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The public lecture series will feature virtual events with Professor Mattia Salvini from International Buddhist College on October 7 and Dr. Michael Wolfe from St. John’s College, Santa Fe on October 19

Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU), the Northern California university and community dedicated to liberal education in the broad Buddhist tradition, announced the return of its lecture series DRBU Symposium this fall. DRBU will welcome Professor Mattia Salvini from International Buddhist College, Sadao Campus, Thailand (October 7) and Dr. Michael Wolfe from St. John’s College, Santa Fe (October 19) in two engaging online lectures for the DRBU students and extended community. Since 2015, the public lecture series has drawn from themes and conversations in the classroom through connecting leading academics and experts with students, faculty and the surrounding community. Featuring global issues in ethics, politics, spirituality, culture, and the environment, Symposium topics complement DRBU’s academic curriculum, applying learnings from classical texts to the modern world. 

Professor Mattia Salvini will present "Ācārya Prajñākaramati's Verse of Homage to the Perfection of Wisdom" on Thursday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m. PDT. The series continues with Dr. Michael Wolfe from St. John's College, Santa Fe with "Cide Hamete Benengeli, Author of Don Quixote" on Tuesday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m. PDT. DRBU Symposium events are free and open to the public. Registration is available online at drbu.edu/symposium.  

Drawing in hundreds of current and prospective students, as well as alumni and community members, Symposium events extend DRBU’s approach to lifelong learning to a broader community. DRBU aims to educate the whole person and strives to nurture individuals who see learning as an ongoing endeavor in the pursuit of knowledge, self-understanding, and the creative and beneficial application of that learning to every sphere of life. Past Symposium events include Black Lives Matter and Its Historical Context, explorations into Jainism and Neo-Confucianism, a performance by GRAMMY-nominated Alex de Grassi, and examinations of Buddhism in different traditions. 

Thursday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m.   
Professor Mattia Salvini
"Ācārya Prajñākaramati's Verse of Homage to the Perfection of Wisdom."
Prajñākaramati is known as one of the most authoritative commentators on Śāntideva's classic guide to the practices of Bodhisattvas, the Bodhicaryāvatāra. He was a master (ācārya) in the famed monastic institution of Vikramaśīla, heir to the tradition of Nālandā, wherein Śāntideva is also believed to have spent a portion of his life. Prajñākaramati starts his commentary on the Wisdom Chapter of the Bodhicaryāvatāra with a new opening verse. This verse of "auspicious beginning" (maṅgalācaraṇa) can tell us a lot about his approach to the Perfection of Wisdom, through his choice of words and even by the choice of meter. This single verse can also function as a simple introduction to what many regard as the ultimate intent of the Buddha's teachings, the cultivation of Prajñāpāramitā, the Perfection of Wisdom.

Tuesday, October 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Michael Wolfe from St. John's College, Santa Fe
"Cide Hamete Benengeli, Author of Don Quixote."
Miguel de Cervantes portrays Muslims (both satirically and romantically) in Cervantes’ renowned novel Don Quixote. Colorful Moriscos (Muslim converts to Christianity) and renegades (Christian converts to Islam) are mixed among the “old Christians” who populate the novel. Cervantes not only includes them in his cast of characters, but even adopts the conceit of translating the knight’s exploits from a serendipitously discovered Arabic manuscript written by the fabulous Moor, Cide Hamete Benengeli. In this lecture, Dr. Wolfe will explore the question of why Cervantes attributes the authorship of his novel to a fictional Muslim.

About Dharma Realm Buddhist University
Dharma Realm Buddhist University is a small private university and community dedicated to liberal education in the broad Buddhist tradition—a tradition characterized by knowledge in the arts and sciences, self-cultivation, and the pursuit of wisdom. The University offers two degree programs centered around reading and discussion of classical primary texts at its Ukiah, California campus: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Master of Arts in Buddhist Classics. Dharma Realm Buddhist University is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). For more information, please visit www.drbu.edu.