Buddhist College of Canada Hosts Its 2nd Annual Open House

The Buddhist College of Canada held its second annual Open House and Program Showcase on June 7, 2025, at the Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden. This year’s event marked a significant milestone with the in-person attendance of Dr. HyeRan Kim-Cragg, Principal of Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. Joined by four instructors from the University of Toronto, Venerable Dayi, President of the Buddhist Association of Canada and Director of the Buddhist College of Canada, introduced the College’s distinctive curriculum that blends practical applications of the core teachings from the three major Buddhist traditions.

The event opened with a warm welcome from Venerable Dayi:

“Your presence here today reflects a shared commitment to the value of Buddhist education. This path is especially vital in today’s world—it fosters a life rooted in wisdom, compassion, and mindfulness.

Guided by the mission to ‘Realize the Mind, Enlighten the World,’ the Buddhist College is charting a forward-thinking blueprint that not only anchors itself in the present but also looks boldly to the future. Our vision is to foster global Buddhist leadership through cross-institutional partnerships and education rooted in authentic Buddhist traditions.”

Venerable Dayi also outlined the College’s three guiding pillars:

1. Upholding the Buddha’s true teachings;

2. Unifying the Theravāda, Vajrayāna, and Mahāyāna traditions;

3. Integrating theory into daily life to ensure that Buddhism is not merely studied, but truly lived.

Principal Kim-Cragg then addressed the audience:“As one of the world’s top 11 theological institutions and Canada’s most diverse and inclusive religious college, Emmanuel College is honoured to partner with the Buddhist College of Canada in delivering the Compassionate Canopy Continuing Education Program.”She recalled the profound impact of last year’s graduation ceremony, where heartfelt testimonies from students spoke volumes about the program’s transformative value. Dr. Kim-Cragg attributed its success to the exceptional leadership of Venerable Dayi, the dedicated teaching team at Emmanuel College, and the wholehearted commitment of the Buddhist Association of Canada.

She expressed full confidence that the second cohort of the Compassionate Canopy Continuing Education Program would continue to deliver impactful, transformative education.

The program’s four instructors then introduced the five upgraded courses for 2025. Continuing its emphasis on both academic study and spiritual practice, the curriculum now integrates wisdom from Theravāda, Vajrayāna, and Mahāyāna traditions with a focus on real-world application:

Dr. Eleanor Pontoriero presented Buddhist Mindfulness and Secular Mindfulness: bridging traditional meditation with contemporary psychology.

Dr. Henry Shiu introduced Chinese Buddhist Liturgy: a deep dive into the ceremonial heritage of Chinese Buddhism.

Dr. Jennifer Bright introduced two courses: Buddhism and Psychotherapy, exploring mental healing through Buddhist insights, and the new 2025 course Buddhism and Medicine, which examines the Buddhist perspective on life, illness, and holistic well-being.

Lama Linda Hochstetler discussed Tibetan Buddhist Views on Death and Dying: offering guidance on understanding life’s transitions through clarity, wisdom, and compassion.

Two graduates from the Class of 2024 delivered heartfelt reflections:

Mark Price shared how each course enriched his life with practical insights and personal growth, declaring that joining the Buddhist College of Canada was one of the best decisions he has ever made.

Amina Moon spoke emotionally about the program’s transformative impact on her worldview and life direction. She also announced her successful admission to Emmanuel College’s Master of Psychospiritual Studies program, made possible by her participation in the Compassionate Canopy program.

As one of Canada’s oldest and most established national Buddhist organizations, the Buddhist Association of Canada not only built the renowned Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden but also continues to provide a dedicated platform for spiritual cultivation and practice.

Emmanuel College, backed by nearly a century of theological education at the University of Toronto, has brought unparalleled academic rigor and global perspective to the partnership through its faculty expertise and robust educational infrastructure.

With the first Compassionate Canopy program having already illuminated the Canadian academic landscape with the light of Buddhist compassion, the 2025 cohort is now open for registration. As more students inquire and apply, this joint initiative by the Buddhist Association of Canada and Emmanuel College is poised to usher in a new era of Buddhist education in North America.

