Buddhism in Dialogue with Contemporary Societies

Book excerpt: The growing pluralization of religion and culture in Europe means that we encounter an increasing number of Buddhist immigrants as well as ‘Western’ converts. Against this background, in June 2018, the Academy of World Religions and the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hamburg (Germany), invited scholars of Theravāda, East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism. The questions discussed referred to: - Does Buddhism matter today? What can it contribute? - Must Buddhism adapt to the modern world? How can Buddhism adapt to a non-Asia context? - When Buddhism travels, what must be preserved if Buddhism is to remain Buddhism? The contributions in this volume show not only that Buddhism matters in the West but that it already has its strong impact on our societies. Therefore, universities in Europe should include Buddhist theories and techniques in their curricula.