News

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Dear Friends,

We are so proud and happy to announce that our DRBU campus has reopened this fall to welcome new and returning students. This includes sixteen new MA students—the largest MA cohort to date—a cohort of eight Translation Program students, and two young students joining the BA program. One by one, the students arrived safely from around the world: Singapore, Malaysia, China, Canada, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and various parts of the US. Flourishing under DRBU’s “culture of care,” the students have quickly settled into their new residences, immersed themselves in shared inquiry in classrooms, broadened their connections to the community through various service scholarships, and deepened their friendships with one another during community lunches, spiritual practices, and field trips in nature. DRBU remains a resilient place of inspiration in these times of uncertainty.

More than ever in these times of dis-ease and conflict, we can be encouraged by reflecting on DRBU’s potential to bring about change. As DRBU professor Doug Powers put it, "The goal of DRBU education is to bring about better human beings. If we don’t teach our students to get a better sense of their own virtue and generosity, then we haven’t succeeded in our education. The goal is for our students to develop in their human experience and to be better human beings in the wider world." 

Here are a few highlights from DRBU this fall:

• DRBU has about 50 students this year, the largest and most diverse student body to date, including five monastics and 12 international students. Ranging in age from 18 to over 70, they come with backgrounds from medical training to theater arts to community activism. Read more from Highlights of Students.
• This fall, DRBU launched a graduate certificate program in Buddhist translation, following a successful pilot program. It offers students “the rare opportunity to immerse themselves in ancient eastern languages at the graduate level, with a curriculum that integrates translation of Buddhist texts with study, practice, and service in a monastic setting.”
• We continued the tradition of hosting a university-wide Contemplative Exercise Immersion (CEI) in September. This year’s CEI, “Bowing as Heart Cleansing,” was led by our Dean of Academics, Dr. Martin Verhoeven, along with Bhikshu Jin Chuan and Bhikshu Jin Wei.
• This semester, both on- and off-campus students are involved in community work at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, DRBU, and Buddhist Text Translation Society through their service scholarships, from dishwashing to recycling, from dining to farming, from Dharma books publicity to creating artwork for websites, and there are many more service opportunities. These experiences greatly enrich the students’ experiences outside of the classroom.

Even as DRBU celebrates its successes, its growth cannot continue into the future without the support from our ever-expanding community of friends like you. We invite you to join our Annual Fund campaign. The Annual Fund directly supports the day-to-day operations of DRBU’s educational programs. For the 2021-22 academic year, our goal is $600,000 USD. As of mid-October, we have reached the $210,000 mark. Your contribution—regardless of the size—will make an immediate impact on the educational experience of DRBU.

With your support, DRBU will continue to strive to “develop human potential to create the conditions for a broader awakening of human society and its elevation,” as Venerable Master Hsuan Hua envisioned. We are grateful that you recognize the value of this education.

Your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. If you happen to work for an employer that offers gift matching, we encourage you to use it to double or even triple your gift. You can now find DRBU on Benevity, a gift matching platform that many employers use, such as Microsoft and Google. If you have any questions regarding how to support DRBU, please contact us at development@drbu.edu. 

Sincerely, 

Susan Rounds, President          Peggy Brevoort, Chairperson, Board Development Committee 

Make a gift today!