Radical Buddhism: Claiming Asian America's Revolutionary Vision

When most people think of Buddhism, they think of a peaceful escape from the world. Yet the Buddha was a radical who taught us how to change not only our minds, but our societies. When most people think of Asian America, they see a silent and apolitical minority. But at the roots of Asian America, we find a political movement grounded in faith, solidarity, and organizing. This is Radical Buddhism, where Ryan Lee Wong, author and former Zen monastic, talks to Asian American Buddhist leaders about the relationship between inner change and social change, faith and politics. Together, they’ll explore how the Buddha’s teachings of 2,500 years offer us the rituals, insights, and skills to build a more compassionate society. Radical Buddhism is a production of Axis Mundi Media, made possible by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, which seeks to deepen public knowledge of religion. Andrew Gill is the producer, with original music by Scott Okamoto and cover art by Eric Zwierzynski. The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies is our fiscal sponsor.