This July Dharma Realm Buddhist University hosted its first Summer Study Abroad in Taiwan program in Taipei, Taiwan. Nine students—four from DRBU, three from St. John’s College in Annapolis, and two from St. John’s College in Santa Fe—gathered in Taipei to explore the city and study primary texts through DRBU’s shared inquiry pedagogy. Visits to cultural sites throughout Taipei complemented reading and classroom discussion, encouraging students to view the city itself as a “text” to be examined and interpreted.
The program curriculum included two courses: “Exploring Perceptions through Buddhist Texts” and “Taipei as a Text.” The Buddhist texts course provided an introduction to Buddhist theories of perception drawn from sutra, Abhidhamma, and Yogacara sources. The Taipei course wove together readings from design, architecture, and phenomenology, offering critical perspectives on the city as an ever-evolving space. Together, these courses gave the students tools to reflect, in a creative and conscientious way, on themselves and their experiences in Taiwan.
Four afternoons a week were devoted to discussion seminars, where students and faculty wrestled with issues like the nature and limits of perception, the relationship between the body and its physical environment, and how the meaning of a place changes with time. Regular group excursions to sites of interest—cultural, commercial, historical, spiritual—gave students opportunities to apply their hard-won insights to real places with diverse histories and functions.
Site visits included the Ruifang Qingyun Daoist Temple, Jiufen Old Street, Maokong and its gondola, the Lin Family Mansion and Garden, the National Palace Museum, and the iconic Taipei 101 building, which offers a panoramic view of the city. Students were also encouraged and given ample time to explore the city on their own.
The program also included a four-day, three-night immersive visit to Dharma Drum Mountain‘s World Center for Buddhist Education, a Buddhist monastery and university nestled in the mountains of New Taipei City. During this stay, students observed Buddhist ceremonies, practiced meditation and contemplative tea drinking, and got a glimpse of daily life at a monastery. Besides providing a contrast to the bustle of Taipei, the visit allowed students to see Buddhist theories in action: not just philosophy on a page, but a comprehensive approach to living.
One student, a rising senior at SJC Santa Fe, said the program was a good choice for someone traveling abroad for the first time, as he was. It provided structure and ways to think about how to navigate being in a new place. He advised potential students of the program to be open to new experiences. “If you’re open, you’ll see how incredible it is.”
Another student, a rising junior at SJC Annapolis, said that being in a non-English speaking environment helped her become more comfortable in asking for what she wants. As a result, she became more outgoing. Reflecting on this, she said, “Whenever you’re traveling to a place, you’re making a promise to yourself: I’m going to experience these things, I’m going to be a certain way—be more outgoing, for example. Find ways to keep that promise alive when you go back home.”