Modern and Contemporary Buddhism Course (SEPT - DEC 2023)

This course is designed to provide, from various perspectives and disciplines, a comprehensive overview of modern Buddhism and Buddhism's presence in the contemporary world. It examines the many ways in which modernity has influenced our understanding of the dharma from the 19th century to the present day, and how, in turn, contemporary culture and society have also been affected by this ancient tradition. We will begin by examining the very concept of modern Buddhism and will look at the history, multiple trends and main features of Buddhism's adaptation to the modern world. Next, we will focus on two thematic fields of special relevance: the intersections between Buddhism and contemporary science, and between Buddhism and psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. We will then analyze the presence of Buddhism in the world today. We will consider how this tradition has responded to current issues such as gender equality, feminism, homosexuality, the climate crisis, interreligious dialogue, bioethical concerns and artificial intelligence. We will pay special attention to the history, situation and features of Buddhism in Ibero-America, Buddhism in cyberspace, and the impact of the dharma on contemporary art and popular culture. After a description of how the great traditions of Buddhism have adapted to today's world, we will explore new modalities that Buddhism has adopted, such as humanistic or socially engaged Buddhism, and the movements that have shaped them. This course has a large practical and experiential component, with meditation workshops in which we will learn about modern expressions of ancient meditative practices.