TechoBuddha Seminar
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TechnoBuddha Conference 2010: Evolution
TechnoBuddha 2010 is on its way! Join young adults from across the U.S. for the third annual TechnoBuddha Conference, April 16-18 at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, California. For young people aged 21-39, this is a unique opportunity to gather, make friends with similar spiritual interests, and learn about Buddhism and important life skills.
We are lucky that many young Buddhists attend college and begin successful professional careers, but doing so often means moving away from home and one's home temple. Life also puts demands on young people that make it harder to build a life that includes the temple. The TechnoBuddha Conference (originally the Generation Y Seminar), organized by the Center for Buddhist Education, aims to bring us together to reconnect with each other and with Buddhism.
In addition to keynote addresses by enthusiastic and engaging ministers and wide-ranging discussions on Buddhism, the conference planning committee (made up of past attendees) lines up an interesting and diverse array of workshops that this year will include everything from Taiko to public speaking to the rituals of Jodo Shinshu. There's always plenty of good food provided with the help of some of the families in the area, good times with friends, new and old, and good opportunities to share and make the Dharma more meaningful for all of us. We may be far from home, but being part of a caring community is never far away.
In addition to the organized portion of the day, we also take some time off Saturday night to enjoy the Berkeley nightlife–which can be anything from bookstores to bars. Saturday night is all about unwinding from the day together before a Sunday morning service at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple, and a wrap-up of the conference.
The name TechnoBuddha reflects our lives. We are a generation whose entire social and business landscape has been shaped by the information technology revolution. Our religious landscape has, too: our committee meets entirely by teleconference, gathering face-to-face just once a year at the Jodo Shinshu Center for the conference itself. Rev. Harry Gyoko Bridge, the resident minister at Oakland and last year’s keynote speaker, spoke to us about how the Dharma interacts so critically with the ways in which we communicate, and how we can think about it in new ways, such as his regular podcast.
The theme for 2010 is Evolution, reflecting the change and growth in our lives and those around us. Many of us are finishing up education, going back for something new, starting and growing our careers, or perhaps changing tracks entirely. Dealing with that change is something we can share and celebrate together, and something that Buddhism can help us embrace. Coming together at the conference in April we hope to be able to explore the evolution in our lives together with Rev. David Matsumoto of Berkeley Buddhist Temple, the keynote speaker for 2010.
As a past attendee and committee member, I have enjoyed cooking and eating with new friends, the engaging discussion and workshop leaders, and the lively atmosphere that happens when you get people together who have something in common. All are welcome: our conference has had attendees whose first exposure to Buddhism was the conference, and those who grew up with Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. We've welcomed lawyers, engineers, schoolteachers, and students. Attendees have also come from northern, central, and southern California, and this year we hope to encourage more young adults who want to reconnect with the Buddhist community from outside of California.
If you are interested in attending, contact the Co-Chairs for 2010: Tommy Koga (tskoga@gmail.com) and Stacey Nakashima (sf14nak@gmail.com). More information and the registration form will be available on the Center for Buddhist Education website: http://www.bcasites.net
In Gassho,
Brad Ito
Gardena Buddhist Church
(originally from Aiea Hongwanji in Hawaii)
Yesterday
