Dear list members, There will be two seminars on Buddhism at the University of Sydney next week. The first will be hosted by the Department of Studies in Religion on October 4 and the second will be hosted by the AABS on October 6. Details are listed below. We hope you can attend these events. Kind regards, AABS Executive Meditation in Theravada Buddhism and as a Secular Therapeutic Method Today When: Tuesday, October 4, 4:00-5:30pm Where: Rogers Room (N397) of the John Woolley Building This paper will investigate the increasing influence of Buddhist ethics, philosophy and meditation in the West, which has given rise to a vibrant and evolving movement loosely called socially engaged Buddhism. Just as Buddhism adapted to the cultural norms and existing belief systems in Asian countries, it is doing so now in the globalized 21st century secular West with its dominant characteristics of reductionist conditioning, materialism, science and technology. Thus, the influence of Buddhism is still fragmented – its more compassionate, non-theistic and inclusive system of ethics and worldview partially embraced by the ecological and feminist movements, and mindfulness meditation adapted as a secularized mainstream psychotherapeutic tool largely disengaged from its Buddhist source. This paper contends that Buddhism’s therapeutic potency could be greatly enhanced by adopting a more holistic approach.   Chand Sirimanne has just submitted her PhD thesis titled The evolving relevance and therapeutic value of the ethico-psychological perspective of the mind-body complex and meditation in Theravada Buddhism today. She was born in Sri Lanka and migrated to Australia in 1990. She has been working as an ESL instructor and freelance writer/editor/translator in Australia, Sri Lanka and Canada for many years. The Spirited Life of Marie Byles When: Thursday, October 6, 6:00-7:30pm Where: Rogers Room (N397) of the John Woolley Building Marie Byles (1900–1979) was an important figure in the introduction of Buddhism to Australia. During the 1940s, she regularly taught meditation on Sunday nights in Sydney. In the 1950s, this meditation group formed the original Buddhist Society of NSW, the first Buddhist society in Australia. They hosted monks from Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand to give well-attended public talks and lead retreats. Marie Byles visited many countries throughout her life, including India, Burma, China, Japan and Vietnam, and authored several books on Buddhism. Additionally, she was the first female solicitor of NSW, a mountaineer and lifelong environmentalist. This seminar and slide presentation will describe Marie’s extraordinary life. Anne McLeod worked for many years in the film industry. Anne has had a daily practise of yoga and meditation for 30 years and has spent many months at the Vipassana International Academy outside Mumbai undergoing intensive meditation retreats with her teacher S.N. Goenka. Anne is a freelance journalist, writing biography and articles on environmental themes and lives in the Blue Mountains. She is the author of the recent book Summit of Her Ambition: The Spirited Life Of Marie Byles.