Category Archive: News & Announcements
Monday, May 09, 2011, 9:00 am
“Making Sense of the Blood Bowl Sutra: Gender, Pollution, and Salvation in Buddhist Sermons from Early Modern Japan,” was the Institute of Buddhist Studies’ Spring Numata Lecture topic presented by Dr. Lori Meeks of University of Southern California.
Dr. Meeks explained that sometime during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth century, several variants of an indigenous Chinese sutra known at the “Blood Bowl Sutra” were transmitted to Japan. The short sutra scripture teaches that women are fated to fall into a special hell known as the “Blood Pond Hell” in retribution for polluting the earth with the impurity of their reproductive blood.
By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, temples throughout Japan actively promoted the cult of the Blood Bowl Hell as a means of saving women. Dr. Meeks presented two early modern commentaries on the text in an effort to understand how priests presented the teachings to a new audience of lay men and women.
Dr. Meeks received her Ph.D. in East Asian Religions from Princeton University in 2003. Her research focuses on the social, cultural, and intellectual Histories of Japanese Buddhism, in particular, clarifying the roles of women as consumers and practitioners of Buddhism in the Heian and Kamakura periods.
Audio and video of her talk can be found on our podcast.
For more information about past and future Numata Lectures, please visit our News & Events page.
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Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 9:47 am
“Buddhist Chaplaincy: An Overview of Spiritual Care Giving,†a conference with Rev. Jennifer Block and Rev. Dr. Daijaku Kinst, will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley. The event is co-sponsored by the Institute of Buddhist Studies and the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies.
Rev. Block serves as a Director of Public education for the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco and founder of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Training at the Sati Buddhist Center for Buddhist for Buddhist Studies. Dr. Kinst is the coordinator and primary professor for the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program at the IBS.
This event will provide information to chaplains who provide spiritual care and support in places such as hospitals, hospices, prisons, and a wide variety of other settings. In recent years, Dharma practitioners have been exploring chaplaincy as an opportunity to practice engaged Buddhism, and for some, as a vocation and profession.
This event is open to the public. Donations are welcome.
For more information, please visit our website or the Sati Center.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 9:00 am
“We are not alone.” These four words greeted the more than seventy attendees to the First International Conference of Other-Centered Approaches. This historic gathering marked the initiation of a movement that has the potential to illuminate the human condition with the light of Buddhist psychology.
This conference was like a nursery for a sapling that had endured a long sea voyage and was being prepared to be planted into new soil. The presentations by five keynote speakers provided various perspectives of the other-centered approach. An other-centered approach is a shift from a focus on self-esteem enhancement, to an understanding of the self as defined by our relationship to others.
The opening remarks by Caroline Brazier presented evidence that our present western society embraces the focus on self-centeredness. According to the Buddha, this illusion of a substantial, independent self is the cause of much of our suffering. The other-centered approach is not so much a negation of the self but instead offers a more realistic image of a connected, interdependent person: i.e., I am not defined by my inner thoughts of myself, but instead, I exist as an integral part of everyone and everything. Naikan theory, ecology, and love were some topics which demonstrated that this experience of interdependence can result in a grounded, healthy and happy individual.
The 2,600 year history of Buddhist psychology validates the effectiveness of this perspective. Much of the language, customs, and culture of the East have been heavily influenced by Buddhist principles that remind us of our relationship to and gratitude for all those around us.
David and Caroline Brazier of England, Gregg Krech of Vermont, Daijaku Kinst of the Bay Area, and Clark Strand of New York are all outstanding authorities in their respected fields. Their geographical and professional diversity speaks to the universality of this new perspective. Each had been guided to this fundamental Buddhist principle by their unique personal and professional histories. The conference format provided opportunities for other presenters and participants to share their experiences with the Buddhist approach regarding how the self relates to others. For Shin Buddhists, this other-centered focus allowed for an expanded understanding of Amida Buddha, or “Other Power.”
The truth that “We are not alone” was experienced by the selfless support of about twenty volunteers who provided meals and other necessities for the conference. The success of this conference could be measured by the gratitude participants felt for their connectedness with others.
Shinran’s words of Amida’s spiritual presence represent an insightful perspective of the nature of the self. Inspired by Shin principles, an other-centered approach can provide us with a true assessment of an interdependent self in a supportive universe. We can express this awareness with the words Namo Amida Butsu.
