As the winding river of Buddhist tradition flows beyond the boundaries of its Asian homelands and enters the modern West, it has arrived at a major watershed from which two distinct streams have emerged, which for convenience we may call ‘Classical Buddhism’ and ‘Secular Buddhism.’ The former continues the heritage of Asian Buddhism, with minor adaptations made to meet the challenges of modernity. The latter marks a rupture with Buddhist tradition, a re-visioning of the ancient teachings intended to fit the secular culture of the West.
Recorded at Unity Church, Santa Barbara, CA , Jan. 16, 2008 The Conscious Universe: Where Buddhism and Physics Converge
Physicists have long assumed that the universe is fundamentally composed of matter and energy and that life and consciousness are accidental byproducts of configurations of matter. But a growing number of distinguished physicists are now suggesting that consciousness may play a much more fundamental role in nature than scientists previously believed. In this lecture Alan Wallace will review some of the most provocative theories presented by such leading physicists as John Wheeler, Stephen Hawking, and Andre Linde that challenge many of the materialist assumptions based on outdated 19th-century physics.
Innovation, Violence and Paralysis: How do Minority Religions Cope with Uncertainty?
Date - Saturday, 7 February 2015; 9.30am – 5.00pm Location – New Academic Building, London School of Economics
Registration is now open and can be done using a credit/debit card through PayPal or by
posting a booking form and a cheque payable to 'Inform' to Inform, Houghton St., London WC2A 2AE. Tickets (including buffet
lunch, coffee and tea) paid by 19 January 2015 are £38 each (£18 students/unwaged).Tickets booked after 19 January 2015 will cost £48 each (£28 students/unwaged).
What
happens when groups lose control of their own destiny? Whether it leads
to violence, as in the case of Aum Shinrikyo’s response to a potential
police investigation in 1995, or to non-violent innovations, as found
in minority religions following the death of their founders or leaders,
uncertainty and insecurity can lead to great change in the mission and
even teachings of religious groups. What does
it take to bring back certainty? This seminar will explore how minority
religions and their members work with notions of uncertainty and
insecurity.
9.30 - 10.00
REGISTRATION
10.00 - 10.05
Eileen Barker (Founder and Honorary Research Fellow, Inform) Welcome and Housekeeping
10.05 - 10.15
Kim Knott (Professor of Religious and Secular Studies in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University)
Introduction
10.15 - 10.45
Graham Macklin
10.45 – 11.15
Titus Hjelm (Lecturer, UCL)Paradoxes of Religious Legitimacy and Authenticity in an Age of Expediency
11.15 – 11.40
TEA/COFFEE
11.40 – 12.10
Suzanne Newcombe (Research Officer at Inform) Certain Beliefs and Uncertain Evidence: The Case of Shugden
12.10 – 12.40
TBC
12.40 - 13.10
Dawn Marie Gibson (Lecturer, Royal Holloway, University of London) Uncertain times in the Nation of Islam’s Past and Present
13.10 - 14.10
LUNCH
14.10 - 14.40
George Sieg (Adjunct Professor, University of New Mexico)
14.40 - 15.10
Anthony Fiscella (Doctoral Student, Lund University) Moving Mountains: From Colonial Orders to Universal Change
15.10 - 15.40
TEA/COFFEE
15.40 – 16.10
David Robertson Conspiracy Theories as Response to Uncertainty in Minority Religions
Karen Armstrong on Religion and the History of Violence
Published on Jan 7, 2015
Filmed at the Royal Institution of Great Britain on 1st October 2014.
Is
religion is to blame for most of the bloodshed throughout human
history? Many would concur, but this is a view strongly countered by
Karen Armstrong, one of the world’s leading thinkers on religion and
spirituality. Armstrong is the former Catholic nun who abandoned her
religious creed and has described herself as a ‘freelance monotheist’,
while also taking inspiration from Buddhism. She has sold hundreds of
thousands of books around the world and won huge audiences for her
powerful oratory in which she challenges her listeners to reappraise
their prejudices about religion. She has addressed the US Congress and
Senate, and as a testament to her bridge-building abilities she has
filled venues across the Muslim world, including Malaysia, Turkey,
Jordan, Singapore, Egypt and Pakistan where up to 5000 have come out to
hear her.