加拿大佛學院第二屆開放日暨宣講會圓滿舉辦

2025年6月7日，加拿大佛學院於加國五台山隆重舉辦第二屆開放日暨課程宣講會。本屆活動，多倫多大學維多利亞大學以馬內利學院（Emmanuel College）院長金慧蘭博士（Dr. HyeRan Kim-Cragg）首度親臨現場。加拿大佛教會會長、佛學院校董會主席達義大和尚和四位來自多倫多大學的講師共同介紹佛學院融合佛教三大語系精髓的實用佛學課程體系。

宣講會首先由加拿大佛教會會長、加拿大佛學院校董會主席達義大和尚致歡迎詞：「您今日的蒞臨，彰顯了我們對佛教教育價值的共同信念。在當今紛繁複雜的世界中，這條修法尤顯珍貴－－它引導我們以智慧、慈悲與正念，安頓身心，涵養人生。

弘揚佛陀正法；促進南傳、藏傳及漢傳佛教三大傳承之間的融合與團結；理論與實踐並重，讓佛法真正融入日常生活。

隨後，多倫多大學維多利亞大學以馬內利學院院長金慧蘭博士致辭：「作為全球排名前11的頂尖宗教學院之一，同時也是加拿大最多元、最具包容性的宗教學院，Emmanuel College非常榮幸能夠與加拿大佛學院攜手合作，共同推動「慈悲的傘蓋」再繼續教育項目。

校長也回憶了在去年的畢業典禮上聽到多位畢業生的動人分享帶來的感觸，深切感受到這項計畫的意義之深遠與成效之卓著，遠超預期。她深知，這項成果的取得，離不開達義大和尚卓越的領導力與遠見卓識，Emmanuel College講師團隊的專業投入，以及加拿大佛教會全體成員的辛勤努力。

她堅信，第二屆「慈悲的傘蓋」再繼續教育計畫將一如既往地取得圓滿成功，為更多學員帶來智慧與轉化的力量。

以馬內利學院的四位教授在隨後分別介紹了各自教授的5門課程。學院延續學修並重理念，2025年五大英語課程進行升級並深度整合漢傳、藏傳、南傳佛教智慧，聚焦社會實際應用：

Eleanor Pontoriero博士介紹了《佛教正念禪修與世俗正念實踐》：貫通傳統禪修與現代心理應用。

Henry Shiu博士介紹了《漢傳佛教儀軌》：研習千禧年宗風儀範。

Jennifer Bright博士介紹了《佛教與心理治療》：探索心靈療癒的佛學路徑和2025年全新課程《佛教與醫學》：幫助理解佛教對生命、疾病與身心健康的獨特視角和探索。

Linda Hochstetler 喇嘛介紹了《藏傳佛教對死亡與臨終的探討》： 明了以清明、智慧與慈悲之心理解生命與死亡的轉換歷程。

2024年畢業生代表 Mark Price 深情分享了他在佛學院的學習經驗與成長收穫。他逐一感謝了每一位授課教授，並講述了自己從每門課程中所獲得的實用智慧與啟發。他真誠地表示，選擇就讀佛學院是他人生中最正確的決定之一。

2024年畢業生代表 Amina Moon 也動情講述了她在佛學院學習期間的真實經歷，以及此計畫如何深刻地影響了她的生活軌跡與人生觀。她也很高興地分享了一個重要的轉捩點：在完成佛學院「慈悲的傘蓋」 再繼續教育計畫後，她順利申請並被多倫多大學的以馬內利學院的碩士計畫（Master of Psychospiritual Studies）錄取。

加拿大佛教會作為加拿大歷史最悠久、成就斐然的全國性佛教組織，除了已經名傳海內外的加國五台山道場的建設，也為有意探索佛學知識的學生，提供了精進修行的平台與宗教實踐的場所以及豐富的佛教多元化的機遇。

而世界頂尖學府多倫多大學維多利亞大學以馬內利學院，以近百年深厚積淀帶來的悠久宗教教育傳統與深厚學科底蘊，用最具國際視野的一流師資力量和成熟的宗教教育評估體系與實踐方法給予了本項目完備深厚的學術支持。

2024首屆 「慈悲的傘蓋」計畫已讓佛陀的慈悲之光點亮在加拿大高校，2025第二屆招生正式開啟，隨著眾生的踴躍諮詢和報名，佛陀的慈悲之光將再次點亮北美的星空。由加拿大佛教協會和以馬內利學院兩大頂尖機構強強聯手開創的北美佛教教育必將再次譜寫璀璨新篇。