This talk continues a review of the development of the different Buddhist traditions as the cultures they operated within were affected by the intrusion of European mercantile powers, especially the British Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries.  The primary area of focus is on how Theravada Buddhism was forced to adapt to the intrusion of Christian missionaries into Sri Lanka, Burma (modern day Myanmar) and Siam (modern day Thailand).  Key leadership personalities such as Ledi Sayadaw of Burma are reviewed, as they had a significant impact on several 20th century Western Teachers who were influential in Peter’s practice of mindfulness meditation.

The recording of this Zoom talk was significantly impaired by disruptions in the streaming signal, an unusual occurrence during the series of talks recorded since March of last year.  Hopefully this will not recur.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Buddhism and Colonialism

The topic for the next talk will be on how Buddhism has spread throughout what we loosely call “The Western World” in the 20th and 21st centuries.