Ordinary Weirdos & Hidden Buddhas: Noel Coakley on Buddha Nature, Psychology, and Awakening

Anatomical Gangster · Sep 10, 2026 · 1h 2m

Noel Coakley is a psychotherapist, longtime meditation teacher, and author of Wake Up Sleepy Buddha: Foundations of the Buddhist Path for Ordinary Weirdos and Hidden Buddhas. For more than thirty years, he has studied and taught meditation, and for fourteen years he has helped people integrate Buddhist wisdom with contemporary psychology.

In this episode, Sue and Noel explore who this book is for, why he wrote it, and how people can use it to deepen their practice. They discuss buddha nature, the “sleepy buddha” metaphor, the limits of mindfulnessonly approaches, and the practical tools that…