Episode 321 :: John Negru :: Bodhisattva 4.0: A Primer for Engaged Buddhists

John Negru

John Negru returns to the podcast to speak about his new book, Bodhisattva 4.0: A Primer for Engaged Buddhists.

Hi, everyone. Before we begin today’s episode, I would like to mention that this podcast and the supporting website, discussion forums, our live, online Practice Circle and other services provided by the Secular Buddhist Association are supported by you. If you find this episode or any other offerings helpful to you in some way, I ask that you take a moment and visit secularbuddhism.org, and click on the Contributions button. There are many ways you can help which are listed on that page, and if you make a donation, it’s tax deductible and it helps ensure the SBA is able to continue the exploration of secular Buddhism. Thank you; we’re glad to have you join us in the conversation.

The world is going through unprecedented change, as global economies shift and find themselves more and more unable to avoid social and environmental interdependence. Buddhism’s aspirations around personal enlightenment, or perhaps the enlightenment of others, is less and less about separation from the world and this lifetime, and more about acknowledging and working within it, engaging with householder problems rather than counseling their release — and perhaps avoidance.

John H. Negru (Karma Yönten Gyatso) is publisher at Sumeru, and a long-time technological design teacher. He is also the author of “Understanding the Chinese Temple,” and “Understanding the Tibetan Buddhist Temple,” as well as several other books and more than 100 magazine articles on technical subjects. An environmental activist since the 1970’s, he is moderator for the global ecoBuddhist Facebook group, Plot to Save the Earth, as well as having facilitated many Buddhist community development projects over the past thirty years. During the 1980s, he was coordinator for the Toronto Buddhist Federation and Toronto Coordinator for the Buddhist Council of Canada. The Sumeru Press was founded by John in 2009, to publish Buddhist books from all lineages, with a particular emphasis on Engaged Buddhism. The company also hosts a directory of 600+ Canadian Buddhist organizations, and maintains an extensive Buddhist news blog with more than 1250 articles. Sumeru is the leading independent Buddhist book publisher in Canada.

So, sit back, relax, and have a nice Red Maple tea.

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Music for This Episode Courtesy of Rodrigo Rodriguez

The music heard in the middle of this podcast is from Rodrigo Rodriguez. You can visit his website to hear more of his music, get the full discography, and view his upcoming tour dates.