Do you have problems? Have you ever questioned why those problems exist? Have you ever felt stuck? Do you find it more and more difficult to define what it means to be a good man?
We are “Enlighten Up Bro!” a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism. From family to finances, from health to current events, “Enlighten Up Bro!” will share the Buddhist answer to these topics. Buddhism teaches that life is a gift and enables each person to live the greatest life. This podcast aims to show us how. Subscribe to us on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcast or any of your favorite podcast sites so that you never miss an episode!
Enlighten Up Bro! Level Up Your Health Bro Pt. 3 Contribute to the Welfare of Others
Welcome to part 3 of our Level Up Your Health Bro mini series! Our third motto to level up our health is contributing to the welfare of others!
Why do we have to contribute to the welfare of others? Does contributing to others welfare mean we have to sacrifice ourselves and people please? Learn how supporting others and making causes to enrich others lives can be the greatest cause to improve and enrich our own life. From the perspective of Buddhism, see how helping others can help you become more productive in a day and even help you lift the weight of stress off your shoulders.
00:00 Introduction
00:46 Contributing to the welfare of others (Skit)
01:33 Host catch up
07:09 Motto #3: Contributing to the welfare of others
15:24 Difference of self-sacrifice and contributing to others lives
22:11 Buddhist perspective on burnout and overstress
31:22 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #menshealth #health #lifestyle #stress #burnout #altruism
14 Sept 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Level Up Your Health Bro Pt. 2 Leading a Balanced and Productive Life
Welcome to part 2 of our Level Up Your Health Bro mini series! In this episode we talk about what it means to lead a balanced and productive life.
What does it mean to have a balanced and productive life and how do we achieve that? Find out how something as simple as getting rest is the best way to make sure we can life max everyday!
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Host catch up
04:56 Motto #2: Leading a balanced and productive life
13:43 The importance of resting
24:10 Tips on leading a balanced and productive life
27:52 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #menshealth #health #lifestyle #sleep #rest #productivity #balance
1 Sept 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Level Up Your Health Bro Pt.1 Invigorating Buddhist Practice of Chanting
Welcome to part 1 of 5 of our brand new series titled Level Up Your Health Bro!
In each episode of this series, we will discuss 1 motto based on President of SGI Daisaku Ikeda’s 4 Mottos of Good Health.
Our first motto is on having an invigorating Buddhist practice of chanting!
How does our practice of chanting morning and evening help us live a healthy life? How can Buddhism help us live fulfilling lives?
Find out the answers to these questions by listening to this episode!
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Host catch up
01:41 Level Up Your Health Bro introduction!!!
07:52 Motto #1: Invigorating Buddhist Practice of Chanting
16:37 How do we get started with chanting?
18:17 Tips and tricks on staying focused while chanting
26:40 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #menshealth #health #lifestyle #focus
17 Aug 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #13: Wingin’ It! Unscripted Catch Up With the Bros!
Welcome back to another episode of Enlighten Up Bro!
For this episode, we decided to test out something new…wingin’ it! Our hosts Shota, Kenichi, and Grady sat down to have a casual catch up session with each other. This episode features a portion of their conversation where they dive deep into the power of believing in yourself and overcoming our own arrogance. Hope you enjoy!
00:00 Overcoming arrogance and the importance of supporting others
09:16 What were the hosts up to when the Knicks won the NBA finals???
11:48 The power of believing in yourself
15:53 Not so obvious form of arrogance that’s holding you back
26:06 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #ego #believeinyourself #arrogance #sports #selflove
3 Aug 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #12: Buddhist Bro From the 808!
How can Buddhism be applied in daily life? How does your daily Buddhist practice help transform deep rooted challenges?
Welcome back to Enlighten Up Bro! Today we sat down with your bro from across the Pacific Ocean, Enoa from Hawaii! Born into the practice, Enoa was constantly surrounded by the love and care from the members in our Buddhist community. Learn from Enoa how his daily Buddhist practice becomes the engine to take on any challenges in everyday life! Through strengthening his life everyday, see how Enoa was able to transform his relationship with his father in the most joyful way possible.
