Long-Haul

Namdrol Miranda Adams,Kevin Kecskes

doi:10.18060/23997

Abstract

For decades, community engagement scholars have built a robust body of knowledge that explores multiple facets of the higher education community engagement domain. More recently, scholars and practitioners from mainly Christian affiliated faith-based institutions have begun to investigate the complex inner world of community-engaged students’ meaning-making and spiritual development. While most of this fascinating cross-domain effort has been primarily based on “Western” influenced Judeo-Christian traditions, this study explores service-learning/community engagement themes, approaches, rationale, and strategies from an “Eastern” perspective based on the rich tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. This case study research focuses on curricular approaches, influences, and impacts of Buddhist philosophy/spirituality on community engagement endeavors in the context of Maitripa College, an urban graduate higher education institution located in Portland, OR. Researchers corroborate key findings from previous faith-based institutional studies as well as extend the literature in two specific areas: 1) providing strategies for and discussing the role of spiritual formation and development in relation to community engagement; and 2) the Buddhist view of seeing obstacles as opportunities (Thubten Zopa Rinpoche & ʼjig-Med-Bstan-Paʼi-Ñi-Ma, Rdo Grub-Chen III, 2001) as a way to increase effectiveness and harmony in all aspects of life, including academic service-learning endeavors.

Highlights

Community engagement scholars have built a robust body of knowledge that explores multiple facets of the higher education community engagement domain
Welch and Koth (2013) connect the domains of service-learning and students’ inner development with their highly useful metatheory of spiritual formation. While most of this fascinating cross-domain effort has been largely based on “Western” influenced Judeo-Christian traditions, this study explores similar themes, approaches, rationale, and strategies from an “Eastern” perspective based on the rich tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
Four metathemes that emerged from the data: (1) Service functions as a point of integration for students’ faith and faith-based education into their lives; (2) Service experience impacts students’ faith and spiritual formation; (3) The urban environment is an important container for such; and (4) Obstacles or barriers students encountered while engaging with community were viewed as opportunities for learning and growth

Summary

Introduction

Community engagement scholars have built a robust body of knowledge that explores multiple facets of the higher education community engagement domain. Scholars and practitioners from mainly Christian affiliated faith-based institutions have begun to investigate the complex inner world of community-engaged students’ meaningmaking and spiritual development While most of this fascinating cross-domain effort has been primarily based on “Western” influenced Judeo-Christian traditions, this study explores servicelearning/community engagement themes, approaches, rationale, and strategies from an “Eastern” perspective based on the rich tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Scholars have begun to explicate the ties between faith, service, and social justice (Dalton, 2007) and the impacts of religious beliefs on civic engagement activities (Kozlowski et al, 2014), to the best of our knowledge, no studies have explored the proposition of designing integrated curricula to intentionally develop students’ personal-spiritual formation in the context of Buddhist higher education community engagement. The internal environment of the College, with its ambiance of quiet and respectful activity more akin to a monastery than a traditional college campus, is juxtaposed with the busy streets just outside its doors

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Discussion

Conclusion