Led by Ksantikara.
A four-week course exploring the Buddhist response to the challenges of our time.
We live in a world facing unprecedented challenges—war, global unrest, political polarization, natural disasters, ecological instability. How can we respond, with anxiety or avoidance, or with clarity, courage, and compassion?
This course will explore two of Sangharakshita’s most striking and widely discussed talks: “Evolution or Extinction: Current World Problems” (1971) and “Buddhism, World Peace, and Nuclear War” (1984). Powerful when first delivered, they remain as relevant as ever—perhaps even more so—in the face of today’s global crises. In the former, Sangharakshita urges us to see the spiritual life not as a luxury, but as a necessity for human survival. In the latter, he offers a stark choice between peace and disaster, and proposes realistic courses of action.
Drawing on the Buddhist vision of inner transformation as the root of outer change, we’ll reflect on what it truly means to practice the Dharma in an age of crisis. Each session includes discussion, meditation, and space for personal reflection. Together, we’ll ask: how can we evolve—individually and collectively—amid the challenges of our time?
Cost: £25 deposit + £85 suggested donation