Filed under: News & Announcements | Tagged as: conferences, psychology
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Thursday, February 17, 2011, 5:13 pm
The Institute of Buddhist Studies 2011 Ryūkoku Lectures
The History of the Shin Buddhist Tradition: significant persons, moments and issues
by Professor Atsushi Hirata
Department of History
Ryūkoku University, Kyoto, Japan
Professor Atsushi Hirata will deliver the 2011 Ryūkoku Lectures at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. The lectures will take place on the following dates at the Jodo Shinshu Center, 2140 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 2:10-5:00 pm
Buddhadharma and the feudal system
Wednesday, March 9, 2011, 2:10-5:00 pm
The SangÅ Wakuran incident and its impact
Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 2:10-5:00 pm
Hongwanji and the State: the two truth theory
All of Professor Hirata’s lectures will be given in Japanese, with English translation. These lectures are open to public, without charge for admission. All interested persons are invited and encouraged to attend Prof. Hirata’s lectures.
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 12:16 pm
Noboru Hanyu, on January 26, 2011, established a $500,000.00 endowed professorial chair at the Institute of Buddhist Studies to honor his late wife Yaeko, who passed away on November 1, 2002. He attributes his life long association with the Buddhist Churches of America to the support of his loving wife.
“This chair is my way of expressing my appreciation to Yae for her support and will keep alive her spirit of dana for the Buddhist movement in America,” Hanyu said.
The IBS is a graduate seminary of Buddhist ministry, and Buddhist studies. The chair will be named the Noboru and Yaeko Hanyu Buddhist Chaplaincy Professorial Chair and will be gifted through Mr. Hanyu’s Living Trust. The IBS Endowment is part of the BCA 21st Century Campaign; therefore, the BCA Endowment Foundation will administer the assets of the fund. The IBS Dean’s office in consultation with the faculty and Board of Trustees will determine the use of the funds.
Hanyu, a long time member of the Buddhist Church of San Francisco, while being active at the temple has been taking many leadership roles in the Buddhist Churches of America. In 2009, he was awarded BCA Lifetime Service Award for his dedication to BCA for over 60 years.
His various positions with the BCA include President of the BCSF, President of the, BCA, Chair of the Sustaining Membership Program, Chair of the BCA Minister’s Pension Program, BCA Headquarters Administrative Officer, Treasurer of the Campaign for Buddhism in America, and Treasurer of the BCA Endowment Foundation from 1965 to 2008.
“On behalf of the IBS, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Hanyu for his generous gift. Buddhist chaplaincy is a new development, one that allows the propagation of the Buddhist teaching in hospitals, and hospices, jails and prisons, in military and university settings. Chaplains are trained to serve anyone and everyone in need, no matter what the person’s religious affiliation. The purpose is to serve that individual, to make real the spirit of compassion that is the heart of the Buddha’s message.
“This is an important area of future growth for Buddhists in the United States today, and the support of the Noboru and Yaeko Hanyu Endowment will make it possible for IBS to train a new generation of Buddhist leaders, manifesting compassion in the most difficult of life situations, those of disease and death, punishment and servitude, loneliness and isolation,” stated Dr. Richard Payne, IBS Dean.
Photo credit: Seated Mr. Noboru Hanyu. Standing L to R: Dr. Richard Payne, Phung Kim Le, and Rev. Kengu Kobata. (Insert photo: Mr. and Mrs. Noboru and Yaeko Hanyu.)
Filed under: News & Announcements | Tagged as: announcements, endowments, faculty notes
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Monday, January 17, 2011, 9:53 am
Rev. Seishin Kiyoshi and Mrs. Marrie H. Yamashita, members of the Berkeley Buddhist Temple, established a $100,000.00 Institute of Buddhist Studies Scholarship Endowment on December 29, 2010.
The purpose for the scholarship is to support BCA ministerial candidates studying at IBS, IBS graduates who wish to study for an advanced degree at Ryukoku University, and prospective ministers from Japan who wish to study at IBS and serve in the Buddhist Church of America.
The donation is part of the BCA 21st Century Campaign. The assets of the fund will be managed by the IBS Board of Trustees. In keeping with prudent fiscal practices, only income is to be used.
The IBS Scholarship Committee, comprised of the Director of the Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies and the Dean of IBS, will determine the distribution of the scholarship.
Rev. and Mrs. Yamashita expressed their sincere intent to support the BCA ministerial students who wish to serve the BCA. “The future of Jodo Shinshu in America is dependent on the strong ministerial education that is being provided by IBS, and therefore, we wish to do our part in supporting that endeavor,†said Rev. Yamashita.
Rev. Yamashita was the former Director of the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, America, Inc.
Dr. Richard Payne expressed his gratitude to Rev. and Mrs. Yamashita for their generous contribution to the IBS and the future of ministerial education.
Present at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was Rev. Dr. David Matsumoto, resident minister of the Berkeley Buddhist Temple, and Director of the Center for Contemporary Shin Buddhist Studies, as well as, Rev. Dr. Seigen Yamaoka of the IBS faculty.
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Monday, December 20, 2010, 8:30 am
The Institute of Buddhist Studies, in collaboration with the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco, initiated a series of dialogues regarding the recently published Red Book by C.G. Jung. The first dialogue was held on Friday, October 22, 2010 before an audience that filled the Jodo Shinshu Center’s lecture hall to capacity. Some 130 people were in attendance.
