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Antioch: Buddhist Studies in Japan

The goal of the Buddhist Studies Program is to introduce students to the history, doctrine, and diverse cultural expressions of Buddhism in Japan. Students have the opportunity to study Buddhist theory and participate in Buddhist meditative and chanting practices, as well as learn the Japanese language and explore their own academic interests through a directed research project. Participants spend the majority of the time in Japan living in Buddhist monasteries and temples. In this setting they gain firsthand experience of the Japanese Buddhist traditions of meditative Zen, esoteric Shingon, and faith-oriented True Pure Land (Shin) through daily life, ritual, and seminar.

The city of Kyoto, the principal location, is a sacred pilgrimage site for Buddhists throughout Japan. Over 2,000 Buddhist temples and monasteries have been established in Kyoto over the course of the last 1,500 years. In addition, there are several Buddhist universities in the city where male and female clerics, together with lay scholars, live and conduct research.

Students are encouraged to explore the subject of Japanese Buddhism from various points of view. Western academic models are used in the academic courses, while Buddhist teachings associated with the Zen, Shingon and True Pure Land (Shin) schools are put into practice in the Practice and Theory of Buddhism course. As participant-observers, students are asked to examine their own cultural and intellectual assumptions as they pursue these studies in a challenging and supportive environment.

As students reside in a working monastery, there is a strict behavioral code. 

For more information, contact an or Antioch in Japan. Students should consult their major department for approval.