{"podcast":{"title":"The Imperfect Buddha Podcast","slug":"the-imperfect-buddha-podcast-5330299","podcast_index_feed_id":5330299,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/NBN9895946868","website_url":"https://imperfectbuddha.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/da8110f4-2ce8-11ec-8d53-87b3421f006a/image/imperfectbuddha2.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"The Imperfect Buddha Podcast","episode_count":127,"summary":"The Imperfect Buddha podcast has been addressing anti-intellectualism and ideological capture in western Buddhism and spirituality more broadly since its inception. It provides a space for dynamic conversations designed to bring out what is so often hidden and so often despised by critics and intellectuals engaging with contemporary forms of practice. Matthew O’Connell hosts the Imperfect Buddha podcast and writes at The Imperfect Buddha site. Email: imperfectbuddha@outlook.com. Twitter: @imperfectbuddha. Facebook: @imperfectbuddha. Original street art Buddha image by Bristol's Banksy.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-27T14:22:21.309456+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-imperfect-buddha-podcast-5330299"},"episode":{"title":"103 Incognito: The Astounding Life of Alexandra David-Neel","slug":"103-incognito-the-astounding-life-of-alexandra-david-neel","published_at":"2023-04-01T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-imperfect-buddha-podcast-5330299/103-incognito-the-astounding-life-of-alexandra-david-neel","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-imperfect-buddha-podcast-5330299","url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBN5548746206.mp3?updated=1679855024","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/NBN5548746206.mp3?updated=1679855024","summary":"I grew up with Alexandra David-Neel’s books on my mum’s bookshelf. She was part of the myth making process that led to my own fascination with Tibet, as something real, and as fantasy, a description that is often used to define Neel’s relationship and presentation of Tibet. She was either a key that helped open the door into the world of Tibet with its Lamas, Vajrayana Buddhism, and enormous mountains and planes, or another in the long line of westerners who turned Tibet into a romantic, western fantasy. In this episode, I talk to Diane Harke, author of Incognito: The Astounding Life of Alexandra David-Neel (Sumeru Press, 2016). We look back at David-Neel, her life, and Tibet. She was also a life-long anarchist, feminist, explorer, and prolific author. We discuss her encounters with the 13th Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama and her legacy in creating an image of Tibet and Buddhism that enticed the likes of Alan Watts and Gary Snyder to venture Eastwards. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"I grew up with Alexandra David-Neel’s books on my mum’s bookshelf. She was part of the myth making process that led to my own fascination with Tibet, as s…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2829,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-imperfect-buddha-podcast-5330299/episodes/103-incognito-the-astounding-life-of-alexandra-david-neel/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-imperfect-buddha-podcast-5330299/103-incognito-the-astounding-life-of-alexandra-david-neel.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}