Priya Sraman, Buddhist in Residence
PRIYA SRAMAN
BUDDHIST IN RESIDENCE
Priya Rakkhit Sraman was appointed Buddhist in Residence in the Tufts University Chaplaincy in August 2016. He is originally from Chittagong, Bangladesh and is currently studying for the Master of Divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School.
As the Buddhist in Residence at Tufts, he will be leading mindfulness meditation sessions and dharma discussions twice a week. His duties also include participating in interfaith activities.
He has been living as a Buddhist monk since 2003. He has travelled to Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Hong Kong to pursue the academic study of Buddhism. He spent about six years in Sri Lanka learning Pali and Sanskrit in addition to Buddhist studies. He spent another four years in Thailand earning his BA in Buddhism. After that, he received a master’s degree in Buddhist studies from the University of Hong Kong.
Besides engaging with Buddhist texts academically, he has also been practicing Buddhist meditation and spirituality. Living with and among different Buddhist communities has allowed him to develop a varied understanding of Buddhist practices.
He is interested in exploring the practice of Buddhist teachings for individual and social harmony, and how Buddhist spirituality contributes to enhancing and balancing our psycho-physical wellbeing in order to lead a good and healthy life. He is also interested in learning about and from other spiritual traditions and philosophies that expound on harmonious living.
He is grateful for his post at Tufts for allowing him the opportunity to engage with a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff with curious and open minds. He also hopes to make his residency a good opportunity for the Tufts community to learn more about Buddhist spirituality. He welcomes everyone into the meditation sessions and dharma discussions in the University Chaplaincy to practice, discuss, and learn about spirituality and about each other.
His other interests include photography and hiking.