She has written over 16 books on faith and the major
religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common,
and how our faiths have shaped world history and drive current events.
She
came to the Intelligence Squared stage to talk about her forthcoming
book 'Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence'. Journeying
from prehistoric times to the present, she contrasted medieval
crusaders and modern-day jihadists with the pacifism of the Buddha and
Jesus’ vision of a just and peaceful society. And she demonstrated that
the underlying reasons – social, economic, political – for war and
violence in our history have often had very little to do with religion.
Instead, Armstrong celebrated the religious ideas and movements that
have opposed war and aggression and promoted peace and reconciliation.
Revival of Buddhism In India : From Untouchables to Buddhists
Published on Dec 11, 2014
Synopsis
From
Untouchable to Buddhist - The Revival of Buddhism I India and its
Implications for the development of Buddhism in the World.
Buddhism
died out in India over 700 years ago. On 14th October 1956 500,000
Dalits (so-called Untouchables) converted to Buddhism inspired by their
great leader Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Since then millions of Dalits have
followed them into Buddhism. Dr. Ambedkar's approach to Buddhism and the
new Buddhist movement he inspired have implications for Buddhists
throughout the world. In this presentation I shall be looking at the
following: A. The background - Dr. Ambedkar and Untouchablity B. The reasons that led Dr. Ambedkar to Buddhism as a solution to the question of Untouchability. C. The teachings of the Buddha that he emphasised. D. The situation regarding Buddhism and Dalits in India today.. E.
Buddhism had such a momentous impact on Asia in the past. In the last
part of the presentation I shall look at the implications of this new
Buddhist movement for the wider Buddhist community, especially, but not
exclusively in Asia, emphasising its democratic and egalitarian nature,
its humanistic approach, and the promise of a cultural renaissance.
About the Speaker
Born
in London 1947, he was ordained into the Western Buddhist Order (WBO)
in 1974 by Sangharakshita, a trusted associate of Dr. Ambedkar. He is a
well known figure in the Buddhist world. In 1977, he visited India as an
Anagarika to learn Yoga and visit holy Buddhist sites. He was deeply
affected by Deekshabhoomi sight in 1977 where he saw impact of
conversion movement launched by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Since then, he is
living in India and his life and mission is dedicated to movement of
Babasaheb Ambedkar. He was instrumental in initiating activities of
TBMSG in India. Lokamitra is the President of Nagarjuna Training
Institute (NTI) dedicated to train students from all over India in
"Buddhism and Social Work".
For more information: lokamitra@gmail.com www.nagaloka.org
ON ASPECTS OF THE REFORMATION OF SOTO ZEN BUDDHISM IN NORTH AMERICA
An Open Letter to the Leadership and Membership Of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association
And all care about the Zen Dharma in the West
James Myoun Ford, Osho Senior Guiding Teacher’s Council Boundless Way Zen
Inform Autumn Seminar - Minority Religions and Schooling
Saturday, 6 December 2014; 9.30am - 4.45pm New Academic Building, London School of Economics.
State multiculturalism has failed’, declared David Cameron in 2011. Yet there is a continued expansion in state-funded religious schooling in Britain. This expansion has gone hand-in-hand with legal rulings that have placed minority religions on stronger footing next to the more established faiths. After exponential growth of Academies operating outside of local authority control since 2000, and three years after the first Free Schools opened their doors (a programme which has assisted the expansion of a diversity of faith-based schools), it is a good opportunity to take stock and reflect on the nature of minority faith schooling in Britain.
