Lofty ideals… can fall into profound states of disrepair.

Especially when confronted with the dynamics of power, lofty ideals can begin to shift and shimmy until little of their original substance remains. Over its 2500 year history, Buddhism has not been immune to this phenomenon. While Buddhism strives to eradicate human suffering, at times it has contributed to the exact opposite. In this episode, we’ll take a look at the dynamics that contributed to Zen Buddhism’s support of Japanese aggression during World War 2.

Interview facilitated by ChatGPT

Voicing constructed with ⁠Elevenlabs⁠

Soundscape by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rcrath⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Freesound⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Concept, editing and production by Merijn de Haen

@ 2025 Undead Sages Podcast