Buddhism and the Modern World

Buddhism and the Modern World is a four-part series of talks running at the Reading Quaker Meeting House on 2 Church Street, RG1 2SB. The sessions are led by Barney Milner and follow Lama Jampa Thaye's book Wisdom in Exile, which looks at how Buddhism has met the West in modern times. The first session was on Tuesday 20 October, and the talks run fortnightly from there, so the next one is on Tuesday 3 November.

Each evening is built around a specific section of the book. The first recaps the circumstances that opened the way for Buddhism in the West and the decline of traditional Western culture and values. The second looks at how politics and science have sought to replace religion and become the new 'gods'. The third examines how Buddhism offers a different solution but can be cannibalised to serve contemporary culture's preconceptions. The fourth brings it all together to draw lessons and consider what might happen next. Each night includes the talk, time for questions, refreshments and informal conversation.

Dechen London (the Sakya Buddhist Centre) is organising the series. The source material, Wisdom in Exile, is by Lama Jampa Thaye, who is described as one of the few Westerners authentically qualified as a Buddhist master in the Tibetan traditions. The sessions follow the book's structure, so you can drop in for one or follow the whole sequence.

There's a suggested donation of £5 cash per talk, and each evening leaves room for questions and a bit of a chat over refreshments after the talk. The venue is the Reading Quaker Meeting House at 2 Church Street, Reading RG1 2SB, Berkshire.