My Experience at IBC

I am Myat Kay Khaing from Myanmar. I have successfully completed the M.A. program in Buddhist Studies at International Buddhist College and graduated on September 5, 2021. I would like to share my great experience studying at IBC. My journey began in February 2017 when members of the IBC administration came to Myanmar to recruit students. We were interviewed and we had to sit for the entrance exam. On receiving the news that I had passed the entrance exam and qualified for IBC, I felt so joyful. I will never forget that day because it was one of the happiest days in my life.
Within three years, I had studied 11 subjects and had written a minor thesis for the 36-credit M.A. course. To me, the subjects were fascinating and provided me with lots of knowledge. The subjects related to Theravada Buddhism were easy for me to understand as we were already familiar with them. Those subjects which were completely new to me were Mahāyāna Buddhism, Chinese Buddhist Thought, Lam Rim Chen Mo, and Buddhism in Japan. Although they were “strange” to me and were difficult for me to understand at first, I was still keen on studying the new subjects. However with the help from our lecturers and supervisor, I overcame the challenge. In the end, the new subjects helped me to be a more learned and knowledgeable person.
The forum discussion, writing of assignments and the giving of presentations helped me improve my writing and reading skills. In our studies, technology tools and applications were introduced. These enabled me to improve my skills in handling IT applications. Last but not least, the course on research methodology was useful to me in writing an academic paper. I am confident that the knowledge gained will benefit me in my teaching career.
From my studies in IBC, I had gained valuable Dhamma knowledge and the ability to analyze and evaluate the Buddha’s teaching. I have been sharing my Dhamma knowledge on Dependent Origination (Paticcasamuppada) and the Buddhist analysis of individuals (Puggalapanntti) at the University of Abhidhamma in Mandalay, the second largest city of Myanmar. I have also shared my precious experience at IBC with my Dhamma friends and students. So, I urge my Dhamma friends to continue their Buddhist studies at IBC. Furthermore, I encourage them to propagate the teachings of the Buddha all over the world.
In conclusion, I would like to say “Thank you” to IBC founder Ven. Dr. Wei Wu, professors, supervisors, lecturers, staff, and also to my parents. As a Buddhist, I feel fortunate to be able to study, practice, take care of my parents and to preach Dhamma to my friends. One of the happiest phases of my life was as a student at IBC. I shall never forget those days in my life. My studies in IBC had equipped me with precious Dhamma knowledge, and I have decided to keep on preaching and sharing to all. Finally, my sincere wish is for IBC to continue to progress in the future.