SEATTLE—A conference focusing on applying Buddhist principles to important social issues such as race, class, and resistance was held over the weekend in Los Angeles. The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles hosted a Conference on Buddhist Ethics from 8–10 June, featuring 34 scholars from around the world, including Canada, Japan, and the UK, and organized by USC professor of religion Ven. Rongdao.

The Conference on Buddhist Ethics follows a 2016 conference on the same topic hosted at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. The event was sponsored by Tong Fa Temple and Malton Group, and was co-sponsored by the USC School of Religion, the Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religion and Culture, the USC East Asian Religion Studies Center, and the Center for International Studies at USC.

“In conceiving this conference, we were thinking that we really wanted to invite people working in different disciplines, covering different geographic areas, and working on different time periods,” said Ven. Rongdao. “We have scholars from as far as Japan, the UK, and quite a few from Canada. I’m excited to welcome everyone to USC.” (Daily Trojan)

Following the 2016 conference, organizer Ven. Rongdao sought out a diverse group of scholars, ranging in areas of academic specialization, geographic focus, and different stages of their careers. The conference focus on race, class, and resistance was aimed at helping to nurture a healthy global community and promoting Buddhist ethics as part of conversations on contemporary issues. Scholars presented perspectives from doctrinal sources, historical evidence, and anthropological fieldwork around the world.

“We really wanted to invite people who worked in different disciplines,” Ven. Rongdao said. “We have an even number of male and female scholars. We have a balanced number of people in different stages of their career, so we have senior scholars in the field, [and] we also have young scholars early in their career.” (Daily Trojan)