The Man Who Woke up the Buddha - Podcast

After wandering aimlessly around the atrium of the cancer center, admiring the art and architecture, Sid is inexorably drawn to the information desk, where a Bodhisattva in the guise of a volunteer helps guide him in more ways than one. Even the Buddha is impressed with her compassionate nature. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblistein.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode of The Man Who Woke up the Buddha, Sid learns more than anyone needs to know about golf balls, testicles, and tumors He's then joined by LJ, a "park person" who shares his theories of life and marketing and gives Sid news about the latest overdose in town. He, Sid, and the Buddha shake their collective heads philosophically and speculate on how the person will reincarnate. G...

Sid, Di, and the oncologist discuss his rare cancer anaplastic ependymoma, as well as the technicalities of road biking including a ride in Vermont called L.A.M.B. which features more than 10,000 feet of climbing over 112 miles. The Buddha provides color commentary while musing on the cycles of life and death. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblistein.substack.com/subscribe

It turns out learn that the Buddha is part of a long lineage of dead poets, politicians, warriors, and holy men and women who, over the years, have temporarily set up shop in Sid’s boundless imagination—including Agamemnon, Torquemada, and Harriet Tubman. Which, at times, was embarrassing for his kids and could wreak havoc at the dinner table back when he tried to get them to help him guess who th...

Sid gives his first “Dharma talk." It's by invitation only...and the only people invited are his five grandchildren, except that Di insists on attending to make sure he doesn't go off the rails in his description of the night of his stroke. Zoey keeps interrupting with know-it-all facts about Buddhism until her big sister Courtney convinces her to be quiet before her brother Junior hits her. This...

Marcus returns home in time to have a nightcap with his wife Leila who, in some ways, knows Sid best of all. Together, they reflect on Sid's idiosyncrasies including the times he impersonated Teddy Roosevelt...and later, Al Capone. Click here to read the episode. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblistein.substack.com/subscribe

Marcus stops by to see Sid before leaving the next morning. Finally, after doing endless errands for Di, he escapes. He spends most of the ride thinking about his history with Sid which includes Sid’s rather complex relationship with Marcus’s sister Julia. He calls Julia to give her an update. Click here to read the episode. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblistein.substack.com/subscri...

Sid talks to Marcus’s more-or-less enlightened friend Kesey who runs a Zen monastery in New York State and is able to give Sid some pointers about being the Buddha. Click here to read the entire episode. Background on Kesey and Marcus's relationship. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblistein.substack.com/subscribe

Marcus looks on helplessly as Sid and his nurse Ivan engage in some spiritual one-upmanship over Sid’s claims of Buddhahood during which Ivan the Terrible makes a brief appearance. Ultimately, nurse Ivan leaves shaking his head and Marcus suggests that Sid consult an expert on Buddhism...namely, his friend Kesey who's allegedly a Zen master. Click here to read the episode. Get full access to Field...

Having heard that her grandfather is the Buddha, Sid’s precocious 12-year-old granddaughter Zoey embarks on a quest to learn everything she can about Buddhism in order to prepare for discussing the situation with her “Uncle” Marcus. But soon he’s asking her difficult spiritual questions even she has trouble answering. Click here to read the episode. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblis...

The episode begins with background on how Sid became Marcus’s de facto big brother during Sid’s college years after a chance encounter during a frisbee game. Then the scene returns to Sid’s hospital room where, ultimately, after extensive fooling around, Sid gets serious and confesses to Marcus that he’s the Buddha. Click here to read the post. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblistein....

In this first episode, a guy named Sid wakes up from a stroke and realizes he's the Buddha, even though he knows almost nothing about Buddhism. We also get to meet his long-suffering wife Di and his best friend Marcus, who play prominent roles in the episodes to come. Click Here to Read the Episode. Get full access to Fields of Vision at davidblistein.substack.com/subscribe