To view the Echo Ekoji podcasts, go to: bit.ly/48dq80r
Echo Ekoji, the Ekoji Buddhist Temple’s podcast that began two years ago amid the pandemic shutdown, has been relaunched this year — and is already attracting new listeners and generating a positive buzz.
“In planning for 2024, I made the podcast one of my top priorities,” said Ekoji President Andrea Chapman. “I believe this genre of communication is a means for us to bring the lay person's experience to the forefront and it provides us all with an opportunity to hear how other people are integrating the Buddha’s teachings into their everyday lives.”
Chapman said the podcast began during the COVID-19 pandemic “to help bridge the gap between the isolation many were experiencing.”
The podcast proved to be a pivotal moment for the temple because it required an investment in a new iMac and the temple’s first microphones.
“Little did we know that was just the beginning of what is now a full-scale professional audio-visual system, which allows us to host hybrid events that are reaching members coast to coast,” she said.
However, the podcast’s original hosts lost momentum and Echo Ekoji was put on the back burner for nearly a year, Chapman said, who serves as Echo Ekoji’s co-host with Ekoji and Seattle Betsuin Sangha member Joe Gotchy.
“I had come to know Joe via our Dharma Discussion Group, which I also host, and it was apparent to me he shared my passion for Ekoji and all things related to the Dharma,” Chapman said.
Gotchy, who became a virtual member of Ekoji during the pandemic, said he’s “interested in how Jodo Shinshu Buddhism is evolving in the Americas … especially as our Sanghas become more diverse.” He said he was interested in learning about the history of Ekoji Buddhist Temple and what makes it different from many of BCA’s other temples, especially those on the West Coast.
For the podcast, Gotchy writes the opening and closing remarks, develops questions for the interview subjects, and responds to comments and questions from the audience.
Chapman sets up the technology to conduct the interviews, edits and uploads the interviews, and contacts the interview subjects who are members of Ekoji’s Sangha.
Chapman said the last question is always the same: “What does Ekoji mean to you?
“The interviews are inspiring and reach hundreds of people with each episode,” Chapman said. “I think our guests are genuinely grateful to have encountered the Dharma and want to share that experience with others. Based upon the feedback we have received, people can relate to the stories and challenges our guests relay.”
Chapman said: “For me, personally, each interview leaves me feeling invigorated and excited to share the content with newcomers and longstanding members alike,” she said. “There’s something in every episode that resonates deeply with me. Our guests, to date, are truly living the Dharma and serve as stellar examples of what is possible when you embrace the teachings.”
Gotchy said: “Hopefully, these interviews will act as a gateway for other people who want to learn more about Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and the BCA community. Andrea and I also want to build stronger bonds between the East and West Coast temples, specifically Ekoji and Seattle, but also include New York, the Midwest and Tri-State/Denver temples because of ties that their ministers have with Ekoji and Seattle.”
The podcast is currently hosted on Ekoji’s YouTube channel at: bit.ly/48dq80rl. Season one of the podcast was initially audio only. Season two incorporates video and Chapman and Gotchy say that is also helping to increase viewership.