Khyentse Foundation, a nonprofit founded by the renowned Bhutanese lama, filmmaker, and author Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, has announced that it will mark its 25th anniversary this year* with a lecture by the distinguished American scholar of Buddhism Prof. Donald S. Lopez on the theme “Buddhism Past, Present, and Future.”
Prof. Lopez’s lecture will be conducted in person at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco on 6 March, and live-streamed via Zoom. The event is the 34th in a series of talks held in honor of long-time Khyentse Foundation friend and advisor Professor Steven D. Goodman (1945–2020).**
“Prof. Lopez will examine what in Buddhism are called “the three times”—past, present, and future,” Khyentse Foundation explained in an announcement. “However, his focus will be more limited than the traditional Buddhist systems of cosmic time.
“The past will refer to the time when scholars of Steven Goodman’s generation began their study and practice of Buddhism. The present will refer to the contemporary state of Buddhism as represented by the 33 previous lectures in the Goodman series. The future will refer to the role that Buddhism will play in the times that lie ahead.”
Khyentse Foundation was founded by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in 2001 with the aim of promoting the Buddha’s teaching and supporting all traditions of Buddhist study and practice. The foundation’s activities include major text preservation and translation projects, support for monastic colleges in Asia, a worldwide scholarship and awards program, development of Buddhist studies at major universities, training and development for Buddhist teachers, and developing new modes of Dharma-inspired education for children.
In its quarter-century of Dharma activity, the foundation has established a multitude of Dharma-based initiatives and projects in the realms of translation, academia, text preservation, training, and beyond, as well as establishing networks of support for Buddhist teachers, scholars, and practitioners.
“Buddhism Past, Present, and Future” by Prof. Donald Lopez will be live-streamed at the following times:
Auckland: 1:30pm, Saturday, 7 March
Canberra: 11:30am, Saturday, 7 March
Seoul, Tokyo: 9:30am, Saturday, 7 March
Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei: 8:30am, Saturday, 7 March
Bangkok, Jakarta: 7:30am, Saturday, 7 March
New Delhi: 6am, Saturday, 14 February
Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Stockholm: 1:30am, Saturday, 7 March
London: 12:30am, Saturday, 7 March
Montreal, New York: 7:30pm, Friday, 6 March
San Francisco, Vancouver: 4:30pm, Friday, 6 March
Click here to register online attendance
Prof. Lopez is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished university professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the University of Michigan’s Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has authored several books, most recently Buddhism: A Journey through History and The Buddha: Biography of a Myth (Yale University Press).
Khyentse Foundation’s achievements over the last quarter century include: more than 15 million pages of Buddhist texts preserved and made available online; education provided for the children of more than 1,000 families; support for Buddhist studies at more than 35 major universities through endowed chairs and professorships, graduate support, and the establishment of Buddhist studies centers; more than US$1 million in sponsorship for Buddhist teacher-training granted; sacred Buddhist texts translated into more than 15 languages, thanks to the efforts of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, the Kumarajiva Project, and the Khyentse Vision Project; over US$1.8 million in funding granted to uphold Buddhism in its mother countries, including grassroots partnerships to revitalize interest in Buddhism in India; more than 2,000 scholarships and awards in recognition of excellence in Buddhist study and practice; support for over 3,000 monks and nuns to maintain the tradition of Buddhist scholarship in a monastic setting; and more than 120 open-access Ashoka and Trisong grants distributed to support Dharma and well-being programs.
* Khyentse Foundation to Celebrate 25 Years of Serving the Buddhadharma in 2026 (BDG)
** Khyentse Foundation Launches Goodman Lecture Series (BDG)
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