Message from jschilp

The US-China Institute this summer reaped great benefits for me and consequently my students. From the information on the LA World Trade Center to Professor Meeks’ information on Buddhism and beyond, I feel like I have a better understanding of the role of China and much of Asia and their interplay with the US. It was also a big bonus to hear about the various religions around the region and how the play out here. Of course, it’s always a pleasure to hear about and sample foods.
The most beneficial part of the week for me was the information on Buddhism. As someone raised Catholic and curious about other religions & philosophies since my teen years, I’d tried to read & understand the Buddhist way long ago but I suppose I just wasn’t ready for it yet. This is why I appreciate Professor Meeks as much as I do. My understanding is deeper and easily communicatable at this point and will help deliver better perspectives and literature on Buddhism to my classes. The articles she provided are also great vehicles to bring to my more advanced students in order for them to see how Buddhism continues to spread throughout the Americas.
Now that I’ve gotten a taste of what these seminars are all about, I will most likely continue to attend in order to expand my knowledge of the East and gain a deeper appreciation for cultures about which I know some but wish to build my knowledge base in order to expose my students to these brilliant ways of life that are often wholly left out of high school curricula.