The Lion’s Roar Podcast

By Lion’s Roar Foundation

What's The Lion’s Roar Podcast about?

Meditations, interviews, dharma talks and features from Lion's Roar Magazine and Buddhadharma: The Practioner's Quarterly.

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The Lion’s Roar Podcast episodes:

01.06.2024
Meditation 103 with Michael and Victoria Imperioli
White Lotus and Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli is also a novelist, screenwriter, director and musician. He and his partner Victoria Imperioli, a well-known interior designer, talk about how Buddhism informs their life together as artists and entrepreneurs. The Lion's Roar...
12.23.2023
The Wisdom of Desire with Judy Lief, Cheryl Fraser and Jeff Wilson
Judy Lief, a Buddhist teacher in the Tibetan tradition, talks about how you can work with your desires to find peace. Then Cheryl Fraser, a sex therapist and dharma teacher, shares her article, How to Have Mindful Sex. To close,...
12.09.2023
Meditation for Kids, Adults, and Dinosaurs with Catherine Bailey and Vanessa Zuisei Goddard
Sam likes to chill, and Rex likes to play. When Sam wants to take a break from playing, Rex wonders ‘what’s so great about being still?’ Author Catherine Bailey talks about these characters in her children’s book, Dinos Don’t Meditate,...
11.25.2023
Fear, Forgiveness and Self-care with Mushim Ikeda
Feelings of grief, panic and helplessness can lead one to do unpredictable, irrational things. In this selection from Lion’s Roar’s online course, Medicine for Fear, dharma teacher Mushim Patricia Ikeda of the East Bay Meditation Center talks about the art...
11.11.2023
Humane AI and the role of Buddhism with Randima Fernando
The Center for Humane Technology is featured in the Emmy award winning Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, and co-founded by Randima Fernando. He talks about the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence; the existential questions it inspires, how Buddhism is...
10.28.2023
Creativity, Spirituality, and the True Nature of Mind with Jane Hirshfield and Anouk Shambrook
Jane Hirshfield is the author of ten collections of poetry, the most recent being The Asking: New and Selected Poems. She talks about creativity in the liminal state, then Anouk Shambrook—an astrophysicist turned meditation teacher—talks about the intersections between science...
10.14.2023
The Japanese Immigrant Influence on American Buddhism with Scott Mitchell
Dean of Students at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, Scott Mitchell, talks about his book, The Making of American Buddhism and how Western scholarship has largely ignored the role of Japanese immigrants and their American descendants in the development of...
09.30.2023
Death and What Really Matters with Shoshana Ungerlieder
Internal medicine physician and founder of the End Well Project, Shoshana Ungerlieder talks about the taboo of death and dying among medical professionals and the importance of taking time to ask what really matters to you and your loved ones,...
09.16.2023
Barbie's Journey to Enlightenment with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
New York Times bestselling author and pop culture writer, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, talks about the film’s unexpected lessons in suffering impermanence, and awakening.
08.19.2023
Women of Wisdom with Lama Tsultrim Allione
Buddhist teacher, author, and founder of Tara Mandala retreat center, Lama Tsultrim Allione, talks with Lion's Roar magazine's editor Andrea Miller about the meaning — and urgency — of embracing the sacred feminine as a way to resist the destructive...
08.05.2023
The Woman Who Married the Buddha with Shyam Selvadurai
Award winning Sri-Lankan Canadian novelist and author of Funny Boy, talks about his latest historical fiction, Mansions of the Moon—the difficult and creative process of using fact and imagination to create an intimate tale of the Buddha’s wife, her relationship...
07.22.2023
Theravada in Everyday Life with Brooke Schedneck
Religious studies professor Brooke Schedneck is the author of Living Theravada: Demystifying the People, Places, and Practices of a Buddhist Tradition. She talks about Theravada Buddhism in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, from ordinary lay people to elite monks.
07.08.2023
Enlightenment is an Accident with Tim Burkett
Psychologist and teacher Tim Burkett was ordained in 1978, but his path began in 1964, when he met Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, the famed author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. He talks about learning the nature of enlightenment from Suzuki Roshi,...
06.24.2023
Mindfulness in Your Workplace with Stacy McClendon
Teacher and co-founder of the BIPOC Sangha at Common Ground Meditation Center, Stacy McClendon talks about how mindfulness can transform the way we think about how we work.
06.10.2023
Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition w. Rima Vesely-Flad
Visiting professor of Buddhism and Black Studies at Union Theological Seminary, and author of Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation, Rima Vesely-Flad talks about her book on the connection between the...
05.27.2023
Hilma af Klint and the Five Buddha Families with Kevin Townley
Writer, filmmaker, actor, singer, and meditation teacher, Kevin Townley talks about his latest book featuring women whose work exemplifies each of the five wisdom energies in Tibetan Buddhism, how the energies can show up in daily life, and how the...
