A New Life: Historic Buddhist Dorm Prepares for Its Next Chapter

In the early 1960s, the Buddhist Churches of America committed itself to the training and education of America-born ministers. It was decided that the BCA Study Center, then housed at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple, would be chiefly responsible for these efforts, and the center was renamed and incorporated as the Institute of Buddhist Studies, the first Buddhist seminary in the United States. To support this effort, over $300,000 were raised by the BCA community, and roughly a third of that went to the purchase of a building on Haste Street in Berkeley.

For the next decade the IBS was “Haste House,” as it was then called. Classes were held in the common rooms downstairs; faculty and visiting scholars lived in the rooms upstairs. One bedroom was converted to a shrine room where ministerial candidates would practice chanting and services. In the 1970s, Rev. Haruyoshi Kusada was named Executive Director and along with support from others developed the curriculum which allowed the IBS to become officially certified by California’s Department of Education as a graduate school and seminary.

Over the next couple of decades, while IBS’s administrative offices and classrooms were moved to other buildings, Haste House became the Haste Street dorm. Generations of IBS students have lived in this building, have called it home, have made good Dharma friends here. In many ways, it has been IBS’s heart for nearly sixty years. 

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Over the decades, with generous help from the BCA community, the building was maintained as best as it could be. But crucial upgrades have needed to be done. Roots from a neighboring property’s trees ruined the driveway and diverted water into the basement. Original single-pane windows let in too much heat in the summer and too much out in the winter. Occupancy dropped to almost zero during the pandemic, and IBS leadership wasn’t sure what the future of the dorm would be.

However, due to the generosity of Larry and Vicky Yamaoka, IBS has received the support necessary to fully renovate the Haste Street dorm. The renovation project officially broke ground in February, and we are on track to reopen the dormitory this fall.  

The dorm’s floor plan has been almost completely reimagined. Second floor rooms have been reconfigured to be all roughly the same size and to maximize living space.

The building is getting a fresh coat paint, new windows, floors, and wiring. A fire sprinkler system has been added for extra safety. And by the end of the year, a new generation of IBS students will once again bring life to the Haste Street dorm!

As part of the Dharma Forward campaign, we are once again reaching out to our community, our supporters, and IBS alumni, to help us finish this project and furnish the Haste Street dorm.

A modest donation of $1,000 will cover the costs of a bed, desk, and other furnishing for each residential room. Donors may also wish to have rooms named after their family or loved ones. Individual rooms may be named for gifts of $5,000 or more. Naming rooms in the dorm is more than placing a plaque on the wall — it is an opportunity to leave a legacy that shapes the daily lives of future IBS students. These names become part of the students’ stories at the dorm, a lasting imprint on the place they’ll one day call their second home.  And, of course, IBS is grateful for any donation, large or small. All donations will go toward the benefit of the Haste Street dorm.

You can donate here: https://ibs.populiweb.com/router/donate?donate_page_id=7

All donors will be listed on a commemorative plaque in the entryway.

A reopening celebration will be planned for later this fall. Please sign up for IBS’s email list at our website for updates. And feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions about the IBS Haste Street dorm. And, as always, your support of Buddhist education is deeply appreciated!

Scott Mitchell

IBS President

510-809-1449

scott@shin-ibs.edu