Buddhism and the Modern World

Buddhism and the Modern World is a series of four talks running at the Reading Quaker Meeting House on 2 Church Street, RG1 2SB. It's organised by Dechen London, the Sakya Buddhist Centre, and the whole thing is led by Barney Milner, who'll be drawing from Wisdom in Exile, a book by Lama Jampa Thaye. Thaye is described as one of the few Westerners authentically qualified as a Buddhist master in the Tibetan traditions, and the sessions follow his look at how Buddhism has met the West in modern times.

The talks run fortnightly, so you've got a couple of weeks between each one to let things sink in. The first recaps the circumstances that opened the way for Buddhism in the West, alongside the decline of traditional Western culture and values. The second considers 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 the threads together to draw lessons and imagine what might happen next.

It's not just a lecture and a quick exit, either. Each evening leaves room for questions, refreshments and informal conversation, so there's time to talk through the night's points with other people there. The sessions started on Tuesday 20 October, and the next one is on Tuesday 17 November. A suggested donation of £5 cash per talk is what's asked for on the night.