2010 Events

Contemporary Buddhists and Buddhisms Event Series

• Arjia Rinpoche Talk and Book Signing: Surviving the Dragon

   Wednesday, September 22nd, 5:30-7pm, Xavier Room, Fromm Hall

     As a child, Arjia Rinpoche was designated as the reincarnated abbot of one of Tibet's major monasteries.  He was raised as a "living Buddha" but was later forced into physical labor during the Cultural Revolution.  He escaped from a high-level position within China's Buddhist establishment and now runs two centers in North America.

• Professor George Tanabe, University of Hawaii, presents: "Hawai'i's Buddhist Temple Architecture"

   Monday, September 27th, 5:30-7pm, Maier Hall, Fromm Hall

     Professor Tanabe, a leading scholar on Japanese Buddhism and his wife surveyed all of Hawai'i's 87 Buddhist temples for a forthcoming guidebook on the topic.  His presentation will survey the fascinating and diverse range of temple styles and Buddhisms within island culture. 

• An Open Conversation with Tenzin Choegyal
  

   Monday, October 4th, 7-9pm, Lone Mountain 100

       Leading political and religious figure, former military officer, reincarnated rinpoche and brother to the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Choegyal is a man of many lives.  His thinking on contemporary issues related to Tibet, China, religion and the search for happiness is fresh, provocative and guaranteed to stimulate further reflection. 

• Film: "Journey From Zanskar" and discussion with Filmmaker Frederick Marx
  

   Friday, October 15th, 7-9pm, Xavier Room, Fromm Hall

      Academy and Emmy-award nominated producer Frederick Marx will introduce his emotionally complex documentary about the lives of children in remote regions of Ladakh who must leave their families for years in order to seek education.  Led by an intrepid monk, this intimate look into the Zanskar culture is an unforgettable journey into compassion in action.  Co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Center for the Pacific Rim, and Asian Studies.

• "Women in Buddhism: the Tibetan Nuns Project" with Rinchen Khandro Choegyal
  

   Tuesday, October 19th, 7-9pm, Cowell 106

       Director of the Tibetan Nun's Project, Rinchen Choegyal is a former Minister of Education in the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and founding President of the Women's Tibetan Association.  She also happens to be the sister-in-law of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  Her talk will cover the past, present, and future of the Tibetan nuns as well as women within contemporary Buddhism.

• "Bringing Dharma to the West: Interpreting a Millennia-Old Tradition for the 21st Century" with Ven. Heng Sure
  

   Wednesday, November 3rd, 7-9pm, Lone Mountain 100

       One of the pioneers of Mahayana Buddhism in North America, the Ven. Heng Sure's activism and ethics have inspired thousands of people.  He will discuss important teachings that not only resonate with contemporary society but also serve as the foundation for the future of Buddhism in the United States and beyond.

• "Experimental Buddhism: Innovation and Activism for the 21st Century" with Professor John Nelson
  

   Wednesday, November 17th, 5:30-7pm, Berman Room, Fromm Hall

      How can a 2500 year old tradition like Buddhism remain relevant and significant in a rapidly changing society?  Professor and cultural anthropologist John Nelson draws on four years of ethnographic field work to show some of the cutting-edge methods employed by Buddhist priests in modern Japan.

 Additional Events Sponsored or Co-Sponsored by Theology and Religious Studies

• SWIG Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice: Film Presentation of "Little Town of Bethlehem"

   Tuesday, September 28th, 6pm, Xavier Room, Fromm Hall

       An inspiring true story of three men in a land gripped by fear, hatred, and    division.  Expected to be enemies, they instead strive together to end the cycle of    violence. 

• SWIG Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice: Ways to Peace in Israel and Palestine: Stories of Success
  

  Tuesday, November 2nd, 7:30pm, Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto

        What happens when you put Jewish and Palestinian university students together for a summer to learn about resolving ethnic conflict?  This presentation explores the future of Jewish-Palestinian relations through an examination of the Abrham's Vision "Vision Program" with Co-Executive Directors Aaron Hahn Tapper and Huda Abu Arquob.  (JCC admission fees are $12/member and $15/non-member; register on-line at:http://www.paloaltojcc.org).

• SWIG Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice: Understanding Each Other Through Film: Palestinian and Israeli Perspectives
  

  Monday, November 15th, 5pm, Berman Room, Fromm Hall

       Amy Kronish, a Jewish-American-Israeli who has lived in Jerusalem since 1979, is a foremost expert on Jewish Israeli and Palestinian film.  A former Director of Coexistence programs at the acclaimed Jerusalem International YMCA, Amy was the Curator of Jewish and Israeli Film at the the renowned Jerusalem Cinematheque for 15 years.  In this program, Amy will examine controversial issues and trends as they manifest in contemporary Jewish Israeli and Palestinian filmmaking, including such complex themes as victimhood and collective memory.  Co-sponsored by the Department of Politics, the Film Studies Program, International Studies Program, Middle East Studies Program, and Peace and Justice Studies Program.