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On October 27, 1994, the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association established a Way-place near the University of California at Berkeley. The Venerable Master gave his vision for the new Way-place:
Call it the “Institute for World Religions.” I’ve told you for years about my plans to establish a World Religions Center, and this is it. The purpose of the Institute is to study religions in harmony with other faiths. We do not oppose anyone’s religion, nor do we reject anyone’s religion. Rather, we investigate the truths of religion together with other creeds and schools. The capacity of our minds should expand to propagate the limitless and boundless spirit of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB). Don’t let your mind be too narrow. Use the Six Guidelines of the CTTB as the catalyst for your investigation.
The Master continued,
This temple will include a public forum where we come to deepen our understanding of religion. We will invite other religious individuals in to present their ideas and practices. The important part is to look into the principles of each different idea or custom. If you can reach that level, then people will come spontaneously, by themselves. If you don’t investigate principles, then the finest of Buddha images or aesthetic environments won’t suffice to bring them in the door.
We were especially inspired by the Master’s instuctions regarding the programs he wanted set up at Berkeley:
The format can combine a meditation period every morning and evening, followed by a forum for the discussion of religion in the evenings. In the classes when there are more Catholics present, you can learn about Catholicism; when there are more Jews, you can learn Judaism, or Islam, or Confucianism, etc. Invite well-known religious spokespersons to give their presentations. We are the hosts and facilitators, but not the only ones who teach there. Investigate other religions with a whole-hearted, open spirit of cooperation.
Following the tradition of all temples and branches of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery maintains a full daily monastic schedule including morning and evening recitation, and the noon meal offering. It offers as well weekly Sutra lectures and meditation classes in English and Mandarin. In its first year of operation the Institute for World Religions, following the letter and the spirit of the Venerable Master’s instructions, offered the following public programs and lectures free of charge to the East Bay community:
Two meditation hours daily: open to the public
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Jewish-Buddhist-Christian trialogue with Dr. Glenn Bucher, President of the Graduate Theological Union, and Prof. Daniel Matt
of the Center for Jewish Studies
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Weekly Chan Meditation Instruction that has taught nearly 1500 students since the first class.
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Guest lectures from Ven. Ajahn Sumedho, Ven. Ajahn Sucitto, Ven. Ajahn Amaro and other monks and nuns from the Amaravati
Buddhist Centre, England.
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Challenge to Spiritual Traditions: An interfaith dialogue between a Franciscan priest and two Theravadan Buddhist Bhikkhus,
Ven. Ajahn Amaro, and Ven. Bhante Madawala Seelawimala, moderated by the Christian theologian Durward Foster.
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Father Kenan Osborne, Franciscan Catholic priest and the late Father John Rogers of Humboldt State University, in conversation
with Buddhists.
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Weekly gathering of Chochmat Halev, the Movement for Jewish Renewal.
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Science and Spirituality Seminars with quantum physicists from UC Berkeley.
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Six evening discussions by Ahimsa, a Vedanta-based Hindu group from the University of California, Berkeley: programs such as “Gandhi and the Principles of Non-violence.”
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Buddhist Women’s Practice Seminars led by the nuns of the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association.
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Vipassana Meditation Group led by James Baraz of Spirit Rock Center.
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UC Berkeley Chinese Buddhist Society Practice and Discussion Group.
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Vietnamese Buddhist Community Programs.
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