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Buddhist Studies Footnotes: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Frances Garrett
Footnotes is a series of short lectures or conversations on research in the field of Buddhist Studies. Created by Frances Garrett, a professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto, with co-host Tony Scott, most episodes are summaries or discussions of articles or book chapters from academic work in the field, with some episodes featuring guest lectures or guest hosts from events and courses at the University of Toronto. We aim to make Buddhist Studies research freely accessible to students and the public.Footnotes was made possible by a grant from eCampusOntario and also receives support from the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto. Audio editing has been done by Jesse Whitty and Frances Garrett.
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- Oct 6, 202628 min
What Would Really Be Lost?
In the final episode of this series, Frances Garrett asks what the disappearance of the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health (BPMH) program would mean beyond the loss of an undergraduate program. Drawing on student voices, classroom recordings, and the program’s twenty-year history, she describes how BPMH created an “attention sanctuary” where students could study mindfulness in the context of larger questions about mental health, ethics, culture, technology, and society. The episode returns to a question motivating the series: What are universities for? To learn more about the circumstances described in this series, see https://pathuoft.net/ This series was produced by Frances Garrett, with sound editing by Jesse Whitty, music by Kilian Kramer, and logo design by Kayla Bowland. The series has been organized by the Engaging Education in Buddhist Studies initiative at the University of Toronto, with generous support from the Khyentse Foundation.
- Sep 29, 202619 min
The Program That Was Doing Too Well
Why would a successful university program be recommended for closure? Episode 4 of this five-part series reconstructs the administrative history behind the suspension of enrolment into the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health program at the University of Toronto, revealing a striking contrast between a glowing external review, growing student demand, and a subsequent recommendation to discontinue the program. Through archival recordings, committee documents, and emotional testimony from students and faculty, the episode examines questions of governance, precarity, and institutional responsibility. It argues that the controversy surrounding BPMH was not just about one interdisciplinary program, but about how universities value innovation, support faculty, and respond when educational success no longer fits existing administrative structures. To learn more about the circumstances described in this series, see https://pathuoft.net/ This series was produced by Frances Garrett, with sound editing by Jesse Whitty, music by Kilian Kramer, and logo design by Kayla Bowland. The series has been organized by the Engaging Education in Buddhist Studies initiative at the University of Toronto, with generous support from the Khyentse Foundation.
- Sep 22, 202618 min
The View from Nowhere
Can scholars ever stand outside the knowledge they study? Beginning with a dispute over the title of a single university course, this episode examines larger debates about objectivity, evidence, and whose ways of knowing universities recognize as legitimate. Drawing on classroom practices, student reflections, and the work of scholars who offered public lectures for the program, episode 3 of this five-part series argues that contemplative traditions are not merely objects of scientific investigation but can also contribute concepts, methods, and questions to contemporary research. As discussions of first-person inquiry, decolonization, and reflexive scholarship unfold, listeners are invited to reconsider the hidden assumptions that shape modern universities—and to ask who ultimately decides what counts as knowledge. To learn more about the circumstances described in this series, see https://pathuoft.net/ This series was produced by Frances Garrett, with sound editing by Jesse Whitty, music by Kilian Kramer, and logo design by Kayla Bowland. The series has been organized by the Engaging Education in Buddhist Studies initiative at the University of Toronto, with generous support from the Khyentse Foundation.
- Sep 17, 202617 min
The Experiment
How did an unconventional undergraduate program become an international model for contemplative education? In episode 2 of this five-part series in the podcast Buddhist Studies Footnotes, Frances Garrett traces the origins of BPMH, from its roots in socially engaged Buddhism and the teachings of Thích Nhất Hạnh to its pioneering integration of Buddhist Studies, psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and contemplative science. Through classroom recordings, faculty reflections, and student testimonies, listeners explore an educational experiment that challenged disciplinary boundaries while asking deeper questions about attention, flourishing, and the purpose of higher education. As the field of contemplative science grows around the world, the episode asks why universities remain so uncertain about knowledge that refuses to fit within traditional academic structures. To learn more about the circumstances described in this series, see https://pathuoft.net/ This series was produced by Frances Garrett, with sound editing by Jesse Whitty, music by Kilian Kramer, and logo design by Kayla Bowland. The series has been organized by the Engaging Education in Buddhist Studies initiative at the University of Toronto, with generous support from the Khyentse Foundation.
