Dharma Realm Buddhist University is delighted to welcome its newest cohort of students. Check out some excerpts from their student profiles below.
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts
Layla
My name is Layla. I’m twenty years old, from the East Coast of the United States, although I moved to the West when I was fifteen.
I really like technical hobbies, which right now is mainly conlanging, although my linguistic knowledge is more limited than I’d prefer. I also like making things with my hands, like building mecha model kits, since I can really pay attention to the details for example (although I’ve done a few other hobbies like carving, chainmaille, and some more).
I look forward to working and growing with you all!
Nita
I’m really excited to be joining the BA program at DRBU. I love music and arts and I enjoy playing games, especially board games in my free time.
The reason I am at DRBU is because I want to become a better person. I’ve always dreamed of living in a nature-surrounded environment, so I’m truly grateful to be here.
Rafael
I’m an incoming international student from Mexico, and I’ll be joining the next BA cohort.
I have a bunch of hobbies like reading comic books and sci-fi novels, playing video games (mostly Pokémon), playing soccer, singing, and hiking (I’m not that good at singing though).
I’m really looking forward to growing in every way possible at DRBU, call it personally, socially, or academically. I hope to gain more confidence in how I communicate with others, improve my writing, make lots of new friends 🙂 and, of course, do well in my studies and develop useful skills for the future.
Rowan
Hi everyone, my name is Rowan. I’m twenty-eight years old. I’m from Tennessee and have lived here all my life. In my current work I provide care to the elderly in an Assisted Living Facility, and I plan to continue working in the healthcare industry in the future.
I’ve had a casual interest in Buddhism for a few years but only recently started looking into it seriously and I’ve found that a lot of the teachings resonate with me.
I’m trying to get out of my shell more, so I’m ready to step out of my comfort zone and make new friends. In my free time I mostly enjoy playing video games, listening to music, watching anime, and reading webnovels. I hope that by attending DRBU I can broaden my horizons, meet new people, and learn more about Buddhism.
Master of Arts in Buddhist Classics
Art
I am an MA student with a bachelor’s in history from the University of Colorado at Boulder. In recent years, my focus has been in studying Buddhist texts and engaging in meditation and contemplation practices and retreats. I recently returned from a trip to India, where I studied hatha yoga with Hindus and the Lamrim Chenmo among the Tibetans.
My six years in actuarial science and data analysis in healthcare suggest analytical capability, yet I fail to leverage this experience into meaningful interdisciplinary projects, instead chasing niche pursuits like quadlinear translations that as yet lack real-world impact. I value practical experience and direct insight, but my high standards for clarity can stall progress through a low tolerance for error.
One of my great joys is abandoning something false, seeing that somewhere I was wrong all along.
I am grateful for the opportunity to study with this great lineage, and for all my teachers and elders.
Dan
I am a graduate from Penn State University with a double major in Religious Studies and Japanese, and also hold a Certificate in Buddhist Translation from DRBU. My second language is Japanese, and I have ample experience dabbling in languages such as Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Pali, and Sanskrit. I often find myself deeply immersed in visual arts, interactive media, and music of various genres, fascinated by cultural and religious themes in popular culture.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel extensively, visiting places such as England, Japan, and Taiwan. I recently returned from a five-year journey on foot across the Northwestern United States, visiting Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese diaspora communities, as well as becoming more familiar with the Japanese Shingon school. The latter has been the focus of my intellectual endeavors, as I have been casually studying up on Buddhist astrology through Japanese Sukuyōdō (宿曜道) and related materials such as the Big Dipper Sutra (佛説北斗七星延命經), the Star Mandala (北斗曼荼羅), and the Edo-period iconographic compendium, the Butsuzōzui (仏像図彙).
David
I was born and raised in Taichung, Taiwan. I later moved to New Zealand to study in high school and university. This year I completed my bachelor degree at the University of Auckland. I enjoy playing competitive badminton and reading, and I’m currently learning how to meditate.
Living in New Zealand didn’t make me feel truly happy or fulfilled. I realized that material things only bring short-term happiness. I’ve learned that true happiness comes from within, not from impermanent things. As the Buddha once said, “The richest person in the world is the one who is content.”
When I was young, I loved reading the Jataka tales—stories of the Buddha’s previous lives in both human and animal forms. I’ve always aspired to be like him. Earlier this year, I received the Bodhisattva precepts for lay Buddhist practitioners. I’m really grateful to be studying in a place where others share the same values.
Huiyi
Confucius said that he had no longer been puzzled about life when he was forty. On the contrary, I got confused about life when I entered my forties, and then set out on a path to explore the truth of life.
Throughout the years I have been reading the Confucian and Daoist classics and practicing their teachings in my daily life, and I think that I have seen the light. Now it is time for Buddhadharma. I made up my mind to join DRBU as soon as I saw these words on its website: “DRBU is a secular university rooted in the basic principles of the Buddhist teachings: wisdom and compassion.” Wisdom and compassion, exactly what I have been pursuing. So here I come.
Kao Choua
I’ve lived in the Bay Area since 2015 and was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, where my family still lives. With seven years of experience in digital marketing—specializing in programmatic media—and over a decade in nonprofit media arts and fundraising, I’ve led initiatives that blend cultural preservation, storytelling, and community impact.
Currently I’m immersed in writing my mother’s memoir, chronicling her life as a Hmong girl in the mountains of Laos and her survival through decades of displacement and refugee life. I’ve recorded, translated, and transcribed over 50 hours of interviews to bring her voice forward in both grief and strength.
I recently completed death doula training and would like to support people through life’s transitions—especially at the end of life—by holding space and offering comfort.
