Glastonbury Abbey Holds Lecture on Interdependence of Self and Other

Glastonbury Abbey has announced the third lecture of its “Listening to Other Voices” interfaith lecture series, featuring Andrew Olendzki, Senior Scholar at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts. 

Dr. Olendzki’s presentation is entitled, “The Interdependence of Self and Other.” He will speak on Thursday, January 17th, at 7:15 p.m. in the Abbey Conference Center.

Olendzki, Ph.D., was trained in Buddhist Studies at Lancaster University in England, as well as at Harvard and the University of Sri Lanka. He is the former executive director of the Insight Meditation Society, executive director at BCBS, and executive editor of the Insight Journal.  Dr. Olendzki is the author of the book “Unlimiting Mind: The Radically Experiential Psychology of Buddhism,” as well as many articles. He is also a linguist of Pali, the ancient language used to record the Buddha’s original teachings.

While Buddhism has a reputation for being entirely focused upon the goal of personal liberation or individual transformation, the Buddha began his spiritual journey out of compassion for others and a desire that all beings might become liberated from suffering.  His teachings might be well summed up by the phrase, “Helping oneself, one helps others; helping others, one helps oneself.”  Dr.  Olendzki’s talk will illuminate the many nuanced implications of this expression and how they might be applied to our contemporary world for the benefit of all.

-Glastonbury Abbey