Students Found Buddhist Society

Buddhist students at Harvard, untill now forced to check "other" on religious affiliation cards can take heart--a new organization specifically dedicated to Buddhism has been founded.

Formally recognized this fall by the Divinity School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the new group, the Harvard Buddhist Community, is the only organization on campus for practicing Buddhists.

"We felt it was time," said board member Duncan R. Williams, a first year doctoral candidate in the Study of Religion and an ordained Soto Zen Buddhist monk.

"We were concerned with the lack of recognition of the contributions and presence of Buddhist students, faculty and staff," Williams said. "Buddhist students were feeling left out of the religious life at Harvard."

Primary aims of the community, according to Williams, include creating a non-sectarian forum for Buddhist students, allowing contact between ordained members and lay people, sponsoring educational forums and considering and acting upon issues in the outside world.

Two of the nine members of the board are lay people, while the seven ordained members represent several different lineages of Buddhism, he said.

Williams emphasized the inclusive nature of the community. "The underlying premise, the spirit we wanted to imbue the group with was non-sectarian," he said.

"We want other religious people to come and see our activities," said board member Reverend Hwagong Hwang, a second-year candidate for a Masters in Theological Studies at the Divinity School and a Korean Son Buddhist monk.

The first general meeting of the community took place last Wednesday at the Rockefeller Refectory. "We expected 30 people, but more than 40 came,"Hwang said.

Two general meetings are held each year, one inthe fall and one in the spring, while boardmembers meet once a month.

Events will be scheduled on an irregular basis,organizers said. Hwang said one problem is thatthe group does not have a temple in which toworship.

Soon the community will organize anon-sectarian worship service which will includeaspects of many different Buddhist lineages,Williams said.

Although the community is primarily a graduateorganization, Williams said, members hope it willbecome University-wide. Brian P. Betty '97, whoattended the first meeting, said he appreciatedthe existence of the group.

"I've been getting together with otherundergraduates, and we were planning on forming aclub ourselves, but as first-years that would havebeen a headache. It's nice to have something toattend," Betty said.

Organizers said that at fall 1994 registration,religious interest cards distributed by the UnitedMinistry will include Buddhism as a separatecategory for the first time

Two general meetings are held each year, one inthe fall and one in the spring, while boardmembers meet once a month.

Events will be scheduled on an irregular basis,organizers said. Hwang said one problem is thatthe group does not have a temple in which toworship.

Soon the community will organize anon-sectarian worship service which will includeaspects of many different Buddhist lineages,Williams said.

Although the community is primarily a graduateorganization, Williams said, members hope it willbecome University-wide. Brian P. Betty '97, whoattended the first meeting, said he appreciatedthe existence of the group.

"I've been getting together with otherundergraduates, and we were planning on forming aclub ourselves, but as first-years that would havebeen a headache. It's nice to have something toattend," Betty said.

Organizers said that at fall 1994 registration,religious interest cards distributed by the UnitedMinistry will include Buddhism as a separatecategory for the first time