The Burning House: A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency
How can we wake up to the climate and ecological emergency? An eight-week course for anyone wishing to ground their work in a Dharma context
Eight Saturdays: October 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4
Sessions (2 hrs 15 mins, with break): USA PST 11:00 | México 13:00 | USA EST 14:00 | IE & UK 19:00 | Europe CET 20:00 | Australia AEDT 05.00 (next day) | New Zealand NZDT 07.00 (next day)
To support group cohesion, we ask that you intend to attend at least seven of the eight sessions. If you are going to miss two or more of the sessions, would you be willing to book on the next cycle?
Reserve your space on this course
***
About the course
This course follows Shantigarbha’s forthcoming book, The Burning House: A Buddhist Response to the Climate and Ecological Emergency and explores the most pressing question of our times.
Buddhists give great importance to mindfulness, wisdom, compassion and interconnectedness, qualities that often make them deeply concerned about the environment and climate change. So what does Buddhism have to say about the climate emergency? How can we see it for what it really is, a crisis of empathy?
This is a course for Dharmafarers concerned about the climate, and eco-activists wishing to ground their work in a spiritual context. We’ll offer:
– Support to process your responses to the climate and ecological emergency in a safe environment.
– Support in making the the climate and ecological emergency part of your Dharma practice. How do you decide to get involved?
– Support for eco-activists to avoid burnout: training in nonviolence, love and wisdom.
What to expect
The chapters follow the Buddhist path from self-development to social change, inspired by the profound principle of nonviolence, or love. Each week we will send you the corresponding chapter(s) of the book and ask you to read them as preparation for the session.
● Week one: Crisis? What crisis?
● Week two: Touching the Earth
● Week three: Environmental ethics and compassion
● Week four: The Five Precepts
● Week five: The Burning House
● Week six: Anger, grief and gratitude
● Week seven: Transforming self and world
● Week eight: Be the change
This course will also involve small group work via Zoom breakout rooms.