- Sep 8, 202624 min
The Place They Found
What makes a university program unforgettable? In the opening episode of this five-part series, Frances Garrett introduces the University of Toronto's Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health (BPMH) program through the voices of students whose lives it transformed. As students describe finding an intellectual home where neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and Buddhist Studies could be explored together, a portrait emerges of a rare academic community built on mentorship, curiosity, and belonging. But despite what a uniquely transformative experience students find this undergraduate minor, in 2024 they were suddenly prevented from joining it. The story reported on in this series begins with a question: what happens when a university fails to recognize the communities it has created? To learn more about the circumstances described in this series, see https://pathuoft.net/ This series was produced by Frances Garrett, with sound design by Jesse Whitty, music by Kilian Kramer, and logo design by Kayla Bowland. The series has been organized by the Engaging Education in Buddhist Studies initiative, with generous support from the Khyentse Foundation.
- Jul 15, 202648 min
Ten Thousand Joys, Ten Thousand Sorrows: The Heart of Queer Sangha
A conversation between Kody Muncaster and Ryan 'twinkle' Backer, who is co-founder of Queer Sangha, a Montreal-based group for queer individuals interested in Buddhism and meditation. twinkle shares their journey into Buddhism, starting with a 10-day Vipassana course in 2015, and discusses the challenges and transformative experiences of being a trans person in Buddhist spaces. Queer Sangha, established in 2019, offers weekly sessions, both online and in-person, with a focus on inclusivity, accessibility, and community. They emphasize welcoming practices and community discussions on challenging topics like racism and gender identity. The group values mutual aid, peer-led teachings, and maintaining a supportive, diverse community.
- Apr 23, 202649 min
LGBTQ+ affirmation in the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition
A conversation between Kody Muncaster and Jeff Wilson, professor of Religious Studies and East Asian Studies. They discuss Dr. Wilson's journey into Buddhism and Buddhist Studies and his work as an ordained minister in the Jodo Shinshu tradition. Wilson highlights Jodo Shinshu's historical significance in North America, its long and important role in various forms of engaged Buddhism, and the transformative efforts of Jodo Shinshu temples in becoming LGBTQ+ inclusive. They also discuss practical steps Buddhist groups can adopt to improve inclusivity. Jeff Wilson is a professor of Religious Studies and East Asian Studies at Renison University College (University of Waterloo). His research focuses on Buddhism in North America, Hawaii, and Japan. His first book, Mourning the Unborn Dead (Oxford 2009), examined the American uses of Japanese Buddhist post-abortion rituals. His second book, Dixie Dharma (North Carolina 2012), explored the role of regionalism in the life of a Buddhist temple in the South. His third book, Mindful America (Oxford 2014), charted the transformation of mindfulness from a Buddhist monastic practice to a omnipresent medical, psychological, and self-help technique. His fourth book, Selected Writings of D.T. Suzuki, Volume III: Comparative Religion (California 2016), examined the interfaith writings of one of the most important 20th century Japanese Buddhist scholars. He is also the author of pioneering research on the first documented clergy-led same-sex marriages in American history, including the world’s first Buddhist same-sex wedding ceremonies.
- Jan 7, 20261h 19m
Creating safer spaces for queer and trans Buddhists
A conversation between Kody Muncaster and two representatives from the international Rainbodhi LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Community: Tenzin Tseme from Rainbodhi USA and Myra Blankenship from Rainbodhi Melbourne/Naarm. Rainbodhi is a network for LGBTQIA+ Buddhists to come together in community, sharing dharma and spiritual friendship. Rainbodhi has chapters all over the world. This episode explores Rainbodhi’s work, as well as the challenges faced by trans folks in Buddhism and how we can work to create a queer engaged Buddhism that is welcoming to all. This episode is part of a series of interviews with queer folks in Buddhism and Buddhist Studies.
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About Buddhist Studies Footnotes
Footnotes is a series of short lectures or conversations on research in the field of Buddhist Studies. Created by Frances Garrett, a professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto, with co-host Tony Scott, most episodes are summaries or discussions of articles or book chapters from academic work in the field, with some episodes featuring guest lectures or guest hosts from events and courses at the University of Toronto. We aim to make Buddhist Studies research freely accessible to students and the public.Footnotes was made possible by a grant from eCampusOntario and also receives support from the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies at the University of Toronto. Audio editing has been done by Jesse Whitty and Frances Garrett.
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