The Monastery of the 4th (Chan) Patriarch rests in a quiet valley surrounded by the farmland and lush mountains of Southern China’s Hubei Province. This mountain valley was the location of Zen’s first monastic community, once known as Shuangfeng in Huangmei. It sits at the heart of one of China’s most influential Buddhist regions.

China’s Buddhist communities are thriving, and some historic places referred to in texts such as the “Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch,” “Blue Cliff Records” and other seminal Buddhist scriptures are now communities where monks and nuns live, study and practice. One of these places is the 4th Patriarch Monastery.

The Antioch Education Abroad Buddhist Studies in China program provides students the opportunity to interact, practice and study with residents of China’s modern Buddhist communities, in some of Chinese Buddhism’s most important historic locations. The program focuses on understanding Buddhism’s earliest introduction to China and the conditions that led to the development of uniquely Chinese schools of Buddhist thought, practice and expression. 

Students live in the monastery of Master Daoxin, the 4th Patriarch of the Chan school, who was active early in the 7th century. Participants study the theory and meditation practices of three major Chinese Buddhist schools:

• Tiantai (Tendai)
• Chan (Zen)
• Jingtu (Pure Land)

The program consists of four components:

1. Core Courses
2. Language
3. Meditation Traditions
4. Independent Study: Selected Topics

Participants are encouraged to engage in the practices and daily life of Chinese Buddhists while taking courses grounded in Western academic perspectives and research techniques. Courses are taught by resident Antioch faculty as well as visiting scholars from Chinese universities. Outings to surrounding Buddhist communities and historic places allow students to experience life in a variety of Buddhist environments and regions of China. What better place to explore the unique qualities of Chinese Buddhism but in the very locations where these traditions claim their roots?

  Please Note: This program is currently in development. Please continue to visit our website for updates.