The Buddhist AF Podcast
Welcome to The Buddhist AF. What started as a personal project—recording stories for an audience of one, my son—has grown into something much bigger. I wanted him to know who his father was, to hear my stories, in case I wasn’t able to tell them to him myself as he grew older. But as the show progressed, something unexpected happened. I began receiving messages from people around the world, sharing how much these stories have helped them. The Buddhist AF has become more than just my journey—it’s a space for connection, reflection, and growth.Thanks for listen...
Session 106: Wearing the 45
Tonight...
I turned 45!I found my birthyear watch!I drank a lot of coffee!
Links:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Buy my book Stories From a Life on Fire: https://a.co/d/03Mhy7ZJ
Buy my book The Grove: https://a.co/d/0hmdxeGm
Tip Me: buymeacoffee.com/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 105: I'm OK, Really!
Tonight...
I celebrate the misery of others.I walked a total of 100K steps in 4 days.And I need a camera up my bottom.Links:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Buy my book Stories From a Life on Fire: https://a.co/d/03Mhy7ZJ
Buy my book The Grove: https://a.co/d/0hmdxeGm
Tip Me: buymeacoffee.com/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 104: Re-Introduction
Tonight...
I introduce myself to a whole new audience.I talk about my depression this time of year.I wrote a book (Link Below!)Links:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Buy my book Stories From a Life on Fire: https://a.co/d/03Mhy7ZJ
Buy my book The Grove: https://a.co/d/0hmdxeGm
Tip Me: buymeacoffee.com/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 10: Life: What Remains Human
Tonight…
After the warnings,
After the machines,
After the futures we feared…
we ask one final question: what makes a life worth living?
Links:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Buy my book Stories From a Life on Fire: https://a.co/d/03Mhy7ZJ
Buy my book The Grove: https://a.co/d/0hmdxeGm
Tip Me: buymeacoffee.com/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 9: Crime & Policing: Justice in a Broken System
Tonight…
Survival starts to look like suspicion,
Safety becomes something you can buy,
And the law begins to forget who it was meant to protect.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 101: Downgrade
Tonight...
I get a new phone,
I put down my new phone,
I have too many phones.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 8: Surveillance & Privacy: A World That Never Looks Away
Tonight…
Nothing goes unseen,
Privacy becomes a memory,
And freedom slowly dissolves under perfect observation.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 99: Decompression
Tonight...
Alex rides a subway,
I play some video games,
And I also eat alone.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 7: Work: When Humans Become Optional
Tonight…
The machines keep producing,
The systems stop needing us,
And the meaning of a human life drifts away from labor.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 6: Virtual Realities: World's We'd Rather Live In
Tonight…
Reality becomes optional,
Escape feels like mercy,
And the most comfortable prison is the one we log into willingly.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 96: Create
Tonight...
I finally finish The Veilguard
I inspired someone
I heard cows
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 5: Eco-Dystopia: When the World Stops Breathing
Tonight…
The air becomes something you can’t trust,
Nature turns into a memory instead of a home,
And the future arrives wearing the consequences we tried not to see.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 94: The Groundhog is Clairvoyant, Yes.
Tonight..
I don't see my shadow,
I am a Metal Rooster,
And that makes me a Hard Co...
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 4: Biohacking & Human Augmentation: When the Body Becomes the Battlefield
Tonight…
The future stops changing our world and starts changing us,
Enhancement becomes expectation,
And the line between human and machine begins to disappear.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 3: Cyber Warfare: The Battle You Don't See
Tonight…
War loses its uniforms,
Conflict stops announcing itself,
And the most dangerous battles happen where you’re not allowed to look.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Buddhist Bit #1
I'm sad to announce that my cohost Barbara the Snake Plant has passes away. Thoughts and prayers are welcome.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 2: Ai: The Warning Made Quiet
Tonight…
The future doesn’t arrive with explosions,
Control doesn’t need villains,
And artificial intelligence stops feeling futuristic — and starts feeling normal.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Cyberpunk Chapter 1: A Warning, Not a Destination
Tonight…
We mistake warnings for aesthetics,
We confuse the future with fashion,
And we ask why cyberpunk feels less like science fiction and more like a weather report.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 88: We're at Peak!
Tonight…
I build a brand-new computer and realize I no longer understand the box I’m building.
I remember when a 13-inch television was peak human achievement and nobody questioned it.
And I turn 45—discovering that it’s equal parts terrifying, liberating, and strangely freeing to stop pretending you’re young and start enjoying being experienced.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 87: Mortality!
Tonight…
I realize that 2026 means I’m turning 45—and that number hits a little harder than I expected.
I talk about drifting through life, choosing focus over distraction, and why one big game at a time suddenly makes a lot of sense.
And I discover that the best moments aren’t the loud ones, but the quiet ones—like singing in the car with Alex.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 86: New Years Eve 2025
Tonight…
It’s New Year’s Eve, and I’m home by myself.
I take a look back at 2025—what it gave me, what it took, and what it taught me.
