Speaking of Faith - The Buddha in the World

A good episode of Speaking of Faith, from American Public Media.

The Buddha in the World

» Download (mp3, 53:09) » Listen Now (RealAudio, 53:09) » Podcast

A few years ago, journalist Pankaj Mishra pursued the social relevance of the Buddha's thought across India and Europe, Afghanistan and America. He emerged with a startling critique of Western political economy that is even more resonant today as he pursued the social relevance of the Buddha's core questions: Do desiring and acquiring make us happy? Does large-scale political change really address human suffering?

Pankaj Mishra

Pankaj Mishra is an Indian journalist and author of several books, including An End to Suffering: The Buddha in the World. He is also a regular contributor to the New York Times and the British newspaper The Guardian.

More from the same show:

Unheard Cuts

» Unedited Interview with Mishra (mp3, 1:21.29)

Our podcast of the finished program is a highly polished product with a lot of tight production elements. But, sometimes it's fun — and informative — to listen to a rawer, uninterrupted version of Krista's conversation with her guests. Take a listen and tell us what you think.

» Backdrop of the Buddha (mp3, 18:06)

Mishra describes some of his discoveries about the life of the historical Buddha, a man of a particular time and place — details that add substance and nuance to stereotypical images of the Buddha in popular imagination.

SOF Observed

» Repossessing Virtue: Pankaj Mishra on the Dangers of Progress
Mishra continues his critique of the ideologies of progress and globalization, refreamed for the current global economic situation.

» "Fresh Blood From an Old Wound"
Mishra writes in the New York Times in response to the violence in Mumbai — and on how Kashmir can be a starting point for healing old wounds.

» "At War with the Utopia of Modernity"
A Guardian op-ed by Pankaj Mishra about the March 2008 violence in Tibet.

Tags: Speaking of Faith, An End to Suffering, The Buddha in the World, Buddhism, Pankaj Mishra, Krista Trippett, globalization, global economic situation, globalization, economics