08.14.2025 Bridging Buddhism and Pop Culture   When I was growing up, Buddhism felt like it belonged to an isolated part of my life — something I connected with through family or cultural traditions, but not something I saw reflected in the shows I loved, the books I read, or the wider pop culture I was absorbing. Looking back, I don’t think it was because those connections didn’t exist; I just didn’t know they could. I didn’t have the awareness or language to recognize Buddhist ideas when they showed up in unexpected forms. Karma became a punchline, mindfulness a productivity hack, and suffering something to be fixed, not understood. Now, as someone who’s still borderline-obsessed with pop culture but thinks more intentionally about what I’m watching and why, I’m seeing those threads more clearly. And I’m interested in what it means to spot these in unexpected places — on reality TV, in animated series, in viral internet trends. Of course, sometimes those moments can feel inauthentic, hollow, or misused. But other times, they land with surprising depth. This Weekend Reader, which highlights pieces previously featured in our free Bodhi Leaves newsletter, is all about those intersections between Buddhist teachings and popular culture. By centering the voices of Asian-descended Buddhists, I love that Bodhi Leaves has been able to offer thoughtful, zeitgeist-y work for all to enjoy. —Sandi Rankaduwa, assistant editor, Lion’s Roar The Karma of Taylor Swift What’s the Buddhist perspective of a certain hit pop song? Sarwang Parikh on why karma isn’t a god or boyfriend. I invite you to practice a little thought experiment: imagine yourself in any social context, such as in your workplace, in a restaurant, or walking down the street. Imagine you overhear someone say something like, “Well, that’s just their karma. They must’ve done something to deserve that.” Notice your reaction. What are the thoughts and sensory reactions that come up for you? When I heard the song “Karma” by pop icon Taylor Swift, I reflexively reacted with a sigh and a shake of my head. I felt exasperation and constriction in my body as I heard her repeat the lyrics “Karma is my boyfriend/Karma is a god.” ADVERTISEMENT The Blind Passions of “Love Is Blind” Netflix’s Love Is Blind isn’t just melodramatic reality TV, says Rev. Jean-Paul deGuzman. It’s a mirror for our own attachments and delusions. The show’s popularity stems, in part, from its premise, which plays on the old adage “love is blind.” Although we often interpret this saying to mean that love overlooks faults and imperfections, the series took the idea more literally: Can you fall in love with someone without seeing what they look like? While acknowledging that the term “blind” holds a profoundly different and deeply personal reality for those with visual impairments, I was prompted by this show to reflect on how we use the concept of “blindness” in Buddhism — particularly in reference to blind passions, or bonno in Japanese. The Dharma of Shogun Paul Daisuke Goodman on what one critically acclaimed TV show teaches us about right view, right action, and deep listening. Spoiler warning. Shogun takes place in seventeenth-century Japan and covers the fictional rise of Yoshii Toranaga, modeled after the historical Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Based on James Clavell’s bestselling novel, this FX show — led by a majority Asian cast — has been lauded for its rich characters, beautiful design, and gripping political drama. What is often overlooked, though, is how Buddhism not only shaped the historical events of feudal-era Japan, but also how Buddhism consistently guides the narrative arc of this dynamic Japanese and Japanese American drama.