And then, because it feels appropriate,
I talk about what I’d do if I won the lottery.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Holiday Special 2025
Tonight…
I fall for the lie that Toys R Us is back.
I bring my son to what I thought would be a core memory.
And I find out that my childhood was charged $14.99 by a calendar store. A reflection on nostalgia, rebranding our past, and why it’s better to let memories rest—and make new ones instead.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Thank you to my good friend Tim Howell once again. You can find Tim at these various socials.
Instagram - @junkiegamer4
Youtube - @junkiegamer
Session 84: Too Much of a Good Thing
Tonight…
We talk about having too many games to play—
why we used to run old games into the ground, even when they weren’t great,
and how having endless options isn’t always a good thing.
I also check in after a small health scare earlier this week.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 83: Is It Still Magical?
Tonight…
We talk about why this year hasn’t felt quite as magical as Christmases past.
I introduce you to my new co-host, Barbara.
We reunite with our monkey.
And somehow, along the way, we connect pro wrestling, J.K. Rowling,
and porn.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 82: Thankful for Black Friday
Tonight…
We talk about Thanksgiving—what it means to a lot of us,
how it lands differently as the years go by,
and why Black Friday just isn’t what it used to be.
Also, I’m starting to think my friend in the Russia may have gone missing.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 81: Hello?
Tonight…
We’re back.
Thank you to everyone who stuck around while we were gone.
And a special hello to my friend in the Russian Federation
and my new friend in Iraq.
It’s good to be back.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 80: Gone till November
Tonight…
Just popping in to say I’m still alive.
We’ve been busy packing for the move, which means recording had to take a back seat for a bit.
I’m still waiting to hear back from my Russian friend,
and I’ll be off the air until next month while we get settled.
I’ll see you then.
As always—Baw Phen Ngyung.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 79: Spasibo
Tonight…
I attempt to explain how to start a podcast.
It goes about as well as you’d expect.
There are tangents, lost thoughts,
and a surprise shout-out to a listener in Russia.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 78: Plan B
Tonight…
Just a quick update—I’m tired. Very tired.
We’ve signed a new lease, which means we won’t be in this awful place much longer.
Will I miss it?
Somewhat. There are a lot of memories tied to these walls.
Oh—and somewhere in all of this, I became a published author.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 77: The Fall
Tonight…
There’s a lot of good news to catch up on—
new developments, new momentum, and more projects on the horizon to keep me busy.
I finally finished Hogwarts Legacy…
and then there’s the small matter of living in Derry, New Hampshire.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 76: Flatten the Curve
Tonight…
I check in on what I’ve been up to—still playing Hogwarts Legacy (no Quidditch, sadly),
and reading about the mysterious Bridgewater Triangle.
The main conversation, though, is about separation—not from my wife, don’t worry—
but from the podcast itself.
I talk through the idea of breaking it into clearer lanes for stories, history, and mythology,
and what that might look like going forward.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 75: I'm Good now
Tonight…
I’m recovering from last week’s breakdown.
Alex is back in school, I’m fighting off a cold,
and we ease back in with talk of my new favorite game
and just how many copies of one game I apparently own.
Healing, routine, and comfort topics.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 74: I Failed
Tonight…
We start out light—
a new phone and my thoughts on subscription software.
Then the conversation takes a darker turn,
as I talk honestly about a downward spiral I didn’t see coming.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 73: Hiatus
Tonight…
We dive into the world of at-home DNA testing kits—
from 23andMe to AncestryDNA.
What these tests actually reveal, how your genetic data is used,
and the ethical questions around privacy and consent that don’t get talked about enough.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 72: Male Depression Part 2: The Hidden Signs
Tonight…
We explore the often-missed signs of male depression—
the ones that don’t always look like sadness,
but still cut just as deep.
Anger, withdrawal, silence, and the things that get overlooked when we don’t know what to look for.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 71: Male Depression Part 1: Why Men Struggle to Talk About Mental Health
Tonight…
We ask a hard question: why is it so difficult for men to talk about mental health?
This episode unpacks the quiet pressures of masculinity, the hidden cost of emotional repression,
and how those patterns take a toll over time.
Whether you’re struggling yourself or trying to better understand the men in your life,
this is a conversation worth having.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 70: Eastern Trends
Tonight…
After a brief life update, we talk about how different cultures approach child sleep.
Scandinavian outdoor sleeping, Japanese co-sleeping,
and what these traditions say about comfort, safety, and trust.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 69: Dreams
Tonight…
We talk about dreams—what they might mean,
why we’re so obsessed with interpreting them,
and why Sigmund Freud was… well, kind of a freak.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 68: Quick Update
Tonight…
Just a quick update on what’s going on.
I’m tired.
And wishing you a happy Memorial Day.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
Session 67: Birthdays was the worst days.
Tonight…
I talk about a short hiatus,
Alex’s birthday,
and how I spent my own.
Socials and Links: https://linktr.ee/buddhistaf
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-buddhist-af-podcast--6119082/support.