05.13.2023
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel
From her first encounter with Zen to her life as a poet, Black activist, and Zen teacher in Suzuki Roshi’s lineage, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel shares her journey and how it has been informed by the wisdom of Zen Mind, Beginner’s...
04.29.2023
The New Wave of Mindfulness with Christiane Wolf
Former physician, and internationally known mindfulness and Insight meditation teacher, Christiane Wolf is well versed in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and classical Buddhist mindfulness. Wolf talks about the early days of the modern mindfulness movement, how Insight and mindfulness communities...
04.15.2023
Travel as a Spiritual Experience with Pico Iyer
Pico Iyer, author of dozens of books including The Lady and the Monk and The Art of Stillness, talks to Lion’s Roar editor in chief Melvin McLeod about the profound wonder that travel invites, how he came to cherish the...
04.01.2023
Medicine for Internalized Racism with Karla Jackson-Brewer
Karla Jackson-Brewer is a senior teacher with the Tara Mandala Buddhist Retreat Center, and longtime student of Lama Tsultrim Allione. In this conversation, Lion’s Roar’s Pamela Ayo Yetunde Talks to her about internalized racism and the medicine Buddhism can offer...
03.18.2023
The Secret to Happiness with Robert Waldinger
Psychiatrist and Zen teacher Robert Waldinger directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development—a 75 year-long study on happiness, spanning lifetimes. He speaks with Lion’s Roar’s Melvin McLeod about the nature of happiness as found in the study, and how it...
03.04.2023
Kinship and Community with Pamela Ayo Yetunde
Through the metaphor of Indra’s Net, Lion’s Roar’s associate editor Pamela Ayo Yetunde calls for a “compassion revolution” in her new book, Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community. She talks with fellow LR editor Noel Alumit about the...
02.18.2023
The Dharma of Harriet Tubman with Spring Washam
Lion’s Roar’s Pamela Ayo Yetunde talks to Spring Washam, author of The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground about the power of calling upon the spirit of this veritable bodhisattva to heal the particular wounds of American injustice...
02.04.2023
The Practice of Writing with Natalie Goldberg
Zen practitioner, painter, and author of fifteen books, Natalie Goldberg talks to Lion’s Roar editor Andrea Miller about how writing can be a practice of studying your mind.
01.21.2023
The Evolution of the Mindfulness Movement with Diana Winston
Author of The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness, and co-author of Fully present: The Science, Art and Practice of Mindfulness, Diana Winston is one of the best-known teachers of mindfulness in the United...
01.07.2023
New Year’s Prayers from Roshi Joan Halifax and Leigh Brasington on The Path to Peace by Ayya Khema
Roshi Joan Halifax, Upaya Zen Center founder and head teacher, offers two prayers for the New Year–or any time of the year. Then, the editor of a posthumous release from the trailblazing modern Buddhist nun and teacher, Ayya Khema, talks...
12.24.2022
The Eightfold Path Adult Graphic Novel with Steven Barnes, Charles Johnson and Bryan Moss
This Buddhist, Afrofuturist comic book co-authored by Steven Barnes and Charles Johnson and illustrated by Bryan Moss, is an anthology of interconnected parables inspired by the teachings of Buddha. Together with Lion’s Roar’s Pamela Ayo Yetunde, its creators discuss the...
12.10.2022
Why We Meditate with Tsokyni Rinpoche and Daniel Goleman
Exactly what is meditation good for? What does it do? Daniel Goleman and Tsokyni Rinpoche talk about their new book Why We Meditate: The Science and Practice of Clarity and Compassion.
11.26.2022
Calm Abiding and the Divine Abodes with Lama Tsomo
Buddhist teacher Lama Tsomo talks about her new book, Deepening Wisdom, Deepening Connection, shamatha meditation, the four prized emotions referred to as the “Divine Abodes,” and how to find your own Buddhist teacher, including a “calm abiding” meditation.
11.12.2022
The Trauma of Caste with Thenmozhi Soundararajan
Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Dalit civil rights organizer and author of the forthcoming book, The Trauma of Caste, speaks with Lion’s Roar associate editor Noel Alumit about being classified as “untouchable,” how caste oppression relates to civil rights in the Western world,...
10.29.2022
Being Open to What Works for You with Mushim Patricia Ikeda
East Bay Meditation Center teacher Mushim Patricia Ikeda is thinking about death. Having practiced Korean and Japanese Zen, and Vipassana, she now finds new wisdom on the end of life via the Vajrayana tradition. This piqued the interest of Lion’s...
10.15.2022
Mindfulness of Race with Ruth King
Founder of the Mindful of Race Institute, and author of Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out, Ruth King talks to Lion’s Roar Associate Editor Pamela Ayo Yetunde about the Brave Space program, how to approach talking about...
10.01.2022
The Practice of Meditation with Yung Pueblo
Diego Perez is the name behind the New York Times bestselling book, Clarity and Connection, written under the pen name, Yung Pueblo. His upcoming book Lighter, promises a “radically compassionate plan for turning inward and lifting the heaviness that prevents...
