Seventh Annual Student Symposium

Join us for a showcase of student paper presentations and recitations on texts from DRBU’s curriculum. The entire DRBU community comes together for this lively day-long event, promoting student scholarship, public speaking, and cross-cohort shared inquiry. 

Guests may attend in person at DRBU SW Upstairs Lounge or online by registering for the zoom link.

Program

(All times are USA PDT; note that individual paper start times are approximate) 

Morning 

MC: James Nguyen (MA ‘22)

8:30-8:40: Opening Remarks: President Susan Rounds

8:40-9:30 Session 1: Living a Meaningful Life

8:40-8:45 Recitation: Sanskrit 2 (Anthony Santana; Edwina Wang; Nikolaos Bellington; Saipriya Vallabi; Sean Kerr; Smitha Lahiri; Victoria Sheung)  “Medley of Mantras” 

8:45-9:00 Dillon Balmaceda, “A Courageous Life” 

9:00-9:15 Anis Ansari, “Walk: A Real Life Game”

9:15-9:30 Nancy Cao, “Why are Humans Unhappy?”

9:30-9:40 Coffee/Tea Break (10 min) 

9:40-10:55 Session 2: Cultivating the Heart/Mind

9:40-9:45 Recitation: Qiulian He, “Song of the Three Jewels”

9:45-10:00 Bach Nguyen, “Freedom from Thoughts” 

10:00-10:15 Edwina Yafang Wang, “Search Out Bodhi Only in the Mind” 

10:15-10:30 Wenbo Yin, “To Breathe or to Hear” 

10:30-10:45  Kittisaro Weinberg, “Contemplation of Sameness”  

Lunch & Dessert

Afternoon 

MC: Sanju Baral (MA ‘23)

1:10- 2:25 Session 3:  Shifting Perspectives

1:10-1:15 Recitation: Ajahn Kovilo, Kittisaro Weinberg, “The Main Theravāda Mantra”  

1:15-1:30 Ben Sandel, “Fractals as a Tool for Contemplating the Ten Esoteric Doors”  

1:30-1:45 Sehen Gamhewa, “Technology as Transformed Reality”

1:45-2:00 Abigail Anderson, “Who Am I? Descartes and Kant on the Ideal and the Subject” 

2:05-2:20 Monica Wei, “Discriminate in Non-discrimination”  

2:20-2:25 Skit: Tomas Fletcher, Irina Passar, Roxanne Chu, Rita Yee, “The Butterfly Dream from the Zhuangzi” 莊周夢蝶

Break 2:25-2:35 (10 min) 

2:35-3:30 Session 4: “Where Intention Goes, Energy Flows!”   

2:35-2:40 Recitation: Ven. Viccissara, Caden Hill, Thanh Chu, Anis Ansari, Nancy Cao, Patrick Chin, “Quiet Night Thought (靜夜思) by Tang Dynasty Poet Li Bai (李白)”  

2:40-2:55 Victoria Sheung, “Human Dao” 

2:55-3:10 Bishnu Bhatta, “Bodhisattvas Vows: Awareness and Vigilance of Each Moment”  

3:10-3:25 Anthony Santana “Righteousness and Resolution” 

3:25-3:30 Recitation: Nikolaos Bellington, “Ox Mountain by Mencius”  

3:30-3:45 Tea & Snack Break (15 min)

3:45- 4:40 Session 5: Transformative Journeys

3:45-3:50  Recitation: Bach Nguyen, Abigail Anderson, Irina Passar, Tomas Fletcher, “Knowing The Happiness of Fish” 知魚之樂

3:50-4:05  Peter Tran, “Do I Sweat Because of Temperature?” 

4:05-4:20  Caden Hill, “Resentment Melting”  

4:20-4:35  Ajahn Kovilo, “Reading and Study Retrospective”

4:35-4:40 Recitation: Yidan Wang, Victoria Sheung, “Farewell” 送别 

4:40-4:50  Closing Remarks: Symposium Committee