On September 5–6, 2026, Nalanda Monastery in France hosted the third Planetary Crisis Summit of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). The weekend brought together practitioners in the monastery’s gompa with FPMT centers, groups, and individuals online to explore how the Buddha’s teachings on wisdom and compassion can respond to the ecological and social crises of our time. The first Planetary Crisis Summit was hosted by Jamyang London Buddhist Centre in April 2024, and the second was offered jointly by six European FPMT centers, including Nalanda Monastery, in September 2025. Ven. Tenzin Michael, a monk at Nalanda Monastery and one of the summit’s speakers, shares his report largely in his words.

Group photo of participants at the 2026 Planetary Crisis Summit at Nalanda Monastery. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

On the weekend of September 5–6, 2026, Nalanda Monastery hosted the third FPMT Planetary Crisis Summit, “A Buddhist Approach for a Better Future.”

The aim of this event was to bring Buddhist awareness to a world in crisis. We believe that Buddhist practices based on wisdom and compassion have the potential to address the root problems of environmental destruction and contribute to a peaceful world.

What Do We Mean by Planetary Crisis?

But what exactly do we mean by planetary crisis? The term “planetary crisis” encompasses all the many, seemingly unassailable, challenges that humankind faces today. Some of us feel strongly that global warming is the chief problem that needs to be tackled; others say it’s our increasing consumption and pollution, or the loss of topsoil and biodiversity; others still believe the crisis in education and social inequality is of utmost importance, or that the focus should be on the emotional and psychological factors that perpetuate the culture of individualism that makes our current predicament appear so hopeless. The Planetary Crisis Summit draws upon all of these challenges with the acknowledgment that they are not disparate from one another, but instead are symptoms of wider systemic issues that make up our interconnected reality.

This summer we experienced unprecedented heat waves, droughts, and fires across Europe, and on August 26, devastating floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi area claimed 1,451 lives and left 5,745 people missing, according to government figures. Around the world we now experience what scientists have warned about for decades. Global warming has begun to exceed the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Out of the nine planetary boundaries, global warming is just one of the seven thresholds that we have already crossed! When the life-sustaining ecosystems start to collapse, what is at stake is no less than the survival of our planet. Since industrialization we have developed such powerful technologies that now humans are shaping the natural world, and potentially even destroying all life on earth.

We live in a time of crisis, and we need to act. Not out of anger or confusion, but through love and a deep understanding of the root of our global problems.

How can we make a difference as Dharma practitioners? We think the teachings of the Buddha offer many solutions to the current crisis, because at the root it is a crisis of the mind. All the problems and suffering humans are causing today basically come from the delusions and wrong views in our minds, like the concept that we are separate from the natural world. Therefore the solutions, too, must come from the mind—like the understanding of dependent arising and interdependence from which love and compassion can emerge. That’s why the world needs Dharma more than ever!

In this difficult time of environmental crisis and social breakdown, many people are desperate, looking for solutions and guidance. Buddhism has a lot to offer, but we need to reach out to the world. As Buddhists we can offer profound insight, helping people to understand the root of our problems and suffering, and showing the world how to change one’s attitude, find inner peace, and act out of love and compassion instead of greed and hatred.

Two Days of Imagination, Wisdom, and Compassion

With this motivation Nalanda Monastery organized the third Planetary Crisis Summit. We invited speakers, teachers, and meditation leaders for our shared morning program, which was followed on Zoom by other FPMT centers, groups, and individuals. There was a rich program of inspiring presentations, talks, discussions, and meditations skillfully facilitated by Ven. Jampa Gyaltsen.

Ven. Jampa, Planetary Crisis facilitator at Nalanda Monastery, with guest speakers David Midgley and Andy Wistreich at the 2026 Planetary Crisis Summit. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

The first day of our event was dedicated to Imagination: imagining the future we want to create. The future doesn’t just happen; it is created by our visions, dreams, and imagination. In order to create a better future, we first need to imagine it.

The second day was about Wisdom and Compassion: creating our future through wisdom and compassion. The ecological and social crises we currently face arise from a mistaken view of separation. Buddhist philosophy offers a corrective perspective of interdependence and compassion, and therefore a Buddhist-informed transformation of consciousness is a powerful means toward resolving the crisis.

The days started with a video presentation by Serkong Rinpoche and Geshe Tenzin Zopa. Our online and onsite speakers included Andy Wistreich, David Midgley, Rob Hopkins, Brother Phap Lai from Plum Village, and Nalanda monks Ven. Tenzin Sherap and Ven. Tenzin Michael. It was a wonderful experience to come together with thirty people in our gompa and several FPMT centers, groups, and individuals online as we explored how we as practitioners can make a difference in our lives and how our Dharma practice can offer real solutions in the face of the planetary crisis.

We enjoyed learning how to use our creativity and imagination to create a vision for the beautiful future we would like to see. Together we explored how the Buddha’s teachings of wisdom and compassion can be put into practice to make it happen. We feel it is a good way to make the Dharma teachings relevant to what is happening today.

In the afternoons, David and Andy skillfully facilitated workshops and group activities based on “The Work That Reconnects” by Joanna Macy. By listening to the various presentations, we learned new ways of seeing. By discussing the topics, deeply listening to each other, and meditating, we connected with each other and the world around us.

The Power of Community

Participants gather in the gompa at Nalanda Monastery for the 2026 Planetary Crisis Summit. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

As individuals we can be overwhelmed by the bad news, the state of the world, and what needs to be done. There is only so much we can do, but as a community, joining our efforts, we can inspire others and create a movement that has the power to accomplish what nobody thought possible. This weekend, coming together as a group, we really experienced this power of community; we found inspiration, hope, and joy. Knowing that our practice can make a difference, we continue our efforts to reduce suffering and make the world a better place for all sentient beings.

Please watch this video of Day 1 of the FPMT Planetary Crisis Summit:

With gratitude to Ven. Tenzin Michael, for sharing this story,

Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.