Religion in the 21st Century: Buddhism

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Venerable Canda Theri Bhikkhuni is the only fully ordained bhikkhuni, or female Buddhist monastic, in the UK. She founded the Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project, which aims to provide the country’s first monastery where women can train towards full ordination. Heng Xuan Tio is based in Singapore and is the co-founder of Handful of Leaves, an online community which aims to show young people how Buddhism is relevant to their modern lives. And Lama Rod Owens is a Black gay Buddhist teacher and author based in the USA. His teaching focuses on social change, identity, and spiritual practice. The BBC’s Alice Bhandhukravi brings them together to discuss Buddhism’s different branches, how it has been interpreted in western countries, the differences between monastic and lay Buddhism, and the unique challenges of following a 2,500-year-old faith tradition in the present day. Presenter: Alice Bhandhukravi Producer: Julia Paul Editor: Rajeev Gupta Production coordinators: Mica Nepomuceno and Pete Liggins