Presented by the Institute of Buddhist Studies
🗓️ September 30, 2026 @ 4:00pm PST / 7:00pm EST
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How Do We Meet Each Other?
A Series of Black-Asian Dialogues in Buddhist America
Shin Buddhism and Black Culture: A Conversation with Dean Takashi Miyaji
Rev. Dr. Takashi Miyaji has been a minister since 2014 and currently works as a part-time minister at the Southern Alameda Count Buddhist Church in Union City, CA. In addition, since 2020, he has taught as a professor at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California.
This conversation series brings Black and Asian-American Buddhist scholars and practitioners together for honest dialogue about what it means to practice Buddhism in America today. These conversation partners aim to create bridges and ask nuanced questions — about ancestral practices and culture, about appropriation and erasure, and about what it means to evolve the Buddhist tradition to meet the current moment.
Each conversation is also a practice in itself: honoring the cultural roots each person brings, building real political solidarity, and growing a Buddhist community rooted in both care and accountability.
Hosted by Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad, IBS Research Fellow
Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Buddhist Studies and the Founding Director of the Initiative for Black Buddhist Studies. She is the author of three books and several academic articles on Buddhism and Black culture, as well as religious approaches to systemic violence.
This series is generously funded by the Henry J. Luce Foundation.