00:00 Introduction
00:14 Host catch up
03:35 Welcome Enoa!
06:13 Introduction to Enoa
09:14 Enoa’s show and tell item
13:36 How to use Buddhism in daily life
19:28 Transforming relationships through the concept of human revolution
25:17 Unexpected encounter at the airport
30:26 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #dailylife #relationships #nevergiveup #hawaii
20 Jul 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #11: Chasing Your Dream With Buddhism
Episode 11 of Enlighten Up Bro! out now!
Welcome back to Enlighten Up Bro!
On this episode, we sat down with Steve from Maryland, working in audio visual installation and aspiring musician. Though reality may be tough, learn how Steve uses his Buddhist practice to appreciate his daily life and uses that as motivation to never give up on his dreams of becoming a world wide musician!
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Host catch up
02:17 Welcome Steve!
03:15 Introduction to Steve
05:16 Steve’s show and tell
07:48 How does Buddhism help chase your dreams
20:00 Having appreciation for daily life
29:10 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #dreams #musician #appreciation #nevergiveup
6 Jul 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #10: Buddhism: Religion or Philosophy???
Welcome to our new series on this podcast where we try to demisty Buddhism or take common misconceptions about Buddhism and clarify them! These episodes will be short and simple so that anyone can listen at any time!
Our first episode in this series: Is Buddhism a religion or philosophy???
Learn through the discussion of our three hosts how Buddhism can be both a philosophy and religion that can be used as a tool to navigate daily life!
00:00 Introduction
00:25 New series introduction
02:14 Is Buddhism a religion or philosophy
21:57 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #religion #philosophy #dailylife
22 Jun 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #9: Happy Father's Day!!!
Happy father’s day to all the dad’s out there!
On this Episode Enlighten Up Bro!, we talked with Everton and Bryant, both navigating being a father while also winning in their everyday lives. Whether you are an aspiring father or currently navigating the challenges of fatherhood, learn from Everton and Bryant how their Buddhist practice expanded their lives to become the best daddies for their children!
00:00 Introduction
00:20 Host catch up
04:19 Welcome Everton and Bryant!
05:56 Introduction to Everton!
08:00 Introduction to Bryant!
13:35 Their biggest struggle as a father so far
18:44 Everton and Bryant’s show and tell!
23:57 Fatherhood and Buddhism
43:50 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #father #fatherhood #family #raisingkids
8 Jun 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #8: A Buddhist Take on Masculinity
Episode #8 of Enlighten Up Bro! podcast out now!!!
What does masculinity mean today?
In this episode of Enlighten Up Bro!, we speak with Cam Morose of Boston, the most athletic school psychologist you will ever meet.
Experiencing masculinity at its worst—learn how a good role model and someone to listen to you without judgement, is all we need to combat toxic masculinity.
Which bro’s love bucket can you fill today to help them feel seen?
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:17 Host catch up
05:22 Welcome Cam!
06:33 Who is Cam?
13:12 Cam’s show and tell
20:42 Shota’s vs cockroach (interlude)
27:35 Cam’s take on masculinity
49:38 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #masculinity #menshealth #mentalhealth
25 May 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #7: Gen Z VS Millennial
What can older generations learn from the younger generation? How does Buddhism help bro’s navigate their daily lives?
On this episode of Enlighten Up Bro!, our Millennial hosts sat down with three Gen Z bros from San Diego, California Jordan, Isaiah and Dominic. Navigating the social challenges of high school under COVID-19 restrictions, learn from these three bros what they feel is the biggest misconception of Gen Z. From baggier jeans to questioning the why, hear what older generations can learn from the next generation!
Timestamps:
00:00 Episode preview
00:58 Introduction
01:10 Host catch up
03:23 Introduction to Jordan, Isaiah, and Dom
09:18 What defined the Gen Z high school times?
16:46 What defined the Millennial high school times?
21:17 What can older generation learn from Gen Z?
35:38 Skinny vs baggy jeans
41:31 Why do bros need Buddhism?
