The Department of Wisdom Traditions joins academic study with personal experience through contemplative practice and analytical investigation. Students engage in the study of history, contemplative practices, philosophy, ethics, myths and symbols, literature, language, art, and culture. Long-established methods of teaching traditional arts and ancient texts are coupled with experiential learning and contemporary methods of academic and contemplative rigor. Whether in graduate or undergraduate programs, students thrive in programs designed to foster openness to diverse perspectives and compassionate engagement with our ever-changing world.
The Department of Wisdom Traditions is comprised of three related disciplinary areas: Religious Studies, the exploration of religious phenomena with a particular emphasis on their contemplative dimensions; the Master of Divinity Program, grounded in Buddhist philosophy and practice with an emphasis on interfaith community care and leadership; Contemplative Martial Arts and Yoga Studies, centered on the integrative mind/body disciplines of Aikido, Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan), and Yoga.
“Spirituality is simply a means of arousing one’s spirit, of developing a kind of spiritedness. Through that you begin to have greater contact with reality. You are not afraid of discovering what reality is all about, and you are willing to explore your individual energy. You actually choose to work with the essence of your existence, which could be called genuineness.”
—Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, in Speaking of Silence: Christians and Buddhists on the Contemplative Way, ed.Susan Walker (New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1987).
