Workshop: Connecting with Vancouver Buddhist Communities
held on December 15, 2009 at the Institute of Asian Research.
25 leaders and organizers from different Buddhist communities in the Vancouver area, including those affiliated with Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Southeast Asian Theravada, Tibetan, and Engaged Buddhist traditions, came together on December 15, 2009. Discussions ranged from the possibility of holding joint academic and religious events, to building a network within the community for social activities. All agreed that this was the first time that anyone had attempted to create a network of Buddhist communities in Vancouver. As a result of our discussions, the Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program agreed to organize a mailing list for organizers and event planners, as well as a public ommunity calendar. It is hoped that these new connections will bear fruit in the near future in a series of activities planned to coincide with the “Buddhism in Canada: Global Causes, Local Conditions” conference, to be held in October 2010.
Participants expressed support of any means to increase communication between Buddhist groups, and showed a keen interest to explore mutual interests through networking. There was great enthusiasm about the possibility of joint events, such as temple or centre “open houses,” a “Buddhism Walk,” Buddhist film festival, joint Vesak, and many others. In addition, many present indicated a desire to share resources (such as libraries, facilities, documentary film, and publications). Discussions were wide-ranging. Issues such as the language barriers between different Buddhist groups, especially for new Candaian arrivals, the lack of a shared annual ceremony and its influence on community solidarity, the lack of reliable information about Buddhist traditions in public discourse, and past experiences with classes visiting temples from universities were all commented upon . Many participants hoped that up-to-date, accurate information about Buddhism in the Vancouver area become increasingly publically available.
The workshop’s fruitful discussions came to a close with participants looking forward to our next meeting.