Dharma Realm Buddhist University

Dharma Realm Buddhist University

法界佛教大學
Motto	Educating for Outstanding Abilities
Type	Private
Established	1976
Chancellor	Ronald Epstein
President	Snjezana Veljacic-Akpinar
Address	Ukiah Campus 4951 Bodhi Way, Ukiah CA 95482 Berkeley Campus 2245 McKinley Avenue, Suite B, Berkeley CA 94703 , Ukiah , California , U.S.
Campus	Main Campus: Rural 488 acres (197 ha) Berkeley Campus: Urban
Nickname	DRBU
Website	www.drbu.org

Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU) is an American private not-for-profit university located in Ukiah, California, established in 1976 by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. It is situated within a monastic setting of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and is the only college in the Western Hemisphere to offer the experiences of daily practices of a Mahayana Buddhist monastery. Students explore the close interaction between the theory and practice of Buddhism as embodied in its monastic form. The university has a longstanding partnership with the Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union, as well the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association.

History

On October 2, 1976, Dharma Realm Buddhist University was formally established at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, with the very first class arriving in 1977. The first Chancellor was Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. In 1976, the Institute of World Religions was created by Venerable Master Hsuan Hua and Paul Cardinal Yu Bin. In 1986, DRBU hosted the Conference on World Religions for the first time in California. In 1994, the Institute of World Religions moved to Berkeley Buddhist Monastery. In 1997, DRBU began its partnership with the Graduate Theological Union and Pacific School of Religion. In 2000, the Venerable Master Hua Memorial Lecture series began. In 2001, the Institute for World Religions published the inaugural issue of the academic journal, Religion East & West. In 2006, DRBU established the Berkeley campus with Venerable Heng Sure, Ph.D., as its first director. In 2011, DRBU launched the University blog, dharmas .

Academics

DRBU’s philosophy stems from Master Hua’s pioneering approach to learning of “developing inherent wisdom.” DRBU combines traditional study with educational innovation, with the curriculum embracing pedagogies and philosophies from both East and West, requiring both open-mindedness and reliance on tradition. Its mission is to educate the whole person, seeking to change the mind, true the heart, and touch the spirit. Because of DRBU’s unique monastic setting, students are immersed in the dynamism of academic and intellectual inquiry while guided by the overarching rhythms of a contemplative schedule. The day begins at 4:00 am with the Morning Ceremony service, and includes ample time outside of classes for study, self-reflection, and community service.

Degree programs currently are a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies and Practice, a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies and Practice, or a Master of Arts in Buddhist education. Concentrations in Translation and Language Studies are also offered. DRBU students may also choose from a wide range of courses offered at Graduate Theological Union member schools. In addition to degree programs, DRBU offers a diverse array of Summer Session and Short-Term Programs, welcoming students and practitioners from all walks of life.

DRBU also is in close collaboration with the Buddhist Text Translation Society, and faculty and students have published books on spirituality and world religions with the BTTS. Students can also publish works in Vajra Bodhi Sea, the monthly journal of orthodox Buddhism published continuously since 1970.

Institute for World Religions

The Institute for World Religions (now located on the Berkeley campus) was established with the goal that harmony among the world’s religions is an indispensable prerequisite for a just and peaceful world, and to affirm humanity’s common bonds and rise above narrow sectarian differences. Catholic Cardinal Yu Bin was the first director in 1976. It offers programs designed to bring the principles of interfaith vision and the spiritual needs of the modern world into constructive engagement. It also has one of the longest Buddhist Christian interfaith dialogues in the country, with the Zen-Chan Buddhist Catholic Dialogue occurring annually since 2002. The academic journal of the Institute for World Religions is Religion East & West.

Venerable Master Hua Memorial Lecture

This series offers a forum to present important new ideas in the study of human spirituality. Speakers of this annual lecture have included:

• Huston Smith, former faculty at Washington University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and prolific author including of The World’s Religions
• Michael Nagler, founder of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and author of Is There No Other Way? The Search for a Non-Violent Future
• Mary Evelyn Tucker, adjunct professor at Yale University and editor of Buddhism and Ecology
• Henry Rosemont Jr., visiting professor at Brown University and author of A Chinese Mirror and Rationality and Religious Experience
• Anthony Yu, professor at the University of Chicago and translator of The Journey to the West
• Michael Nylan, professor at the University of California at Berkeley and author of The Five “Confucian” Classics and Lives of Confucius
• Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, American Buddhist monk and eminent translator of numerous Buddhist texts including A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima Nikaya), and The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Samyutta Nikaya)
• Raoul Birnbaum, professor at University of California at Santa Cruz and author of The Healing Buddha and Studies on the Mysteries of Manjusri

Sangha and laity training programs

The sangha and laity training programs are both four-year, Buddhist, vocational training programs that were granted course approval by the Department of Education of the State of California on May 19, 1982. While some of the programs share facilities with the DRBU Ukiah campus at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, many also take place at the City of Dharma Realm in Sacramento, and are not to be confused with the degree programs of Dharma Realm Buddhist University, nor are they under DRBU. The purpose of the Sangha Paramita Training and the Laity Paramita Training Programs is to provide a solid foundation in Buddhist studies and practice for those whose goal is an occupation in a Buddhist institution or community setting, in social service areas, or in educational institutions.

Facilities

The Ukiah main campus is located in the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, encompassing over 70 buildings on 800 acres. All degree students are guaranteed housing in Ukiah. The Berkeley campus is not a residential campus.

Dining: Students take their meals with the rest of the community in the Five Contemplations Dining Hall (built in 1982). In accordance with the principle of compassion toward all beings, all meals served on campus are vegetarian. In addition, the Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant is on the campus.

Education students have the opportunity to interact with the Instilling Goodness Elementary School and Developing Virtue Secondary School, both of which are adjacent to DRBU. A two-story library holds numerous Buddhist canons and commentaries in multiple languages, as well as audio-visual materials and computer resources. Students may also access the Developing Virtue Secondary School library, as well as the Graduate Theological Union’s Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, one of the largest theological libraries in the United States. A Buddhist bookstore is located in the administration building.

External links

• Official website