Bushi Yamato Damashii is the founder of Sangha Bodhi Christo (a Buddhist-Christian student and practice community), and directs the Thomasville Buddhist Center in Thomasville, NC. He is a student of Buddhist teachers Lama Rod Owens and Lama Justin Von Bujdoos. Like many American Buddhists, his practice is eclectic, drawing from the Daishin Zen and the Vajrayana lineages.

Bushi, who also is known as Heiwa no Bushi, or “peaceful samurai,” speaks and teaches on topics such as “The Making of a Christ Sangha” and “Celebrating and Integrating Inter-Spiritual Energetic Healing Modalities.” Joining us on the podcast, he shares his insightful wisdom not only on Buddhism and Buddhist-Christian dialog, but also on the psychology of spiritual growth.

Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode:

Lama Rod Owens, Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger
Justin Von Bujdoos, Modern Tantric Buddhism: Embodiment and Authenticity in Dharma Practice
Howard Thurman, Essential Writings
Francis X. Clooney, Comparative Theology: Deep Learning Across Religious Borders
The Matrix Film Trilogy
Carl Jung, The Portable Jung
Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions
Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love
Mahatma Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments With Truth
Sun Tzu, The Art of War

This is part one of a two-part interview. Click here to listen to part two.

Silence became pretty much the foundation for the rest of my living with the life that I have; the foundation for the rest of my living. — Bushi Yamato Damashii
Episode 73: Silence and the Peaceful Samurai: A Conversation with Bushi Yamato Damashii (Part One)
Hosted by: Carl McColman
With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson
Date Recorded: September 6, 2019