Provisional Programme
The presence of speakers on an Inform programme does not mean that Inform endorses their position. The aim of Inform Seminars is to help participants to understand, or at least recognise, different perspectives.
9.30 - 10.00REGISTRATION
10.00 - 10.10Eileen Barker (Founder and Honorary Research Fellow, Inform)
Welcome and Housekeeping
10.10 - 10.35Amanda van Eck Duymaer van Twist (Deputy Director, Inform) and Suzanne Newcombe (Research Officer at Inform)
Minority Religions and Schooling
10.35 - 11.00Farid Panjwani (Director of the Centre for Research and Evaluation in Muslim Education at the Institute of Education, University of London)
Muslims and Faith Schools: identity and social aspiration in a minority religion
11.00 – 11.25Damon Boxer (Assistant Director, Academies and Free Schools Policy, Department for Education)
Government Policy on Minority Religions and Schools
11.25 – 11.50TEA/COFFEE
11.50 – 12.15Ozcan Keles (Executive Director of the Dialogue Society)
Fethullah Gulen-inspired Hizmet schools from an alumnus: basics, characteristics and critique
12.40 - 13.05Richy Thompson (Campaigns Officer (Faith Schools and Education), British Humanist Association)
A Humanist Perspective on Minority Religions and Schooling
13.05 - 14.15LUNCH/BOOK LAUNCH
14.15 - 14.40Graham Kennish
Vision as Mediator between Faith, Belief, Experience and Knowledge
14.40 - 15.05Jonny Scaramanga (Doctoral student at the Institute of Education)
The History of Accelerated Christian Education in the United Kingdom
15.05 - 15.30TEA/COFFEE
15.30 - 15.55Jo Fageant (SIAMS inspector and Principal RE Adviser, Oxford Diocesan Board of Education)
Faith and Inspection in Church of England schools
15.55 – 16.45GENERAL PANEL DISCUSSION
Registration is now open and can be done using a credit/debit card through PayPal or by posting a booking form and a cheque payable to 'Inform' to Inform, Houghton St., London WC2A 2AE.
Tickets (including buffet lunch, coffee and tea) paid by 10 November 2014 cost £38 each (£18 students/unwaged). Tickets booked after 10 November 2014 will cost £48 each (£28 students/unwaged). A limited number of seats will be made available to A-Level students at £10 before 10 November 2014 (£20 after 10 November).
The Adventurous Life of Alexandra David-Neel (1868-1969)
Published on Nov 5, 2014
The Adventurous Life of Alexandra David-Neel (1868-1969)
Readers of Alexandra David-Neel’s early books knew nothing of her life before she became a celebrated traveller, explorer, and pioneer of the esoteric practices of Tibetan Buddhism.
Born in Paris, Alexandra was a debutante, bohemian of the Belle Epoque, opera singer in Indo-China and wife of a railway engineer. She researched occultism, travelling in India, Japan and Korea, crossed the Gobi Desert and journeyed to Lhasa in disguise – all unheard of for a woman of her time. Her name is synonymous with Tibet and the secrets of Tibetan magic and mysticism. Asked if she believed in miracles, Alexandra replied, “Of course, I perform them all the time.” Alexandra David-Neel died in France, aged 100, in 1969.
Alexander Maitland explores Alexandra David-Neel’s life and travels and her fascinating sojourns among magicians on the Roof of the World.
About the speaker: Alexander Maitland’s interests include music, painting and architecture. He first met Marco Pallis in 1966, while researching a life of the explorer John Hanning Speke. Later he wrote biographies of Freya Stark and Sir Wilfred Thesiger with whom he collaborated on other books including Freya Stark’s Rivers of Time and Wilfred Thesiger’s Among the Mountains. Alexander Maitland is married and lives in London.
Rather than think about faith as "conscious assent" when referring to
Buddhism, it is more closely related to notion of trust - the kind of
trust that any listener must have to listen to a teaching.
