BCA Buddhist Education Resources

Center for Buddhist Education

Inspired by the legacy of Shinran Shonin, the mission of the Buddhist Churches of America – Center for Buddhist Education (CBE) is to provide diverse learning opportunities to deepen the understanding and appreciation of Buddha’s wisdom and compassion among Sangha leaders and the broader community.

As an educational arm of the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA), CBE offers programs to support the continuing education of BCA ministers, training of ministers assistants, temple leaders, Dharma School teachers, youth groups, affiliated organizations and others interested in exploring Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in America.

Institute of Buddhist Studies

Established in 1949, the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) provides graduate-level Buddhist education, ministerial and chaplaincy training, and other educational programs. In affiliation with the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., a fully accredited master’s degree in Buddhist Studies is offered. The IBS offers Jodo Shinshu ministerial training on behalf of the Buddhist Churches of America. In addition to formal degree programs or ministerial education, the IBS offers lectures and publications available to the lay public through its website.

Wheel of Dharma Publication

The Wheel of Dharma is the print pub­li­ca­tion of the BCA. This monthly pub­li­ca­tion fea­tures sto­ries about Jodo Shin­shu Bud­dhism, occa­sional arti­cles on gen­eral Bud­dhism, and church/temple news. This pub­li­ca­tion also includes a Japan­ese sec­tion called the “Horin.”

BCA Bookstore

The BCA Bookstore offers a wide variety of books in Pure Land, Zen, Theravada, Tiwwwn and other Buddhist traditions.  Topics range from introductions for beginners to translations of sutras for scholars.