As I begin my studies at Dharma Realm Buddhist University, I hope to deepen in compassion, embody Buddhist teachings, and cultivate a daily practice rooted in presence, loving-kindness, and service. Long term, I hope to become a chaplain, offering care to those facing spiritual, emotional, and existential pain.
Venerable Miao E
My Dharma name is Miao E, but I also go by Mira. I’m so happy to be joining the DRBU community as an MA student this school year, after completing the Translation Certificate program. I come from South Vietnam and became a nun when I was ten years old. As a monastic, I love not only to study and practice Buddhism, but also to share the Dharma with others. That is one of the reasons I chose DRBU—to grow academically while continuing my spiritual path. I believe DRBU’s educational mission will support me in fulfilling this aspiration.
What brought me here is not just my own inspiration, but also the wisdom and compassion I have felt from the DRBU community. You have given me the chance to try again, to join, and to live at DRBU one more time. I don’t know exactly what the next two years will bring, but I do know this: I will learn deeply from my professors, classmates, dormmates, staff, faculty, and the Sangha at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Just thinking about it, my heart feels warm—like a child returning home after a long journey.
Noa
I was born and raised in Hawaii, living close to nature and its diverse elemental landscapes. I love music production, nature, and tea. I am curious, contemplative, and adventurous, with a deep appreciation for detail, presence, and depth processes.
I’ve kept a dream journal for seventeen years and am passionate about studying dreams as a window into the psyche and the sacred. Deep work has always been a priority for me, and getting an MA in Buddhist Classics feels beautifully aligned with that.
I’m often moved by beauty and the quiet excellence of those who have mastered their craft. I believe the art of life is to become truly human—not simply by birth, but through conscious, ongoing practice.
I am excited to enter the gates of the Dharma Realm and to be held in the container of a community that is both radically free and radically responsible.
Robert
My enduring fascination is seeking wisdom and truth. My rich life experience has prepared me, not just intellectually but also personally, to approach the profound subjects covered in the master’s program with the patience and curiosity they demand. I believe my perspective, forged through experiences, will be an asset as I navigate the complexities of ancient texts and philosophical concepts.
My daily meditation practice anchors me, cultivating a deeper sense of inner peace that I hope to extend outward. Through mindful living and compassionate action, I aspire to inspire a similar cultivation of empathy and kindness in others. May my deep experience serve as a wellspring of insight throughout this transformative journey.
Zekun
It is a great honor and blessing to be part of the DRBU family. I wasn’t born into a Buddhist family and didn’t encounter the Dharma until two years ago.
I was inspired and blessed by the Venerable Master Hua, who gave me the courage to leave the venture capital industry and go to America to learn and practice the Dharma.
I hope that by pooling our wisdom and skills, we can fulfill his great cause and help this big community to flourish. I will introduce DRBU and CTTB to more and more Chinese people!
Graduate Certificate Program in Buddhist Translation
Venerable Sajal Barua
I am a Theravada Buddhist monk from Chittagong, Bangladesh, raised in a traditional Buddhist family. I received the majority of my Buddhist training in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
My passion lies in studying Buddhist scriptures in their original languages, particularly Pali and Sanskrit, and translating them into modern languages like English and Bengali to make the Dharma more accessible. I find deep value in contemplating the Buddha’s teachings, gaining a better understanding of myself, and sharing these precious insights with others.
From what I understand, DRBU provides a peaceful and nurturing Buddhist contemplative environment, which resonates strongly with my aspirations. My goal is to become a contemplative translator and Dharma teacher. Beyond my spiritual pursuits, I enjoy traveling, immersing myself in nature, and capturing its beauty through photography.
Sheryl
Kia ora tātou – Greetings all
Ko Waitākere Ranges te maunga
Ko Tāmaki ahau
Ko Sheryl tōku ingoa
Born and raised in Aotearoa (New Zealand), my whakapapa is Samoan, from the Seumanuta’afa family of Apia. I carry a matai title of orator chief status. My Samoan name is Lima Seumanuta’afa—I go by Lima or Sheryl. My Dharma name is Qin Jing.
Eighteen years ago, I first came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas for a Guan Yin session. That experience opened my world. In May 2024, I completed DRBU’s MA in Buddhist Classics and now begin the Translation Certificate Program, grateful to those who’ve made the Dharma accessible.
My background spans entrepreneurship, fundraising, and cultural advocacy. In 2020 an MA in Technological Futures founded The Lima Project, supporting Indigenous musicians through digital innovation. I have volunteered for DRBU’s Institutional Advancement and currently coordinate marketing for Instilling Goodness Books and outreach for BTTS.
Earlier in my career, I held senior corporate roles across investment and mining sectors, leading international partnerships and large-scale change. I’m a mother, grandmother, motorcyclist, and lifelong student of the arts and true nature—returning to DRBU with humility, curiosity, and cultivating freedom of the mind through stillness.
Tomas
I have been part of the DRBU community for many years now, having completed both the BA and MA programs. I have long considered the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas my home and hope I can stay here for many years to come. My main interests are playing guitar, meditating, reciting mantras, and translating Buddhist texts.
Looking forward to another meaningful year in the Translation Program.
Vayu
I am Vayu, a world traveller and apprentice monk, trying to make sense of both. I enjoy walking, drawing, writing, trees, and the everyday magic of life.
Born Andrés in Mexico, I have worn many hats and worked a variety of jobs, but mostly stayed on the creative side of things. Devoting myself to translation is a recent shift, one that makes me wonder why I didn’t pursue it sooner!
Last year I noticed how few sutras are freely available in Spanish and felt called to help. But I soon realized how much I still needed to learn in order to contribute meaningfully. So I am coming to DRBU to fortify my practice and explore translation as a practice, and seeking a community that understands the value of the task.