Inspiring hearts, educating minds, transforming lives...

The Program

Five Mountain is the only non-denominational Buddhist educational program of its kind. Its mission is to prepare students who wish to become ordained Buddhist priests, lay teachers, or simply well educated practitioners. The program’s curriculum is rigorous and many faceted. It enriches students by widening their perspectives. It provides structure by keeping in balance its three major areas of concentration: study, practice, and theory/application. The program also integrates the interaction between these three areas: study enhances individual practice, which then enhances the ability to teach others.

Philosophy of Learning

Five Mountain Buddhist Seminary was founded on the principle of active self-learning and designed to allow members to balance personal lives and careers with a rigorous education experience.

With the Internet, providing educational convenience is fairly basic. The challenge for 5MBS was to make sure this convenience was part of a genuinely educational, intellectually enriching experience.

These are the essential aspects of 5MBS's philosophy of education:

Distance Learning

Online distance learning occurs when the student and teacher are not in the same location and depends on the Internet to facilitate communication. At 5MBS this is an asynchronous process — there are no set times for classes; you learn according to your own schedule.

Active Self-Learning

Learning is an individual process, and Learners have different needs and require different styles to facilitate successful learning.

The 5MBS graduate gains full exposure to the fundamentals of the Buddhadharma and a firm grasp of current research and best practices.

One-on-one Faculty Mentoring

At 5MBS the teaching process does not take place in a large lecture hall or even around a seminar table. The teaching at 5MBS is a one-on-one process, and that is why it is called Mentoring.

Summary

5MBS's Approach to Excellence:

Asynchronous Education

Active Self-Learning

One-on-one Faculty Mentoring