Monastic and Contemplative Encounter Group

Abstract

The Buddhist-Christian Monastic and Comtemplative Encounter Group had its first meeting at the Third International Buddhist-Christian Conference held at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, California, in August of 1987. Two of the organizers of the larger international conference, Professors Durwood Foster and David Chappell, asked me to organize a special section for studying the striking phenomenon of encounter between Buddhist and Christian monks and nuns during the past two decades. The response to the initial call for papers was much greater than expected: the result was one of the largest and most vigorous groups of the conference. Some thirty scholars, monks, nuns, and enthusiastic lay men and women came together for five days of presentations and discussions which attracted more attention and participation than any other section at the conference of some 750 registered members. The special characteristic of the Group was that it did more than read, listen to, and discuss papers. Living together in the secluded Dominican priory of St. Albert's, the members meditated or prayed together each morning, had their meals together, and gathered in the evenings for informal discussions. The Buddhist-Christian Monastic and Contemplative Encounter Group was born in this fashion. It now has a membership of some 125 scholars, monks, nuns, and laypeople from almost every Buddhist and Christian tradition in some twenty countries. Papers given at the Group's section of the international conference included representative leaders from both Christian and Buddhist monasticism and world-renowned scholars as well. The Catholic lecturers included Archabbot Notker Wolf, OSB; the Vatican's representative, Rev. Pierre de Bethune, OSB; Prof. Jean Leclercq, OSB; Sister Pascaline Coff, OSB; and others. On the Buddhist side, able presentations by Yamada Koun Roshi, Rev. Samu Sunim, Rev. Soho Machida, and several young Buddhist scholars made for lively discussion. Prof. Robert A. F. Thurman of Amherst College gave an interpretive lecture