BD Dipananda It has now been 13 years since I balanced the duality of a monastic and a academic life and I have several key observations to share. Values of Celibacy As a Monk First, my on-going celibacy is the most dramatic hall mark of difference in my life amongst the secular laity. I have come […]
BD Dipen
Acclamation from the Buddhist Community: West Bengal Gets a Holiday on the Day of Buddha Purnima
BD Dipananda On 15 February, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, India, declared “Buddha Purnima” as a state holiday this year onward. The Buddha Purnima usually falls on the full moon in the month of either in April or May in the Gregorian calibration which marks the important events of the Buddha’s life: […]
Building a Community of Buddhist Studies Students at Fo Guang University, Taiwan
BD Dipananda On 17 December last year, I travelled with a group of post graduate students and researchers from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to a Buddhist conference. This was the 2016 Buddhist Studies Graduates Students’ Conference organized by the Department of Buddhist Studies of the Fo Guang University (FGU), also known as the […]
My Journey to Become a Monk
In Bangladesh, a short term monastic experience is highly regarded by every male Buddhist. Some join the monastic order permanently as a result, while others may give up the aspiration of monkhood to fulfill personal obligations. In 2003, after receiving permission from my parents, I entered into monastic life at the age of 15. It […]
Reflections on a Bengali Community in California
In June this year, I was invited to present a paper to the 10th International Conference on Conflict Education at the Ohio State University in Ohio, USA. En route to my destination, I made a stop to call on the Bengali Buddhist community at Long Beach in Los Angeles, California. This was on the recommendation […]