Institute of Buddhist Studies

In case you missed it: IBS Prof. Emeritus Dr. Richard Payne recently published Tantra Across the Buddhist Cosmopolis, a book decades in the making! Add it to your summer reading list. And big congratulations, Dr. Payne!

Buy it direct from the press, Bookshop.org, or your local independent bookstore!

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/tantra-across-the-buddhist-cosmopolis-9780195368475?cc=us&lang=en&

Check out this talk from Dr. Paula Arai at the Midwest Buddhist Temple!

2025 10 19 MBT Dharma Talk Dr Paula Arai Guest speaker, Dr. Paula Arai, shares her Dharma message for Family...

IBS's Dr. Courtney Bruntz was invited to speak at the Midwest Buddhist Temple earlier this year. In her Dharma talk, she reflects on her family connections to BCA communities and encountering the Bodhisattva of Compassion in China. Check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXOM77Dv8I0&list=PLuVclvHMzHSXlUwBYSJVISkW6rvyjLr4h&index=9

2026 03 29 MBT Dharma Talk Courtney Bruntz Courtney Bruntz, Professor at the BCA Institute of Buddhist Studies...

Coming soon! Dr. Paula Arai's latest book Of Mud and Lotuses to be published August 25!

Dr. Arai's book is a unique blend of personal reflection, creative histories, and interview-based nonfiction that vividly imagines the lives of Buddhist women over 2,500 years. Of Mud and Lotuses illuminates the hardships, resilience, and creative ways in which Buddhist women have applied the Dharma to daily life—often in ways that history has ignored.

This book was supported in part by a generous grant from the Lenz Foundation.

Of Mud and Lotuses A unique blend of personal reflection, creative histories, and interview-based nonfiction that vividly imagines the lives of Buddhist women over 2,500 years. Of Mud and Lotuses illuminates the hardships, resilience, and creative ways in which Buddhist women have applied the Dharma to daily life&mdas...

Ojinjo services are on hold for a couple weeks while our Dean, Rev. Miyaji, is out of the office. But don't worry! Past morning services are available on our YouTube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LVfhHejq5E&list=PL04f3DnuTtUDwE0NJMjKHDqQ7VOQBd3uo

IBS Ojinjo (Morning Service) 5/22/2026 Morning Service, Ojinjo, at 7 AM. Chanting: Shoshinge 正信偈 (Sofu)Wasan: p. 188「勢至念仏」Reflection: Nondual and DualRitual: none todayAnnouncements: Ojinjo servi...

Looking for something to do in Berkeley this weekend? Check out this session of the Bay Area Book Festival, Mindful Democracy, with our recently appointed Research Fellow, Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad!
https://www.baybookfest.org/session/mindful-democracy/

Mindful Democracy – Bay Area Book Festival Mindful Democracy Event date: Saturday, May 30 Event time: 11:00am-12:00pm Location: The Freight Audiences: AdultYoung Adult Themes: CommunityDemocracy DialoguesPoliticsQueer VoicesSpirituality Booksales: Green Apple Books, in the lobby of the venue Access: FREE Jeremy David Engels, Kailea Loften, L...

Since 1949 we've been providing Buddhist education in Berkeley. Since the 1960s, we've been awarding graduate degrees. And since 2006, we've been holding annual commencement ceremonies at the Jodo Shinshu Center. Here's a few pictures from graduations of old! We are so proud of our alums! ...and we're guessing they could add some more pictures here if they wanted!

Join us next week for the 2026 Graduation and Commencement Ceremonies!
https://www.shin-ibs.edu/event/2026-graduation-and-commencement/