With a history stretching back thousands of years and with millions of practitioners today, the influence of Buddhism is unquestionable. Many people have looked to this philosophy for answers about the nature of the world, solutions to health issues, or guidance on how to live their lives.
The University of Hong Kong's (HKU) Centre of Buddhist Studies is offering a master of Buddhist studies to teach the philosophy in a comprehensive and scientific way.
Sik Hin Hung, assistant professor of the centre, said the programme drew interest from a wide range of people. 'Religious studies teachers come to upgrade their knowledge,' he said. 'Counsellors and psychologists take the course to learn how Buddhist teachings add a new dimension to the science of human psyche and how they can be applied to their daily work.'
There are also students who want to explore a philosophy of life and study Buddhism for spiritual development. 'In a busy city like Hong Kong, people are under a lot of stress' Sik said. 'They want to learn to relax mentally, to find a window to release stress and most importantly find meaning in life.'
Recruitment runs from January to March every year, with classes starting in September. Students can choose between studying one year full time or two to three years part time.
The basic qualification is a bachelor's degree with honours from HKU or an equivalent qualification from a comparable institution. There are interviews to look at applicants' interests and motivations for learning about Buddhism.
'We look for people who want to enrich their life through Buddhism and not so much about getting advancement in their jobs,' Sik said.