Vol 3 Ep 63 - Ancient Indian Religion ( ...

Alongside listener messages, in this debrief we will be discussing which topics were the most popular in Volume 4, the ongoing question of how AI influences the podcast, and the possibility of the podcast becoming a physical book. 

700 - 1610 - In this episode, we journey to the Sahel — the narrow frontier between desert and savanna where the fortunes of empires were made and lost. From its shifting landscapes emerged the Mali Empire, a realm of immense wealth and faith. Discover how geography, trade, and p ... Show More

1000 BCE - 1897 CE - Two kingdoms, two legacies—Ifẹ and Benin shaped West Africa’s artistic soul and political power. From sacred bronze heads to sprawling palace complexes, this episode dives into the myths, monarchs, and masterworks that defined a civilisation. Discover how div ... Show More

<p>One of the oldest religions in the world, Buddhism is practiced by over 400 million people today, but where did it originate from? Pioneered by the Buddha - a wandering ascetic - it emerged in northern India in the fifth century BC as a new path that challenged the elitist str ... Show More

<p>El budismo es la cuarta religión más importante del mundo con más de 500 millones de adeptos o el 7 % de la población mundial. </p> <p>El budismo es una religión y una doctrina filosófica y espiritual ​perteneciente a la familia dhármica un concepto central con múltiples signi ... Show More

Der Buddhismus ist eine der großen Weltreligionen und existiert seit über 2500 Jahren. In Deutschland kennt man den Buddhismus aber erst seit zirka 150 Jahren. In dieser Folge erzähle ich euch mehr über die Geschichte des Buddhismus in Deutschland. Außerdem hört ihr, wie die Situ ... Show More

In July 1813, a young American couple from Boston arrived in the Buddhist kingdom of Burma to preach the gospel. Although Burmese Buddhists largely resisted Christian evangelism, members of minority religious communities embraced Baptist teachings and practices, reimagining both ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and teachings of The Buddha. Two and a half thousand years ago a young man meditated on life and death and found enlightenment. In that moment he saw his past lives spread out before him and he realised that all life, indeed the very fabri ... Show More

Buddhism reached China in the 1st century AD, yet it remained a minor, foreign religion for the next 100 years. It was not until the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 AD and the cracking of the classical Confucian order that Buddhism began to make headway in the Middle Kingdom. Over ... Show More

During the Republican period (1912–1949) and after, many Chinese Buddhists sought inspiration from non-Chinese Buddhist traditions, showing a particular interest in esoteric teachings. What made these Buddhists dissatisfied with Chinese Buddhism, and what did they think other Bud ... Show More

In the 1st century AD, the nomadic Kushans settled in what is now Afghanistan and established settlements and trade. From here, they moved down over the Hindu Kush and took large sections of Northern India. Within their new kingdom, Buddhism flourished under the patronage of the ... Show More

How did Buddhism catch on in South India? Episode 7 of Echoes of India explores the life of the Andhra teacher Nagarjuna, called a "Second Buddha", his fascinating philosophy of "zeroness", and the ancient South Indian dynasty who built Roman-style theatres in the 2nd century CE. ... Show More