The Center for Pragmatic Buddhism adopts a view of Buddhist education and practice that values contemporary relevance, historical analysis, personal development and social virtuosity. It is our view that Buddhist practice is relevant when it can be applied to one's daily life. Our primary motivation is to offer an approach to Buddhism that carries practical application and benefit for the American and Western lifestyle. We perceive a qualified Buddhist education as one that includes a proper survey of Buddhism's historical and cultural milieu, and embraces a contemporary understanding that offers informal and formal study and practice at CPB. This offering of both informal and formal study allows us to offer Buddhist practice to a wide audience. The ability of our participants to embrace their practice while maintaining a normal lifestyle out-in-the-world is seen as the preferred example of personally relevant and socially engaged Buddhism. Our weekly practices and online communication are intended to provide the practical tools necessary to apply what our members and guests value in the Buddhist approach to their own lives, to benefit self and other.
General
Practice & Study at CPB
Members and guests of CPB have the opportunity to
practice with us as often as they like, and need not be
Buddhist to participate and benefit from our approach to
personal development. In fact, most of our participants
do not consider Pragmatic Buddhism a religion. Our weekly
practices are designed to suit the needs of our
participants, and no prior training or background is
necessary. A simple interest in meditation and its health
benefits are reason enough to join us. An interest in
Buddhist thought and its ability to enhance one's current
understanding is an equally valid reason for
participating with CPB. Once one determines that our
practice at CPB is an effective way to cultivate positive
self-transformation, we encourage him or her to join us
in regular practice.
Formal
Practice & Study of Pragmatic Buddhism
If one decides that a more "formal" path in Buddhist
practice and study is a goal, CPB has designed a
curriculum of Buddhist education that will provide the
proper training for such an endeavor. Our Buddhist
education program is designed to train qualified teachers
in Pragmatic Buddhism. This program is a modern version
of a monastic path; while retaining a socially engaged
lifestyle, it is not the monastic setting that we value,
but one's commitment to Buddhist living and the life he
or she leads. The historical record indicates that the
Buddha taught that it is one's embracement of a positive
and harmonious lifestyle that allows the fruits of one's
practice to most directly benefit oneself and the rest of
society. Given the need for dedicated practitioners of
American Buddhism, the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism's
formal study of Buddhism embraces an educational
experience that is fully compatible with modern societal
demands. As such, our training is accessible to anyone
interested in applying a Buddhist lifestyle. The
accessibility of our formal Buddhist education is among
the revisions CPB has made through Pragmatic Buddhism.
Local training takes place at one of our chapters of CPB,
and "distance learning" education is also available
through our multimedia online training for formal
students and monks.
The emphasis of our Buddhist training is on learning how
to manage oneself to the best of one's ability and
circumstances in light of contemporary life in the United
States. Persons in the St. Louis area or those who have
online access may declare their intention to study
Pragmatic Buddhism as a formal
student. While we do embrace important traditional
elements in our formal education, we do not retain
elements that are no longer culturally relevant to us
today.
Three levels of formal education are used for regulative
purposes by CPB: novice, cleric and master. Each stage of
education is characterized by a particular emphasis on
practice. A novice focuses on the fundamental skills of
meditative practice and on the foundations of Buddhist
thought, while a cleric spends time learning how to
appropriately facilitate Pragmatic Buddhist practice,
including an intensive study of the major issues
pertaining to contemporary American Buddhism. Once a
cleric has had substantial experience guiding others in
Pragmatic Buddhism, he or she may be determined to be
competent as a teacher, thus being granted the
opportunity for continued training towards the master
rank. This final tier of education includes additional
readings in more detail and an original thesis that is
presented to the entire monastic body of the Order of
Pragmatic Buddhists (OPB). Each level of training is
associated with daily practice (zazen), weekly
communication with the other members of OPB, study of
required readings and completion of associated written
assessments. Also important to the formal training
process is refining our students' communication skills,
so that they may communicate effectively to others. CPB
certifies teachers of Pragmatic Buddhism according to
strict educational standards, corresponding to one's
level of Buddhist education. Proof of certification is
available from the Center for Pragmatic Buddhism, as well
as individual teachers of Pragmatic Buddhism. This formal
route is CPB's approach to training qualified novices,
clerics and masters in Pragmatic Buddhism.
If you have discerned that the Buddhist path taught at
CPB is right for you, we encourage you to contact our
Monastic Director, Jim Eubanks at jim.eubanks@gmail.com,
and to fill out an application for
formal study.
