Hampshire College Spiritual Life

Description of Organization

Hampshire College opened in 1970 as an experiment in alternative education. The idea for Hampshire originated in 1958 when the presidents of Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, as well as the University of Massachusetts Amherst, appointed a committee to reexamine the assumptions and practices of liberal arts education. The Contemplative Practices Student Leadership Initiative seeks to impact the world in the deep mindfulness meditation practice needed to become more aware of what is and to discern and sustain effective strategies for engagement and change. Experiencing the stress and meaninglessness of postmodern life, our students search for a sense of peace and purpose within. They are seeking enlightenment. Being driven to activism, they are filled with the anger of injustice. They are thirsty for the well of Buddhist dharma and sangha (wisdom and community) to replenish their strength and fuel their compassion, to support their path towards unity within and without.