Podcast by Chuck Nuckles
12 January 2026
While much has been written about the death of Buddha’s earthly body, very few of the details are actually known. In the centuries following his bodily death scholars have raised many questions. I think one of the most significant of these might be, “Why was Cunda, the person who is blamed for Buddha’s death, given such a significant role?”
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10:57
05 January 2026
This competes my story of Devadatta. We’re left with something more complex than a villain. We find a monk whose gifts were overshadowed by his craving to surpass even the Buddha, and whose misguided confidence became his downfall.
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11:03
23 December 2025
Devadatta, Part 1
Devadatta, the Buddha’s cousin, will be remembered as the great villain of early Buddhism. But was he really a villain trying to replace the Buddha out of jealousy, or was there something deeper behind his desire for reform?
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13:10
19 December 2025
The Flower Sermon is uniquely Zen Buddhist, but its essence—transmission beyond words—resonates across nearly all major traditions, often reinterpreted in their own idioms. The Monk Who Ate the Dharma was inspired by a statement attributed to the Tibetan Buddhist master Milarepa.Born in the eleventh century, he is one of Tibet's most famous spiritual poets.
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11:32
12 December 2025
Buddha's awareness extended far beyond the human realm. He perceived the heavenly and underworld planes, discovering that he could communicate with countless non-human beings that not only existed but many had become followers of his path. Even the goddess Lakshmi, radiant embodiment of love, fortune, and spiritual prosperity, came before him and expressed her wish to join his great work of liberation.
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17:40
05 December 2025
This week's episode is called Right Livelihood. Right Livelihood is one of the elements of Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path. It generally means living and earning a living in a way that is ethically responsible and avoids causing harm to oneself or others. But that description has always been subject to interpretation.
Find the Glossary at bit.ly/BuddhistFiction
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11:06