The University

Education is our nation’s best defense.” –Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

What’s new at DRBU? Learn about our vision and hopes, get your fill of our latest events and classes, read reflections from students, faculty, staff and volunteers, and share your own thoughts about the university.

Chaos and Immediacy

The Mind  |  The University   |   Douglas Powers  |   May 3, 2012, 4:30 pm

For Deleuze, time itself is always in the newness of our immediate experience. Any sense of time that we add to the present experience is a mental construct. But any mental construct is itself experienced in the newness of each moment. So as we realize ourselves foundationally, it’s always within this newness. We are constantly living in a tension created by the immediacy of sense experience and the meaning that we create through various mental constructs. [...]

Passion and Compassion

The Mind  |  The University   |   Snjezana Akpinar  |   April 12, 2012, 5:30 pm

Some years ago, while driving friends to Humboldt State University in the early morning mist, the road began to wind through majestic redwoods enveloped in fog. I was still sleepy and had to pay serious attention in order not to veer into a ditch or a tree. So I kept pointing out the beauty of the forest to my passengers who, with eyes closed, were chanting the name of Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. We arrived safely, in good time and good cheer. Later I asked them why they had kept their eyes closed. “The forest is too beautiful,” was their answer. [...]

Ancient Architecture, Modern Education

The Mind  |  The Scene  |  The University   |   James Roberts  |   January 26, 2012, 8:11 pm

A couple months ago, during a conversation about DRBU planning, Professor Mark Mancall from Stanford University posed a question: “What does contemporary Buddhist architecture look like?” He said he’d been asking people this question lately whenever he has a conversation about Buddhism, and so far, he said, no one he’d talked to seemed confident that they had an answer. [...]

The Repository of Unlived Things

The Monastery  |  The University   |   James Roberts  |   September 1, 2011, 7:00 am

I’ve been wondering to myself, what does the name Earth Store mean? Earth Store (Chinese: 地藏 Dìzàng) session started on Sunday, and just like in other retreats, we will be spending a good deal of time reciting Earth Store Bodhisattva’s name. Partly because of this, and partly due to my own curiosity, I’ve been wondering [...]

A Verse to Start the Year

The Encounter  |  The University   |   Kristine Go  |   August 18, 2011, 5:19 pm

Just like that, we’re off to a new academic year at DRBU! During Orientation last week, keynote speaker Dharma Master Heng Chih invited participants to ponder the following verse by the Venerable Master. 不生煩惱莫疑心 總要管己少管人 多認不是莫爭理 安然清淨智慧生 — 宣化上人 By putting afflictions and doubts to rest, By watching ourselves more and others less, By admitting [...]

A Cold Mountain Poem

The Mind  |  The Monastery  |  The University   |   Kristine Go  |   August 9, 2011, 4:52 pm

Today I sat before the cliff, sat a long time till mists had cleared. A single thread, the clear stream runs cold; a thousand yards the green peaks lift their heads. We just posted a new slide show featuring the majestic mountains of Canada and a poem by Cold Mountain (寒山), which was masterfully translated [...]

Fall Semester Preview

The University   |   Kristine Go  |   August 4, 2011, 2:23 pm

Welcome to a new academic year at DRBU! We published a selection of Fall 2011 courses. For a comprehensive listing of DRBU Fall 2011 course offerings, please refer to the Course Schedule or visit www.drbu.org. [...]

DRBU Orientation 2011

The University   |   Kristine Go  |   August 3, 2011, 4:06 pm

Join us for Orientation 2011, an introduction to the upcoming academic year. Learn about what’s new at DRBU. Connect with your professors and colleagues. Share your summer experiences. Dharma Master Heng Chih will open the session with a keynote address. Hear about the newest developments in DRBU degree and short-term programs. Enjoy school spirit, refreshments [...]