, 2025 – 01:28:47
Peter Sloterdijk Knows it All
Mar 22, 2025 – 01:12:01
120 Non Buddhist Mysticism: Performing Irreducible and Primitive Presence
Dec 11, 2024 – 01:54:54
119 Alone in a World of Wounds with Zen Abbot Shodhin Geiman
Aug 29, 2024 – 01:29:16
118 Nietzsche Now! With Glenn Wallis
Jun 18, 2024 – 01:17:17
117 Building the Future Buddha: A Discussion with Jundho Cohen
Mar 31, 2024 – 59:00
116 Making Sense of Yogacara with William Waldron
Mar 23, 2024 – 01:27:29
115 Christian Coseru on Perceiving Reality
Jan 8, 2024 – 01:18:27
114 David McMahan on Rethinking Meditation
Dec 4, 2023 – 01:12:48
113 A.I. and Practice with Stuart Baldwin
Nov 10, 2023 – 02:14:43
112 Wake up! (Part 3) An Antidote to Stupidity in Three Parts
Nov 2, 2023 – 51:55
111 Wake up! (Part 2) An Antidote to Stupidity in Three Parts
Oct 26, 2023 – 28:29
110 Wake up! (Part 1) An Antidote to Stupidity in Three Parts
Oct 19, 2023 – 26:56
109 Meditating Three Minutes a Day: A Conversation with Richard Dixey
Aug 22, 2023 – 01:03:00
108 Curtis White on Buddhism and Transcendence
May 29, 2023 – 53:26
107 Simon Cox on the Subtle Body
May 18, 2023 – 01:16:11
106 Think Piece: "I Refuse to Change"
May 16, 2023 – 31:14
105 Ken McLeod on the Magic of Vajrayana
Apr 28, 2023 – 01:48:12
104 Doug Bates on the Ancient Greek Version of Buddhism
Apr 17, 2023 – 37:09
103 Incognito: The Astounding Life of Alexandra David-Neel
Apr 1, 2023 – 48:09
102 A Review of "A Critique of Western Buddhism"
Mar 28, 2023 – 51:44
101 Contemplative, Existential Psychotherapy and Dzogchen
Feb 28, 2023 – 01:29:26
100 Nietzsche, Wokeism, Non-Buddhist Mysticism
Feb 1, 2023 – 01:54:42
99 Non-Duality: A Discussion with Peter Fenner
Dec 11, 2022 – 01:08:51
98 Being Buddhist and Some Thoughts on "Identity"
Nov 25, 2022 – 28:50
97 Buddhist Medicine and Buddhish
Nov 18, 2022 – 01:27:39
96 Doubt: Part 5
Oct 27, 2022 – 30:18
95 Intercultural Buddhism and Philosophy: A Discussion with Jin Y. Park
Sep 30, 2022 – 01:11:37
94 Derrida Meets Nagarjuna, with Peter Salmon
Jul 1, 2022 – 01:56:05
93 Doubt: Part 4
Jun 10, 2022 – 23:22
92 Jason M. Wirth on Zen, the Kyoto School, and Whether Nietzsche is a Buddha
Jun 8, 2022 – 01:54:51
91 Peter Salmon on Jacques Derrida and the Buddha
May 20, 2022 – 01:24:56
90 Doubt: Part 3
May 19, 2022 – 20:18
89 Daniel Ingram on Practice
May 4, 2022 – 01:29:12
88 Doubt: Part 2
May 4, 2022 – 26:03
87 Stef Aupers on Conspirituality
Mar 8, 2022 – 01:14:52
86 Doubt: Part 1
Mar 7, 2022 – 23:05
85 Winton Higgins on Secularizing Buddhism
Jan 28, 2022 – 01:07:43
84 Practice Item no. 1
Jan 25, 2022 – 35:54
83 Stephen Batchelor on Secularizing Buddhism
Dec 2, 2021 – 01:19:54
82 Richard K. Payne on Securalizing Buddhism
Aug 10, 2021 – 01:05:00
81 You Need Non-Practice!
Jun 26, 2021 – 30:42
80 Tina Rasmussen: Concentrating on Practice
Apr 4, 2021 – 01:01:49
79 Jane Affleck on the Environment and Art as Practice
Apr 4, 2021 – 49:59
78 Glenn Wallis on Personal Practice & Anarchism
Feb 21, 2021 – 01:37:06
77 Gregory Kramer on Practice
Feb 8, 2021 – 58:29
76 Chenxing Han: Be the Refuge, Asian Buddhism in America
Jan 18, 2021 – 53:25
75 George Haas on the Practicing Life
Jan 9, 2021 – 01:16:08
74 Being at Large with Santiago Zabala
Oct 30, 2020 – 01:03:34

Recent Reviews

wyode

Interesting but patriarchal.

It’s mainly men talking and talking about their views on Buddhism. In one episode they dismiss a woman writer who says Buddhism has always been dominated by men. They never explain why they are so dismissive of her. Then there is the comment about “ housekeeping” , that the host doesn’t even know what housekeeping is. Maybe because someone else ( a woman) does it all for him. The unconscious patriarchal assumptions bordering on false superiority rankles me.