09.17.2022
That Bird Has My Wings book review and The Buddhist Enneagram with Susan Piver
New York Times bestselling author Susan Piver takes a well-known typology of personality types, and applies Buddhist principles to demonstrate how it can provide support on the path to deeper compassion for yourself and others. Then, Rod Meade Sperry reads...
09.03.2022
We're Not Who You Think We Are with Chenxing Han
Author of Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists, Chenxing Han reads her article examining the stereotypes that have marginalized Asian American Buddhists, and the rich diversity of a new generation of practitioners.
08.20.2022
Beauty in the Bittersweet with Susan Cain and ‘Not Enlightened Yet’ by Miguel Chen
Sad music, rainy days–there’s beauty in the bittersweet state of mind. It can also teach us about creativity, compassion, leadership, spirituality, mortality and love. Lion’s Roar associate editor Chris Pacheco talks with Susan Cain about the surprising lessons we can...
08.06.2022
The Breath Is Your Partner with Trudy Goodman
Mindfulness is effective when used properly, but the deep techniques of the Buddhist form of meditation known as Insight (or Vipassana) are truly the heart of mindfulness practice, and often go unaddressed. Trudy Goodman, Founder of InsightLA, talks about breath...
07.23.2022
Racism, Suffering, and the Joy of Freedom with Kamilah Majied
Dr. Kamilah Majied is an expert on building inclusivity and equity using meditative practices. She talks to Lion’s Roar’s Pamela Ayo Yetunde about internalized racism in America, the nature of suffering, how to triumph over that suffering as a racialized...
07.09.2022
Connecting to Nature with Larry Ward, and Roe v. Wade with Roshi Joan Halifax
Larry Ward, student of Thich Nhat Hanh, shares four everyday practices to better connect with the natural world. Then, Roshi Joan Halifax offers some words of encouragement for all those reeling after the reversal of Roe v. Wade.
06.25.2022
Wisdom and Suffering with Brother Phap Hai
Senior student of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and author of Nothing to It: Ten Ways to Be at Home with Yourself, Brother Phap Hai talks about the connection between suffering and wisdom.
06.11.2022
Coping with Racism and Guided Metta with Phoenix Soleil
Insight Meditation teacher Phoenix Soleil talks to Pamela Ayo Yetunde about dealing with racism, and how metta practice can help get you through.
05.28.2022
Fear and Knowing How to Be Satisfied with Koshin Paley Ellison
Fear can lead us to do regretful, hateful, and even violent things. Lion’s Roar’s new online course Medicine for Fear, inspired by Zen teacher Eihei Dogen’s essential instructions for awakening, offers a way to minimize fear’s impact on us—featuring Koshin...
05.14.2022
Death and What Really Matters with Shoshana Ungerlieder
Internal medicine physician and founder of the End Well Project, Shoshana Ungerlieder talks about the taboo of death and dying among medical professionals and the importance of taking time to ask what really matters to you and your loved ones,...
04.30.2022
Black Male Vulnerability in Buddhist Community with Willie Mukei Shoman Smith, SoOn Eli Brown-Stevenson, and Malik Watkins
Black, male-identified people have experiences in Buddhist communities that are markedly different than that of the majority–not only physically standing out in the group but facing unique internal questions and struggles. Willie Mukei Shoman Smith, SoOn Eli Brown-Stevenson, and Malik...
04.16.2022
Mindful Money with Spencer Sherman
Author of The Cure for Money Madness, Spencer Sherman talks about how one can grow spiritually while still engaging with money. Then Lion’s Roar editor-in-chief Melvin McLeod and deputy editor Andrea Miller discuss the latest issue of Lions Roar magazine,...
04.02.2022
Pema Chodron’s Four Keys to Waking Up with Andrea Miller
With Lion’s Roar’s free “Wisdom of Pema Chodron” Summit about to launch, we’re sharing Andrea Miller’s story abouts Pema Chodron and her advice on how to “walk the walk” of a spiritual person, and what being a “fake” spiritual person...
03.19.2022
On the Road with Traveling Nunk Sister Clear Grace
Sister Clear Grace is a black, non-binary monastic traveling across the country to lean in to the collective experience of the United States. The traveling nunk speaks with Lion’s Roar’s associate editor Pamela Ayo Yetunde about letting go of privilege,...
03.05.2022
Failure and Creativity with Seth Godin and Zopa’s “Red Sky” from Sopranos Star Michael Imperioli
Seth Godin is an expert on failure. While he’s founded several hugely successful ventures and written 20 bestselling books around the world including his newest book, The Practice, he has also learned from failing over and over. Today he explains...
02.19.2022
Healing the Inner Child with Anh-Huong Nguyen
While the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh may seem simple, they are profound. Anh-Huong Nguyen, one of the first students to be ordained as a meditation teacher in the Plum Village tradition, demonstrates how mindfulness has helped her and the...
02.05.2022
The Passing of Thich Nhat Hanh and “This Monk Wears Heels” with Kodo Nishimura
We reflect on the death of one of the greatest Buddhist teachers of our time, and preview the new issue of Lion’s Roar magazine. Then makeup artist, monk, and author of This Monk Wears Heels, Kodo Nishimura tells Pamela Ayo...