49:12 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #genz #millennials #purpose #covid19 #highschool #menshealth #mentalhealth
12 May 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #6: Buddhist Business Owner VS The IRS?!
Does it ever feel like you’re lost and confused about what direction to take your future?
On this episode of Enlighten Up Bro!, we sat down with Steve Saperstein, a business owner from Boston. Finding himself lost and confused after graduating from college, Steve traveled the world, hitchhiking from Ireland to India. Eventually, after taking advice from a random woman in a train station, he ended up in Boston. Hear how Steve learned that Buddhism is not an absence of problems, but becoming a master problem solver.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:14 Host catch up
05:22 Intro to Steve!
10:38 Steve's story
17:41Steve's show and tell item
20:19 Got a problem?
21:33 Steve's answer
43:52 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#Buddhism #Bro #Men #business #life #problemsolving
27 Apr 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #5: 120 Americans Go To Hiroshima To Pledge For Peace
What can an ordinary dude do to contribute to world peace?
In March, 120 SGI-USA youth representatives, including Shota, Grady, and Kenichi, were invited for a US-Japan peace exchange in Hiroshima, the site of the first atomic bombing. Through warm encounters with local SGI Buddhists, a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and hearing stories of atomic bomb survivors, they arrive at a clear answer to this question—to treasure the person right in front of you.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Host catch up
05:25 What was our trip to Japan?
12:53 Host Reflection
33:21 Summary of the trip
36:01 Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #peace #Japan #nuclearweapons #menshealth #youngmen #atomicbomb #Hiroshima
13 Apr 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #4: Buddhist Football Coach Tackles His Purpose In Life
What does purpose in life mean and how do you find it?
For this episode, we sat down with Josef, a proud Texan and high school football coach. Learn how Josef used Buddhism to call an audible in his once downward spiral life to teaching and mentoring kids in the classroom and football field.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:31 Host catch up
04:44 Guest Introduction
11:13 Josef's show and tell
16:26 Josef's journey in his Buddhist faith
24:26 Got a Problem?
32:12Discussion with Josef
49:22Conclusion
Check out our socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlighten.up.bro
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@enlighten.up.bro
Who Are We?
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro! a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
#buddhism #bro #men #football #teaching #purpose #coaching #mission #life #youngmen #menshealth
30 Mar 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #3: Frat Boy Turns Buddhist Bro
Wondering whether you should make that career switch or not?
For this episode, we got to hang out with Jesse, a once avoidant frat bro turned dedicated medical student. Learn how Jesse confronted indecisiveness and Four Lokos through beefing up his Buddhist practice.
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Host catch up
06:14 Guest Introduction
08:40 Jesse's show and tell
12:01 Who is Jesse?
28:02 Got a Problem?
29:14 Discussion with Jesse
46:25 Conclusion
9 Mar 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Episode #2: Buddhist Navy Veteran Proposes in a Convertible!
For this episode, we sat down with our big bro James—aka The XL Texan— where he discusses how Buddhism helped him become the partner that shows up.
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Host catch up
05:05 Introduction to James
18:30 Asking James relationship questions
47:35 Conclusion
17 Feb 2026
Enlighten Up Bro! Ep#1: Goal Setting With Buddhist Bros
Welcome to Enlighten Up Bro!, a podcast run by regular dudes who are attempting to find answers to life’s questions. Through discussion and interviews, the hosts, Shota, Grady and Kenichi will address various areas of life of a young man through the lens of Nichiren Buddhism.
In our first episode, we sat down and talked about goals! What were the goals we set at the beginning of the year? How have we been progressing with them? What steps can we take to stay on top of our goals?
Subscribe to us on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcast or any of your favorite podcast sites so that you never miss an episode!
Time Stamps:
0:00:00 Introduction
00:01:08 Host Introductions
00:14:29 Got a Problem? (New Segment)
00:17:24 What's Our New Year Goals?
00:26:42 How To Maintain The Goals We Set
00:49:49 Conclusion
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
17 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Contact Enlighten Up Bro!
Guest appearances
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