Credit: shutterstock
The Revival of Buddhism in China - Calgary Public Library
Published on Sep 13, 2014
Mount Royal University`s Dr. Brian
J. Nichols explores the nature and dynamics of the tremendous surge in
religious activity in China, including the steady revival of Buddhism
since the end of the Cultural Revolution. Part of our Adult Learning
Series. Filmed April 2, 2014, at Fish Creek Library.
Pre Modern and Post Modern Buddhism by Mike Murray
Published on Sep 1, 2014
Before the 1950s Tibet had kept its
particular form of Buddhism virtually untouched by the rapid changes in
the rest of the world. The entry of the Tibetans into the modern world
was unwilling and forced on them and their responses in relation to
keeping their traditions of Buddhism (and Bon) were mixed.
In
exile in India the monasteries were re-founded following the old ways
and traditional learning taught, but lay people started to learn science
-- if not to appreciate 'scientific method' and 'critical thinking'-
and to be brought up in broadly democratic culture something old Tibet
was most definitely not.
In most of the Tibetan cultural sphere
under Chinese Communism control the old ways were attacked, traditional
learning -- apart from Medicine -- disparaged and the lay people started
to learn science -- if not to practice 'scientific method' and
'critical thinking' -- and to be brought up in the Han dominated
communist dictatorship modernising culture of the People's Republic.
Tibetan
Buddhism's movement into Europe has generally been into democratic
pluralist mature Christian cultures that value 'scientific method' and
'critical thinking'.
In the transition from the Pre-modern to the
Post-modern how are traditional Tibetan Buddhist practices, such as
faith and devotion, and doctrines, like karma and rebirth, faring?
Biography Mike
Murray is currently the Spiritual Programme Coordinator, ie Buddhist
events manager, at Jamyang Buddhist Centre in Kennington London. He is a
member of the teaching team there authorised to teach at the Basic
Programme level. Jamyang is affiliated with the Foundation for the
Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, a worldwide organisation
following His Holiness the Dalai Lama founded by two Geluk lamas Thubten
Yeshe and Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
Mike received his MA from the
School of Oriental and African Studies of London University and is a
member of the Royal Asiatic Society. Not being a natural 'believer'
himself he tends towards a critical (thinking) engagement with the
traditional Asian Buddhisms -- for better or worse.
Taped by the WGBH Forum Network, Mark Epstein visited the Harvard Book Store to discuss his book, The Trauma of Everyday Life.
Epstein
talks about how he found Buddhism, and the links between practicing
Buddhism and being a psychiatrist. He also explains why Buddhism alone
can't cure the world's ills but that its focus on mindfulness can be an
extraordinary experience for those suffering.
This talk took place on July 29, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Of all the world's religions, Buddhism is one of the most mysterious and most intriguing to many Americans.
The
books The Dharma Bums, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and
even If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!, are all examples of
how Buddhist concepts are part of the American cultural landscape.
It
will probably come as a surprise to those who have lived in the
Christian and Jewish traditions, to learn that Buddhism is America's
third largest religion and also its fastest growing one.
Religious Pluralism: Seeing Religions Again with Marcus Borg
University of California TV
Uploaded on Jan 31, 2008
Best-selling author Marcus Borg,
Professor in Religion and Culture, uses a interdisciplinary approach to
examine the role and importance of religions and religious pluralism in
contemporary life in this presentation at UCSD. [3/2002] [Humanities]
[Show ID: 5968]
The first in a series of Gifford Lectures by Prof Diana Eck. Recorded April and May 2009 at The University of Edinburgh.
In
1893, the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago convened under the
banner of universalism. How do pluralism and globalism today stand in
contrast to the spirit of universalism, and signal a new reality? While
the phenomenon of globalization clearly relates to economics and
politics, to environmental and security concerns, how has it altered our
religious consciousness, our religious life? What ethical questions are
at the forefront of globalization? How have immigrants created new
kinds of diasporas? How has the Internet destabilized borders of all
kinds, including religious and national borders?