What's The Lion’s Roar Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Lion’s Roar Podcast episodes:

Meditation 103 with Michael and Victoria Imperioli

The Wisdom of Desire with Judy Lief, Cheryl Fraser and Jeff Wilson

Meditation for Kids, Adults, and Dinosaurs with Catherine Bailey and Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

Fear, Forgiveness and Self-care with Mushim Ikeda

Humane AI and the role of Buddhism with Randima Fernando

Creativity, Spirituality, and the True Nature of Mind with Jane Hirshfield and Anouk Shambrook

The Japanese Immigrant Influence on American Buddhism with Scott Mitchell

Death and What Really Matters with Shoshana Ungerlieder

Barbie's Journey to Enlightenment with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

Women of Wisdom with Lama Tsultrim Allione

The Woman Who Married the Buddha with Shyam Selvadurai

Theravada in Everyday Life with Brooke Schedneck

Enlightenment is an Accident with Tim Burkett

Mindfulness in Your Workplace with Stacy McClendon

Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition w. Rima Vesely-Flad

Hilma af Klint and the Five Buddha Families with Kevin Townley

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind with Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

The New Wave of Mindfulness with Christiane Wolf

Travel as a Spiritual Experience with Pico Iyer

Medicine for Internalized Racism with Karla Jackson-Brewer

The Secret to Happiness with Robert Waldinger

Kinship and Community with Pamela Ayo Yetunde

The Dharma of Harriet Tubman with Spring Washam

The Practice of Writing with Natalie Goldberg

The Evolution of the Mindfulness Movement with Diana Winston

New Year’s Prayers from Roshi Joan Halifax and Leigh Brasington on The Path to Peace by Ayya Khema

The Eightfold Path Adult Graphic Novel with Steven Barnes, Charles Johnson and Bryan Moss

Why We Meditate with Tsokyni Rinpoche and Daniel Goleman

Calm Abiding and the Divine Abodes with Lama Tsomo

The Trauma of Caste with Thenmozhi Soundararajan

Being Open to What Works for You with Mushim Patricia Ikeda

Mindfulness of Race with Ruth King

The Practice of Meditation with Yung Pueblo

That Bird Has My Wings book review and The Buddhist Enneagram with Susan Piver

We're Not Who You Think We Are with Chenxing Han

Beauty in the Bittersweet with Susan Cain and ‘Not Enlightened Yet’ by Miguel Chen

The Breath Is Your Partner with Trudy Goodman

Racism, Suffering, and the Joy of Freedom with Kamilah Majied

Connecting to Nature with Larry Ward, and Roe v. Wade with Roshi Joan Halifax

Wisdom and Suffering with Brother Phap Hai

Coping with Racism and Guided Metta with Phoenix Soleil

Fear and Knowing How to Be Satisfied with Koshin Paley Ellison

Death and What Really Matters with Shoshana Ungerlieder

Black Male Vulnerability in Buddhist Community with Willie Mukei Shoman Smith, SoOn Eli Brown-Stevenson, and Malik Watkins

Mindful Money with Spencer Sherman

Pema Chodron’s Four Keys to Waking Up with Andrea Miller

On the Road with Traveling Nunk Sister Clear Grace

Failure and Creativity with Seth Godin and Zopa’s “Red Sky” from Sopranos Star Michael Imperioli

Healing the Inner Child with Anh-Huong Nguyen

The Passing of Thich Nhat Hanh and “This Monk Wears Heels” with Kodo Nishimura