The Buddha’s Dharma can be absorbed whether you’re walking your dog, exercising, doing house chores or simply going for a drive. In today’s busy world many lay practitioners and people looking to dip their toes into the reservoir of knowledge left behind by The Buddha simply don’t have time to attend in person services. Attending your first service can also feel intimidating, preventing people from taking that first step towards enlightenment. Podcasts are a great way to start learning about Buddhism while living a modern life. We’ve assembled the top five Buddhist podcasts available for Dharma seekers in 2025, in no particular order.
Free Buddhist Audio
Imagine driving in your car and feeling like you’re in a big auditorium surrounded by a Sangha listening to a Buddhist scholar giving a Dharma talk. That’s the Free Buddhist Audio experience. It’s an online chronicle of the sound and text archives of the Triratna Buddhist Community and Order. Tailored for Western Audiences and founded in the 1960s by Dharmachari Ananda. The Dharmachakra organization believes technology can be used to support and enhance what Buddhist centers already do well. That is, leverage technology to offer new ways for mindful, positive and useful engagement on topics like meditation and Dharma reflection. Boasting a library of over 5,000+ talks on all aspects of Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness coupled with an attitude of embracing technology, the FBA is the perfect companion for Modern Buddhists.
Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast
Bite sized Buddhist audio for Buddhists on the go. Want to learn the Dharma but only have five minutes? Then this is the podcast for you! Don’t let the name intimidate you. The Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast offers a secular perspective on mindfulness in a laid-back digestible format for busy Buddhists. Hawkeye’s life is as cool and unconventional as his name. He left his materialistic life behind and moved into a Buddhist Monastery where he was ordained. Hawkeye quickly got rather tired of the strict rituals and robes and decided to buck tradition and follow his own path. He doesn’t identify as Buddhist. Instead stating ‘I am many things, but not one of them defines me’. Despite this non-traditional identification Hawkeye has a wealth of traditional knowledge and training. Thanks to many years of study and living in a Monastery.
Zen Studies Podcast
The Zen Studies Podcast is as close as you as you’ll get to having an in-person service delivered through your ear buds. The podcast is hosted by Domyo Burk, a Soto Zen priest with over twenty years of experience. She’s also the founder of Bright Way Zen, a Zen community near Portland, Oregon (USA). The podcast rotates through various topics related to Buddhism including: Buddhist Teachings, Buddhist History, Buddhist texts, Meditation, Listener questions, Zen teachings and Buddhist practices. Burk cultivates an intimate and informative atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re getting a one on one lesson from the front row of a Buddhist Monastery. The topics are vast and varied, but also comprehensive and in-depth. The Zen Studies Podcast provides the most authentic experience of all Buddhist Podcasts on the airwaves today.
Secular Buddhism
Want to get started learning about Buddhism but are overwhelmed by all the different branches and sects? Secular Buddhism with Noah Rasheta is just what the bhisakka ordered! Rasheta delivers a high-level overview of many core Buddhist beliefs and practices in easy to understand language. The podcast is self-described as “Buddhist philosophy coupled with modern psychology and neuroscience” designed for “anyone that’s interested in learning more about Buddhism, psychology, and mindfulness”. The first five episodes cover the material first presented in his book “No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners” and are a great starting point for novices and seasoned practitioners alike. Ancient Buddhist philosophy is coupled with modern psychology and neuroscience. The end result is a relatable, easy to understand, one-of-a-kind experience for the modern Buddha-curious individual.
Tricycle Talks
No list of Buddhist Podcasts would be complete without a mention of Tricycle Talks. Tricycle Talks is a long-form interview style podcast “featuring leading voices and thinkers in the contemporary Buddhist world”. It’s analogous to the “Hollywood Squares” of the Buddhist Podcast world. Each episode features one of the most famous Buddhist “celebrities” of today. The podcast is hosted by James Shaheen, the editor in chief of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. Every episode is about an hour long, allowing Shaheen and his guest to dive deep into the various topics covered on the pod at length. The format and expertise of guests allow for an intimate and in-depth dive into various Buddhist subjects.