Can we find Buddhist values in everyday life such as in contemporary music like Hip Hop and R&B? Yes, we can! This GSS, Rev. Dr. Takashi Miyaji will take a look at three different songs that can speak to some Buddhist points and show that the phenomenon of music is actually not necessarily something we create but the world of creation and spontaneity flowing through us. In the same way, Buddhism teaches us that the world of absolute truth is not something we come to attain and realize, but rather, it is a phenomenon that reveals itself through us. Join us as we revisit this Guest Speaker Series.

Meet the Speaker: Rev. Dr. Takashi Miyaji is currently a minister at Southern Alameda County Buddhist Church, where he has served since August 2020. In addition, he teaches at the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) in Berkeley. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Japanese language and literature. He received a Master’s in Buddhist Studies from IBS and a Master’s in Shin Buddhist Studies from Ryūkoku University in Kyoto. He has completed his doctoral coursework at Ryūkoku.