In March this year (1995) a group of American Buddhists in San Francisco enrolled in an exciting new training programme, bringing together the theory and practice of engaged Buddhism. Their practical experience assignments (for six months to a year) included an urban community garden project with youth-at-risk; work with the homeless and victims of domestic violence; hospice work; environmental education; and anti-nuclear activism. Their experiences will feed into the two weekly study sessions, one on the theoretical approach to engaged Buddhism with Donald Rothberg and the other more experientially based with Mylie Scott. This project has been set up by the Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement, which is co-ordinated by Diana Winston with the backing of our American affiliate, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. The benefits are spelt out in the BASE brochure: "As a group we can explore questions about spiritual service and activism. The program will provide a framework for the observation of one's mind within the context of political, social and environmental problems. Participants will examine how to bring dharma practice into daily expression.
The BASE project has an interesting British connection. Last year Diana Winston wrote to Ken Jones about his book The Social Face of Buddhism "I remember being quite struck by the subtext of the book which called for the readers to take action, to create our own form of socially engaged Buddhism. It was this call to action that inspired me to create BASE". Now all we need for the wheel to turn full-circle is for a Britisher to enrol on the BASE programme and bring back the know-how for us to make a start here "A limited number of stipends and residential accommodations are available".
Alternatively, you could take off to the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado for a year and a half for the Engaged Buddhism programme of their MA in Buddhist Studies. In your "four semesters of full-time study" you get a "400 hour hospital chaplaincy internship, and a summer Retreat in the Streets". The course organisers took the advice of "prominent engaged Buddhists: "Expose them to suffering. If they can work with suffering, their own and, others, they can be effective in assuaging human suffering throughout the world" . The student also learns a variety of skills, such as conflict resolution, all well grounded in a study of Buddhist and religious thought and in a wide range of meditation practices. All this should set you up for "employment in hospices, prisons, hospitals, homeless shelters, and non-profit agencies".
Copy from Indra's Network, Journal of the UK Network of Engaged Buddhist.
