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Religion: Ethnic and Universal

by Sangharakshita

After an account of the reasons for the disappearance of Buddhism from India, the chief characteristics of the world's ethnic and universal religions are described.

N.B. In track 12, the impression is given that, on the whole, conversion to Judaism was not possible before the modern Reform movement – this is a factual error.

Talk given in 1969.

This talk is part of the series The Higher Evolution.

Tracks (click play to listen)

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	1.	Why did Buddhism disappear from India? (12:05)
	2.	Centralisation of monasticism (7:38)
	3.	Royal patronage of Buddhism (3:10)
	4.	Brahminical hostility to Buddhism (7:08)
	5.	Partial absorption of Buddhism by Hinduism (8:03)
	6.	The Muslim invasion (4:00)
	7.	Characteristics of ethnic religion (4:19)
	8.	Characteristics of universal religion (3:11)
	9.	Religion and evolution (4:45)
	10.	Hinduism (6:25)
	11.	Buddhism (3:00)
	12.	Other religions (9:31)
	13.	Universal religions arising from ethnic religions (3:29)
	14.	Universal religions speaking the language of ethnic religions (3:28)
	15.	Kierkegaard's attack on Christianity (3:20)
	16.	Mistaking culture for Buddhism (3:43)
	17.	The gravitational pull (2:43)
	18.	The importance of religious roots (6:27)
	19.	Conclusion (3:23)