The program began with an opening address by Dr. Richard Payne, Dean of IBS, and Ms. Ellen Becker, MFT, C.G. Jung Institute, who coordinated the event.
Rev. Zoketsu Norman Fischer, formerly of the San Francisco Zen Center, and Dr. Richard Stein, analyst member of the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco discussed the personal, religious significance of Jung’s visionary experience as recorded in the Red Book.
Particularly important was the way in which these meanings were placed in the social and historical context. Rev. Fischer, who taught at the IBS in the 1990s, highlighted a difference in attitude toward states of consciousness as held between Buddhist thought and mainstream Western cultures. Where traditional Buddhism, as exemplified in the visionary dreams of figures such as Shinran, founder of Shin Buddhism, and Myoe, a Shingon proponent of the Mantra of Light, viewed consciousness as forming a continuum between the waking state and dreamless sleep, Western societies generally treat these as dualistic and opposed to one another.
The second event in the series was held Friday, November 12, 2010 at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco. Following greetings by Ms. Ellen Becker and Dr. Richard Payne, the speakers were introduced: Jack Kornfield of Spirit Rock Meditation Center and Dyane Sherwood, analyst member of the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco.
Sharing their reflections on the significance of confronting one’s own personal fears, represented by a variety of illustrations from the Red Book, both speakers developed themes at the interface of Buddhism and Jungian thought. One such theme was the way in which manifesting in art one’s own imagery can help to transform one’s experience of the external reality. Another was the importance of meditation, contemplation or self-reflection in gaining access to one’s own inner resources. Such resources are themselves often manifest in imagery, whether in dreams or active imagination.
Buddhism provides a rich resource of such practices, and can be matched with contemporary psychological practices to develop individual growth along the spiritual path. In contrast, Jung developed his own techniques, drawing on his understanding of the importance of imagery in dreams and in religious visions.
Video and audio from both dialogues is now available on our podcast here.
Filed under: News & Announcements | Tagged as: Jung, psychology, Red Book
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Thursday, November 04, 2010, 7:55 am
Dr. Kenneth Lee, professor at the California State University, Northridge, will be Fall Numata Lecture, speaking on “Shinran’s Devotional Hymn of Prince Shotoku: Kotaishi Shotoku Hosan,†Friday, November 19, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, 2140 Durant Avenue, Berkeley at the Jodo Shinshu Center.
Dr. Lee is teaches courses in Asian religions, world religions, Indo-Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism, philosophy or religion, and comparative religions. He received his doctorate from Columbia University, where he specialized in Japanese Buddhism. His book, “The Prince and the Monk: Shotoku Worship in Shinran’s Buddhism,†traces the evolution of Shotoku worship in Japanese Buddhism.
Prince Shotoku is revered is greatly revered by Shinran, as the founder of Buddhism in Japan. The lecture is open and free to the public.
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Thursday, October 28, 2010, 1:25 pm
The Institute of Buddhist Studies, in collaboration with the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco, initiated a series of dialogues regarding the recently published “Red Book†by Jung, on Friday, October 22, before an audience that filled the Jodo Shinshu Center’s lecture hall to capacity. Some 130 people were in attendance.
The program began with an opening address by Dr. Richard Payne, Dean of IBS, and Ms. Ellen Becker, MFT, C.G. Jung Institute, who coordinated the event.
Rev. Zoketsu Norman Fischer, formerly of the San Francisco Zen Center, and Dr. Richard Stein, analyst member of the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco discussed the personal, religious significance of Jung’s visionary experience as recorded in the “Red Book.â€
Particularly important was the way in which these meanings were placed in the social and historical context. Rev. Fischer, who taught at the IBS in the 1990s, highlighted a difference in attitude toward states of consciousness as held between Buddhist thought and mainstream Western cultures. Where traditional Buddhism, as exemplified in the visionary dreams of figures such as Shinran, founder of Shin Buddhism, and Myoe, a Shingon proponent of the Mantra of Light, viewed consciousness as forming a continuum between the waking state and dreamless sleep, Western societies generally treat these as dualistic and opposed to one another.
This was the first of two dialogues between Buddhist teachers and Jungian analysts on the “Red Book.†The second will be held on Friday, November 12 at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco. Click here for more information, or purchase tickets here.
Filed under: News & Announcements | Tagged as: Jung, psychology, Red Book
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Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 1:29 pm
The Institute of Buddhist Studies, BDK America, and the Sanskrit Department at Harvard are jointly presenting a conference on home, October 2 – 3, 2010 in Cambridge, MA.
More information is forthcoming. For questions and contact information, please visit the conference website here.
Filed under: News & Announcements | Tagged as: conferences, homa
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