Webster University in Hua Hin are offering the following course this summer:

June 26 – July 21, 2006

Religion and Social Action: Socially Engaged Buddhism

This course explores socially engaged Buddhism as a significant new trend within world Buddhism. The course looks at the development of engaged Buddhist thought and practice, with emphasis on the dynamic changes occurring within Thai Buddhist traditions. The course will include two major field excursions, to take place over selected weekends. The first will involve meeting and staying for a weekend with members of a radically self-reliant and anti-consumerist Buddhist community. The second will consist of a trip to a forest temple in northeastern Thailand to speak with the abbot, one of the most articulate spokespersons for socially engaged spirituality in Thailand today.

See: http://www.webster.ac.th/academics/arts/buddhist/index.htm

Best wishes

Webster University in Hua Hin are offering the following course this summer:

June 26 – July 21, 2006

Religion and Social Action: Socially Engaged Buddhism

The first will involve meeting and staying or a weekend with members of a radically self-reliant and anti-consumerist Buddhist community. http://www.webster.ac.th/academics/arts/buddhist/index.htm[/url]

Best wishes

Sounds like the first 'field excursion' may be entail a visit to Santi Asoke. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that. In fact I think that socially engaged Buddhism has a lot to offer the world, and has a definate role in demystifying and educating people that think that Theravada is solely cocerned with self-liberation and detachment from the society in which they live.

It would appear that, all-in-all, this may be a worthwhile exercise to (ahem) engage in.