DATE
Saturday, November 4, 2017

LOCATION
UBC | St. John’s College
Social Lounge | 2111 Lower Mall

Buddhism and Youth: A Symposium

University of British Columbia • November 4, 2017

There are Buddhist monastic rules, stories, and teachings that directly address those of lesser years and the issues that are thought to be unique to their stage of life. And Buddhist individuals and groups have created literature, activities, and organizations for boys, girls, and young people in general. Although young people have appeared throughout Buddhist history, Buddhists have engaged most intensively with the category of youth and young people during the modern and contemporary periods. This symposium is a chance to explore this theme and learn together.

Participants: Susie Andrews, Mount Allison University; Kimberley Beek, McMaster University; Casey Collins, University of British Columbia; Melissa Curley, Ohio State University; Natasha Heller, University of Virginia; Raymond Lam, Buddhistdoor Global; Jessica Main, University of British Columbia; Vanessa Sasson, Marianopolis College; Justin Stein, University of Toronto; Joanne Yuasa, Vancouver Buddhist Temple.

This symposium is the 7th Annual Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation Conference, and it is hosted by UBC’s Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society.

To Register

The symposium is open to interested students, faculty, and members of the public. Lunch, dinner, and refreshments will be provided to attendees; the registration fee is $35 for faculty and local participants (the fee will be waived for undergraduate and graduate students).

Registration is Closed
Access & Accomodations

Welcome to the beautiful University of British Columbia, located in scenic Vancouver, Canada. At UBC, you are far from the noise and traffic of the city, yet only 20 minutes away by car from downtown.

Access & Accomodations

Saturday, November 4, 2017

10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Session 1: Literary Adventures

Chair and Moderator: Natasha Heller, University of Virginia

  • Susie Andrews, Mount Allison University
  • Kimberly Beek, McMaster University
  • Melissa Anne-Marie Curley, Ohio State University
  • Vanessa Sasson, Marianopolis College

LUNCH BREAK

Session 2: Organizing the Youth

Chair and Moderator: Jessica L. Main, University of British Columbia

  • Raymond Lam, Buddhistdoor Global
  • Justin Stein, Bukkyō University
  • Jessica L. Main, University of British Columbia
  • Joanne Yuasa, Vancouver Buddhist Temple
  • Casey Collins, University of British Columbia

DINNER BREAK

Natasha Heller
Natasha HellerAssociate Professor of Chinese Religions, University of Virginia
Natasha Heller, Associate Professor of Chinese Religions, teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on Buddhism in the context of the social, cultural and intellectual history of China, in both the pre-modern period (10th through 15th c.) and the contemporary era.

6:30 – 8:00 PM KEYNOTE ADDRESS

“How to Read a Buddhist Picture Book (if you are not a kid)”

The Buddhist picture book is a uniquely late 20th – early 21st century artifact, as much product of global social and cultural forces as part of Buddhist literature. Taking one Taiwanese children’s book as a case study, this talk will offer a close reading, from front cover to back cover, to show the different discourses—historical and contemporary, religious and secular—at play.