In this episode, we talk to Dr. Moeller, associate professor of philosophy at Moravian University, about their brilliant essay titled "bell hooks Made Me a Buddhist", published in the book "Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections".

As a former student of bell hooks at Oberlin College, Carol shares memories of her teacher and reflects on the influence hooks had on her, particularly as an early introduction to non-Western thought—and Buddhism in particular.

Carol draws parallels between Critical Consciousness practices and Buddhist ways of thinking and being in the world. We also discuss practices of mindfulness and how such practices can turn to destructive, dangerous imperialist and racist tools when they are divorced from their cultural and ethical contexts.

The Memory of Now, The Forgetfulness of None: On the Politics of Space and Time in Palestinian Literature in Relation to Gaza Today.

A talk by Dirar Kalash, organized by Sarmad Platform in Rotterdam on 10 April 2024.

The talk reads the current conditions in Gaza under the light of "Memory of Forgetfulness" by Mahmoud Darwish, with a focus on the concept of time (history) and space (geography) and their position in the process of knowledge production on the current situation in Palestine in particular, not only as a theory, but also as a consciousness, taking off from a multi-layered reading of Memory for Forgetfulness; analysing possible relationships among lived experience, the writing of history, event, and language – from writing the Nakba from a sonic and aural perspective, and through the transformations of time and space in Palestine.

Cover art by Constança Saraiva

How can we imagine practices of (fiction) writing as well as stillness, meditation and silent contemplation as (visual) artistic practices?

In this episode, we talked to Suzanne Weenink and Moosje Moti Goosen, using their unique long-term project titled "On Wards Inwards" presented at Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam as the point of departure.

"Be aware of your breathing", says everybody who teaches or practices meditation, but that talk would take completely different dimensions if you have gone through a four-year period of illness resulting in a bilateral lung transplant.

Listen to this episode preferably in stillness.

And while listening, be aware of your breathing, appreciate it, appreciate being alive.

What do non-Western modes of thinking have to tell us about the nature of race and racism, the mechanisms for racial injustice, and the potential for dismantling such injustice?

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Emily McRae, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of New Mexico and the co-editor of the book “Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections”, 2019, Lexington Books.

The book is made of 15 essays by 15 different authors, and as Dr. McRae says in the introduction, “it is the first volume of its kind to offer a collection of philosophical analyses of whiteness, race, and racism using Buddhist conceptual frameworks."

The book can be seen as an intersection of Critical Philosophy of Race and Buddhist Philosophy.

We talked about the whole volume coming together as well as her own essay called “White Delusion and Avidiya: A Buddhist Approach to Understanding and Deconstructing White Ignorance”.

This is our first podcast episode within the project “Nothingness: Other Ways of Imagining Visual Arts”.

In episode 4, we talk about publishing. It is a publisher to publisher conversation. For this episode we had the pleasure of conversing with Maha Maamoun and Ala Younis, two artists behind Kayfa-ta, a non-profit Arabic publishing initiative. Kayfa-ta uses the popular format of how-to manuals (kayfa=how, ta=to) to publish books that responds to today’s needs, be they skills, thoughts, sensibilities, emotions, tools.

In this episode we talk about the spark that started the idea of Kayfa-ta, and the passions and urgencies that keep it going. We talk about starting a publishing initiative, the labors and hustles of publishing, and financing a publishing initiative. We also talk about what it means to Maha and Ala as well as ourselves to do this work in the cultural field.

This episode has been in the making for many months, and we are happy to have it finally out there. This episode is special because it became a space of thinking about how what we have culturally and politically inherited forms a cultural practice today, and how publishing is also an artistic practice.

This episode comes in two parts.

Music by Beizat (Behzad Abbasy)

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In episode 4, we talk about publishing. It is a publisher to publisher conversation. For this episode we had the pleasure of conversing with Maha Maamoun and Ala Younis, two artists behind Kayfa-ta, a non-profit Arabic publishing initiative. Kayfa-ta uses the popular format of how-to manuals (kayfa=how, ta=to) to publish books that responds to today’s needs, be they skills, thoughts, sensibilities, emotions, tools. 

