The Middle Way Society was founded to promote the study and practice of The Middle Way. The Middle Way is the idea that we make better judgements by avoiding fixed beliefs and being open to practical experience. We challenge unhelpful distinctions between facts and values, reason and emotion, religion and secularism or arts and sciences. Though our name is inspired by some of the insights of the Buddha, we are independent of Buddhism or any other religion. We seek to promote and support integrative practice, overcoming conflict of all kinds.
Iain McGilchrist explains the difference between the capacity of the two hemispheres to understand what is meant by the Middle Way. Lack of awareness of this fact explains some apparently paradoxical’ aspects of experience. This talk was given over Zoom at the Virtual Festival of the Middle Way on 19th April 2020, and is followed by questions from the audience.
This meditation session was led over Zoom by Buddhist mindfulness teacher and author Vishvapani Blomfield at the Virtual Festival of the Middle Way, on 19th April 2020.
Marina Cantacuzino, journalist and founder of the Forgiveness Project on forgiveness and the Middle Way. This talk was given on Zoom on 19th April 2020, as part of the Virtual Festival of the Middle Way. It is followed by questions from the audience.
Iain McGilchrist, author of ‘The Master and his Emissary’, and Stephen Batchelor, author of books on secular Buddhism, draw on their personal experiences of appreciating and practising the arts to discuss the ways in which they can contribute to our inspiration and development. Both they and some members of the audience share some moving examples of moments of inspiration from the arts. This video was recorded on Zoom at the Virtual Festival of the Middle Way, 18th-19th April 2020. The chair is Robert M. Ellis.
Carl Jung’s Red Book contains an extraordinary personal account of engagement with archetypal figures in a series of induced visions. Robert M. Ellis, who has a forthcoming book on the subject, explains how it can also be an inspiring resource for the Middle Way. This talk was given on Zoom on 19th April 2020, as part of the Virtual Festival of the Middle Way. It is followed by questions from the audience.
