Contemplation and Social Action

The spiritual path is often called an inward journey. Practices like contemplation, renunciation, meditation and seclusion are often experienced in isolation with the mind drawn towards the self. This may seem counterproductive to social action, almost selfish, but exemplary spiritual aspirants from across time and space have demonstrated how contemplation can be a powerful medium of social change. By exploring key historical movements (Indian Independence, Abolitionism, Civil Rights) and transformational figures who have embodied the ideals of engaged contemplation (Gautama Buddha, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama), this course seeks to elucidate relevant ways in which contemplative philosophies and practices can challenge, critique, and ultimately transform the world in which we live by way of peaceful, inclusive and socially engaged means.