A talk given by Vishangka on Manchester Buddhist Centre’s Sangha Retreat at Adhisthana, 22nd April 2019.

Is Buddhism a religion? What is faith? What can religion offer to humanity?

The theme of the retreat was Why I am a Buddhist based on a quote of Sangharakshita’s, given in India in the 1980s. See Why I am a Buddhist – pdf format

Using this as the starting point, three aspects of his quote were explored in three talks:

• Buddhism as a universal religion of humanity: What are the existential truths the Buddha saw? What do they mean for us today?
• Humanity is basically one: Can we communicate and be friends with any other human being? What is spiritual friendship?
• The place of religion in a secular world: Is Buddhism a religion? What is faith? What can religion offer to humanity?