In this episode we talk about the spark that started the idea of Kayfa-ta, and the passions and urgencies that keep it going. We talk about starting a publishing initiative, the labors and hustles of publishing, and financing a publishing initiative. We also talk about what it means to Maha and Ala as well as ourselves to do this work in the cultural field. 

This episode has been in the making for many months, and we are happy to have it finally out there. This episode is special because it became a space of thinking about how what we have culturally and politically inherited forms a cultural practice today, and how publishing is also an artistic practice. This episode comes in two parts.

Music by Beizat (Behzad Abbasy) 

This episode is made by Sarmad Platform

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For this episode, we were really honored to have a two-hour talk with Tribal Baroque, a duo (currently based in San Francisco, CA) consisting of Thoth and Lila Angelique.

They operate completely independently, and if you want to categorize what they do it would fall under street performing but these guys are no ordinary street performers. They call what they do "prayforming".

Using countertenor and coloratura vocals, they create moving music accompanied by theater, dance, foot-percussion, and violins.

This podcast is very special for us. These two beautiful beings are healers, and they not only exercise a fundamentally non-normative artistic practice but also have found and stick to a non-normative way of being in this world that is so exceptional and inspiring in this day and age.

The music you hear in part 2 of this podcast :

1. Plucking Song by Tribal Baroque

The episode thumbnail (from Tribal Baroque's Facebook): © Chris Monroe

For this episode, we were really honored to have a two-hour talk with Tribal Baroque, a duo (currently based in San Francisco, CA) consisting of Thoth and Lila Angelique.

Using countertenor and coloratura vocals, they create moving music accompanied by theater, dance, foot-percussion, and violins.

This podcast is very special for us. These two beautiful beings are healers, and they not only exercise a fundamentally non-normative artistic practice but also have found and stick to a non-normative way of being in this world that is so exceptional and inspiring in this day and age.

The music you hear in part 1 of this podcast :

1. Gypsy Dance by Tribal Baroque

2. Burnt Offering of Sacred Herbs by S.k. Thoth

3. Thoth and Lila's wedding

The episode thumbnail (from Tribal Baroque's Facebook): © Chris Monroe

In this episode we had the honor of talking with Shoukei Matsumoto, Japanese Zen Buddhist monk, who is the author of the life-changing book "A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind", which has been translated into 18 different languages.

Shoukei argues that cleaning is not just about removing dirt but a practice to stay in the present, a practice of cultivating the mind and heart.

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In this second part of episode 2, we talked more in details about the book, read some excerpts from it, had some insightful discussion about cleaning different parts of house and found some common things between the Japanese and Iranian culture. 

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Shoukei graduated from Tokyo University's School of Religious Studies. Right after graduation, he joined Komyoji temple as a monk. He completed MBA from Indian School of Business in 2011.

Selected to attend the Forum of Young Economic Leader in 2013, Matsumoto has created a 'temple cafe' and an 'online temple', Higan-ji, where he offers people a way to rebuild traditional Buddhism through new media.

In this episode we had the honor of talking with Shoukei Matsumoto, Japanese Zen Buddhist monk, who is the author of the life-changing book "A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind", which has been translated into 18 different languages.

Shoukei argues that cleaning is not just about removing dirt but a practice to stay in the present, a practice of cultivating the mind and heart.

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In this first part of episode 2, we talked about the book as well as his journey to a monastic life. And we also laughed a lot. 

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Shoukei graduated from Tokyo University's School of Religious Studies. Right after graduation, he joined Komyoji temple as a monk. He completed MBA from Indian School of Business in 2011.

Selected to attend the Forum of Young Economic Leader in 2013, Matsumoto has created a 'temple cafe' and an 'online temple', Higan-ji, where he offers people a way to rebuild traditional Buddhism through new media.