General

Started in 2011 under the direction of Khenpo Sodargye Rinpoche, World Youth Buddhist Society (WYBS) aims to provide an inclusive platform and to encourage a young generation of researchers, scholars and students to seek truth in the religion, culture and social practice field. WYBS exists in order to enable your voices to be heard through our two main causes: WYBS annual conference and traditional culture research projects.

More information could be found at www.khenposodargye.org, www.facebook.com/wybuddhist.

Aims

Aims of the World Youth Buddhist Society: Open, Tolerant, Truth-seeking and Altruistic.

In order to help more young people to understand the essence of Buddhism, we set up World Youth Buddhist Society which is a platform for mutual respect, equality, and the truth seeking. On this platform, everyone has the freedom to declare his views. To survive in this world, people not only need to open up the economy, but also need to open up their minds. We learn together, discuss with each other and cooperate with each other, and by doing so, great benefits will be brought to political, academic, and religious spheres. Whether you are Buddhists, non-Buddhists, or other religious believers, you are supposed to have an open, inclusive and altruistic heart – and this is exactly the central concept of the World Youth Buddhist Society.

——by Khenpo Sodargye Rinpoche, President of the World Youth Buddhist Society

Our Causes

The World Youth Buddhist Society (WYBS) is an open platform for communication. It is committed to the promotion of understanding, studying and practicing the essence of Buddhism among young people around the world. Founded by Khenpo Sodargye Rinpoche, the World Youth Buddhist Society will be adhering to the aims of open, tolerant, truth-seeking and altruistic, and will be expanding interdisciplinary and inter-religious dialogues on topics including environmental protection, spiritual protection and sustainable development that social development is faced with. It will explore the truth of life, promote mutual understanding, create a harmonious future, and benefit all beings. Currently, the World Youth Buddhist Society is focusing on three programs: the World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference, the Research Projects on Traditional Culture and charity activities.

Specifically, the World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference is an international conference which calls for research papers among university scholars and students around the world. It also invites experts, academics and religious figures in different fields as Conference Keynote Speakers. Moreover, it arranges meditation, tourism visits, lectures and debates and other activities, with the purpose of promoting the essence of compassion and wisdom of Buddhism.

The first WYBS Annual Conference was held in 2011 in Serthar Larung Gar Buddhist Institution in Sichuan Province. The second and third conferences were held in 2012 and 2013 both in Hong Kong Institute of Education, which have brought a very positive impact on thousands of young students, scholars and researchers and monkhood. The Fourth World Youth Buddhist Conference 2014 will take place this August at Hong Kong Institute of Education with over 600 attendees expected.

The research projects on Traditional Culture mainly hold seminars to learn about the Buddhist scriptures to guide young people to study the sutra, comprehend the nature of mind, and live a life with wisdom. From August to November in 2013, a seminar on the book of "Diamond Sutra makes you mightier—The Cutter" is successfully conducted with the receipt of 436 paper submission. The contributors are professors, PhDs, postgraduate students, undergraduate students, from nearly hundred of institution of higher education and the intellectuals. The excellent paper winners will receive prizes provided by WYBS and participate the Fourth Annual Conference.

WYBS’s development is inseparable from the support of the following organizations or individuals: the Centre for Religious and Spirituality Education at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, the Buddhist Society of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Centre for the Study of Humanistic Buddhism of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and caring people from all communities. So far all workers of WYBS are volunteers. Together with all the supporting groups, organizations and individuals, WYBS will uphold the core idea of openness, inclusiveness, and altruism and will bring the truth of compassion and wisdom to more people to enhance the well-being of all beings.

Our Prospect

With its long history of development, mankind is facing more and more problems and confusion. Today, with highly developed technological and material civilization, human hearts are facing more troubles and worries. Moreover, continuous occurrences of natural disasters are making humans aware of their limitations. Many people of insight have started to rethink the fate of mankind and become interested in the Buddhism.

As early as 2500 years ago, Sakyamuni Buddha's supreme wisdom already revealed us the truth of the universe and the meaning of life. WYBS and all of its supporting groups and caring individuals believe that the essence of Buddhism, Compassion and Wisdom, is not only the wisdom to solve troubles of modern people, but also the significance and value of life.

Sixth patriarch Huineng said: “The Kingdom of Buddha is in this world, within which enlightenment is to be sought”. Through the World Youth Buddhist Society Annual Conference and Traditional Cultural Research Projects, WYBS hopes to enhance young people's interest in the study of Buddhism. Its meaning is self-evident. The younger generation is the future of our society and they bear an important responsibility to the whole society’s development. In this complicated age, if they understand some Buddhist insights, perhaps their whole lives will be benefited.

Over the past three years, WYBS has had a positive impact on many people. Looking ahead, it will continue to be compassionate and tolerant, commit to equality of various ideological and cultural exchanges, and lead young people to explore the truth and meaning of life regardless of religion and belief.