Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement (BASE)

BPF's BASE program is a new departure for socially engaged Buddhism in the West. I am pleased to see you creating flexible models of practice and action that we all can learn from as we try to build a Dhammic society of wisdom, compassion, and human dignity. I give BASE my full support.

-Sulak Sivaraksa

What is BASE?

BASE provides six month support communities for the study and practice of socially engaged Buddhism. Participants work or volunteer in service or social action, and meet regularly for study, support, discussion, training, and meditation. Groups have weekly meetings and monthly retreat days.

What is a BASE theme?

The theme of a BASE group may be focused on a specific topic (e.g. prison reform, hospice, homelessness, etc.) or have an open theme to allow people doing many different kinds of service or organizing to participate in the same group. For the upcoming BASE programs click here.

Financial Details

Participants who are currently working in these fields pay a sliding scale to participate. Some full time volunteers in the past have been eligible to receive a small monthly living stipend, but at this time we are unable to offer this support. Please contact us if you would like to explore other ways of receiving financial assistance.

BASE Handbook

For a copy of the BASE handbook, please click here
(Part A and Part B)

Apply

For information on applying to a BASE program in the near future,
please click here.

Questions?

For more information about the structure of BASE and frequently asked questions please click here. Any further questions about BASE or help with downloading the documents on this site, please email us (base@bpf.org).