Cambridge University Buddhist Society
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge University Buddhist Society is a student-run society
at Cambridge University, England. It is the second oldest Buddhist society in Britain and the first run by students, and has provided Cambridge's diverse community with exposure to Buddhist thought, tradition and practice since its founding in 1955.
tripos
and related subjects with knowledge of languages the original texts, including Pali
and Sanskrit
. CUBS published a widely circulated journal, KALPA, to promote dialogue on topics raised.
In the 1970s, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
became the society's Honorary President. Meditation
as a form of training for spiritual and mental well-being received higher profile during this period, attracting many students to undertake meditative practice. Numerous meditation classes are now undertaken in Cambridge, allowing students to study under several Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions.
In recent years, racial composition of the society has changed considerably as a result of increasing proportion of foreign students admitted to the university. Students from Thailand
, Sri Lanka
and other South Asian countries, as well as the People's Republic of China, now form a majority proportion of the membership. This has resulted in a greater emphasis placed on cultural and devotional
practices associated with Buddhism.
.
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
at Cambridge University, England. It is the second oldest Buddhist society in Britain and the first run by students, and has provided Cambridge's diverse community with exposure to Buddhist thought, tradition and practice since its founding in 1955.
Evolution of Focus
Since its original founding, the identity and activities associated with the Buddhist society have changed significantly to reflect changing interests of its general membership. Originally a forum for academic and philosophical debate on issues treated in Buddhist literature, the society in its original form drew largely on students of the Oriental StudiesOriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
tripos
Tripos
The University of Cambridge, England, divides the different kinds of honours bachelor's degree by Tripos , plural Triposes. The word has an obscure etymology, but may be traced to the three-legged stool candidates once used to sit on when taking oral examinations...
and related subjects with knowledge of languages the original texts, including Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. CUBS published a widely circulated journal, KALPA, to promote dialogue on topics raised.
In the 1970s, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
became the society's Honorary President. Meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
as a form of training for spiritual and mental well-being received higher profile during this period, attracting many students to undertake meditative practice. Numerous meditation classes are now undertaken in Cambridge, allowing students to study under several Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions.
In recent years, racial composition of the society has changed considerably as a result of increasing proportion of foreign students admitted to the university. Students from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and other South Asian countries, as well as the People's Republic of China, now form a majority proportion of the membership. This has resulted in a greater emphasis placed on cultural and devotional
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
practices associated with Buddhism.
Activities
At present, the society's main activities involve organisation of talks and discussions by members of the Buddhist community: scholars, meditation teachers, writers, and Buddhist monks. All society events are open to all visitors and are currently free of charge; donations towards society expenses are treated as a form of DānaDana
-Singers:Some singers are popularly known only by the name, Dana:* Dana Rosemary Scallon , Irish-American singer and politician* Dana , Korean pop singer* Dana International , Israeli pop singer-In fiction:...
.