Buddhist Forum 2014

Buddhism in New York:

Challenges and Opportunities

Special thanks to:

The Temple of Enlightenment for hosting the Buddhist forum 2014;

Dhammakaya Meditation Center for generous donation to support the Buddhist forum;

Committee members: Rev. Dr. T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki, Rev. Dr. Robert Kaku Gunn, Upasika Pat Inlarp, and Sylvie Sun, for organizing the forum.

January 18, 2014, at 9:30am – 3:30pm

www.BuddhistCouncilNY.org Temple of Enlightenment 3070 Albany Crescent, Bronx, NY 10463

Forum Schedule Venerable Kottawe Nanda, the resident monk

9:30am Registration of the center was born in Sri Lanka in 1966. Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1977 he received his higher 10:00am Welcome, orientation and introduction – Buddha Hall ordination in 1985. Ven. Nanda had his primary 10:30am Panel Presentation - issues on intra-Buddhist relations education at the Sri Nanananda Vanavasa Buddhist and Buddhist-Muslim relations Institute, Waturuwila, Sri Lanka from 1977 to 1983 11:30am Lunch - dining room (downstairs) under the most Venerable Waturuwila Sri Ñanananda, 1:00pm Group Discussion I– Buddha Hall, Guan-Yin Room, Library the Maha Nayake Thero of the Syamopali Vanavasa 2:30pm Break Nikaya (Forest-dwelling-sect). He earned a Tripitakavedi Degree 2:40pm Group Discussion II - Action plans (Bachelor of Tripitaka) at the University of Anuradhapura in 3:30pm Sharing plans together – Buddha Hall 1989 and a Master’s degree in from the University of 4:00pm Closing Kelaniya in 1991.

Speakers for the Forum Panel Imam Ibrahim Sayar is the director of the Center for Interfaith affairs at Peace Islands Institute, and he is also the president of the universal is a Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, PhD, foundation. Imam Sayar has been actively involved in Buddhist monk from New York. He was ordained in Sri Spiritual life since his High school education at Imam Lanka in 1972 and lived in Asia for almost twenty-five and preachers High Scholl in Turkey. He has a years. He now lives at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, bachelor’s degree from Harran University, Turkey, New York. Ven. Bodhi has many important publications and Masters Degree in Psychology from Concordia to his credit, including translations of three of the University, Chicago. He worked for Turkish American Nikayas, the collected discourses of the Buddha. In 2008, Cultural Alliance at Chicago as the religious leader of he founded Buddhist Global Relief, which provides relief the Turkish community for three years until 2005. 2005-2011 He worked to people afflicted by chronic hunger and malnutrition. In 2013 he became as the director of Boston Dialogue Foundation. Meanwhile he also worked president of the Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS). at Children’s hospital as a Chaplain. He has been active in interfaith work for more than 12 years. Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, PhD, is the Abbot of The

Village in downtown . A Soto priest and contemporary American Zen Teacher, she integrates Buddhist Council of New York

traditional meditation and practice with social The Buddhist Council of New York, founded in 1985, is an association of engagement and peacemaking. She is a Founding Teacher Buddhist temples and organizations whose mission is to foster dialogue, of the Zen Peacemaker Order. She taught for many years cooperation. The mission of the Buddhist Council of New York is to foster at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, dialogue, cooperation and unity within the Buddhist Community in New York centering on social issues and new media. Roshi O’Hara’s writing has appeared in Tricycle, Turning Wheel, Shambhala Sun, area, as well as to observe (commemorating the Birth, Enlightenment Buddhadharma, and other Buddhist journals. and of Shakyamuni Buddha) each year.