Dan deconstructs the Dharmic elements of the popular HBO show, with the co-host of The White Lotus Official Season 3 companion podcast.

Joshuah Bearman is a writer and film producer in Los Angeles. He has written for Wired, GQ, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, and contributed to This American Life. Along with Jia Tolentino, Josh is the co-host of the The White Lotus Official Podcast.

In this episode we talk about:

How Josh became interested in Buddhism
How Mike White, the writer and creator of The White Lotus, became interested in Buddhism
Buddhist concepts and themes all three seasons of The White Lotus
Buddhist notions of self and identity
Some paradoxes and pitfalls of Buddhism
The perils of pleasure seeking
Craving certainty as a bulwark against anxiety
The importance of repetition of simple Buddhist ideas that we are programmed to forget
The Buddhist concept of attachment
The three jewels of Buddhism and the importance of relationships

Related Episodes:

Natasha Rothwell (White Lotus, How To Die Alone) On: Loneliness, Envy, People Pleasing, And Finding Your “Hell Yes”
Michael Imperioli (From The Sopranos and White Lotus) Knows a Shitload About Buddhist Meditation
Holding it Together When Things Fall Apart | Pema Chödrön
Pema Chödrön, Renowned Buddhist Nun, On Her One Non-Negotiable Happiness Strategy

Join Dan’s online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Additional Resources:

The White Lotus Official Podcast

Buddhist Themes in The White Lotus, Explained | Josh Bearman

10% Happier with Dan Harris

Buddhist Themes in The White Lotus, Explained | Josh Bearman