Hardcore Zen

Brad Warner is a Soto Zen priest, a former punk bassist, and the author of books with titles like Hardcore Zen and Sit Down and Shut Up. His podcast carries the same temperament as his writing, which is to say it is blunt, occasionally profane, allergic to spiritual marketing speak, and surprisingly tender when it needs to be. Warner trained under Gudo Nishijima Roshi in Japan and received dharma transmission in that lineage, and he talks about Dogen more than almost any other podcaster working today. Episodes mix straight dharma talks with listener questions, reflections on Buddhist history, takes on current events filtered through practice, and the occasional rant about what he sees as misuses of the tradition. The show is not trying to make Zen comfortable or easy to sell. Warner will tell you that sitting is mostly boring, that enlightenment is not a product, and that a lot of what gets marketed as mindfulness has little to do with Buddhism. He can also be funny in a deadpan way that sneaks up on you. For listeners who find most dharma podcasts too soft or too reverent, this is a welcome change of tone. For newcomers, it is a reminder that Zen has always been a bit weird and a bit stubborn.