Culture in Spanish

Get the synced transcript, interactive exercises, and full learning materials for this episode at cultureinspanish.org/episodes/budismo In this episode we travel to 6th century BC India to explore the foundations of Buddhism. Through the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, we examine a spiritual tradition focused not on the figure of a god, but on a practical question: how can we free ourselves from suffering? From karma and impermanence to the illusion of the self, and the challenges that a philosophy centred on the dissolution of desire and ego presents to the Western mind.

Get the synced transcript, interactive exercises, and full learning materials for this episode at cultureinspanish.org/episodes/hannah-arendt-y-la-obediencia Hannah Arendt dedicated her life to understanding how ordinary people participate in extraordinary evil. This episode follows her thinking, from her analysis of the human condition to her concept of the “banality of evil”, developed during the trial of Adolf Eichmann, and her questioning of obedience.

Get the synced transcript, interactive exercises, and full learning materials for this episode at cultureinspanish.org/episodes/sagrada-familia In this episode we explore Barcelona through the work of Antoni Gaudí, the architect who fused religious devotion with nature's forms to transform the city. From his early years to his most iconic works (Casa Batlló, Park Güell), we trace his obsessive life's project: the Sagrada Familia. A basilica conceived to redeem the sins of a city, whose plans were destroyed during the Civil War, and whose creator may yet be declared a saint.  

Get the synced transcript, interactive exercises, and full learning materials for this episode at cultureinspanish.org/episodes/la-poesia-de-neruda In this episode, we explore the life and work of Pablo Neruda, one of Latin America’s most influential writers. We trace his journey from his childhood in Chile to poetic fame, covering his solidarity with the Spanish Republic, his friendship with Salvador Allende, and his years in exile. We also examine the controversies surrounding his personal life and the 2023 forensic study that fueled suspicions of the Pinochet dictatorship’s involvement in his death.