About Us
The City of Dharma Realm’s Instilling Goodness Elementary and Developing Virtue Secondary Schools are bilingual Buddhist schools that integrate academic excellence with moral and spiritual growth. Located within the City of Dharma Realm monastery, students learn in an environment that encourages mindfulness, compassion, and respect. Our unique curriculum combines Buddhist Studies, Virtue Studies, and Chinese language and culture with a strong academic foundation, preparing students to thrive in life and serve their communities with wisdom and kindness.
Our Founder
Venerable Master Hsuan Hua dedicated his life to education and the spread of the Buddha’s teachings. He believed that true learning begins with virtue and that education is the key to world peace. His vision continues to guide our schools in nurturing wise, compassionate, and responsible individuals.
“To promote world peace, we must begin with education. The destiny of the world lies in the hands of young people.”
— Venerable Master Hsuan Hua
Teaching Philosophy
Education at Dharma Realm Schools focuses on both knowledge and character. Our teachers lead by example, guiding students to be disciplined, kind, and curious. We value traditional teaching methods while embracing modern, creative learning approaches. Through this balance, students develop confidence, empathy, and integrity.
Mission & Values
Promote kindness, integrity, and humility
Encourage curiosity and academic excellence
Honor both Eastern and Western traditions
Cultivate mindfulness and service to others
Foster respect for all cultures and faiths
Campus
CDR’s IGDVS is the second Buddhist school under DRBA founded in 2011 and holds the same aims of its main campus at CTTB for developing the whole child, emphasizing both academic and character development. Both schools founder, the Venerable Master Hua said, “Education is the foundation for being a person. It is the foundation for the world; it is the true national defense.” IGDVS schools instill and develop students with Confucian core virtues of propriety, fairness, integrity, kindness, filial reverence, humility, loyalty, and trustworthiness. The aim for his schools is to develop young students into
outstanding citizens who will contribute to making their community and the world a better place.
Most of CDR IGDVS’s faculty hold MA or PhD degrees and teach students closely. In addition to the standard CA academic curriculum, ranging from K-12, CDR IGDVS offers classes on Chinese, Meditation, and Buddhism and Ethics, and can issue student visas for international students. Students participate in various extracurricular events and community service on campus, including the yearly Teachers Day, Honoring Elders Day, Cherishing Youth Day, and Chinese New Years Day. Students optionally attend the regional Science Fair and take college
Testimonials
“Wenqian has changed from a willful, selfish boy into a sensible, trustworthy, and compassionate person. He has built an outlook on life and a healthy lifestyle. These are the most important qualities that cannot be learned in other schools. With this foundation, we don’t need to worry about him in the future...We hope that he can remember the eight virtues he has learned here and become a beam of light to bring brightness and warmth wherever he goes.”
CDR IGDVS Parent, Mr. Zhang “Before coming here I was homeschooled[,] which is a very different environment than CDR. This school was tough for me at first. But the toughness of this school brought out the best in my academic abilities.”
- Vincenzo Terzi“Time flies by so quickly! I remember the first time my parents brought me and my brother to visit this temple, my mother was delighted to discover such a good and peaceful environment, so she wanted me to transfer from my Malaysian school to CDR IGDVS. I want to thank my parents for supporting me during my time here. I learned a lot during my three years here, things I have never done before, such as cooking vegetarian meals, assisting in community work, and managing my own time for schoolwork. CDR IGDVS is like one big family. Teachers help students and older students help younger students as everyone strives to work together. I am happy that I could extend a helping hand to my community. I sang in the school choir during CDR’s Honoring Elders Day, decorated the venue, cleaned up after the event, showed and helped elders to their seats, and when we have school lunches, I serve my younger classmates rice and stir-fried veggies. My emergence into this culturally unique place exposed me to learning different topics, such as Chinese Ethics, Buddhism and Meditation. I want to thank all Dharma Masters and my teachers for helping and teaching me so much. They pushed me to improve academically and to develop into a better person.”
- Kaixuan Loy
CDR IGDVS '20
UC Davis '24
“It is my honor to stand here as a class-of-2020 graduate from the City of Dharma Realm Developing Virtue Secondary School. Time really flies. Three years ago, I came to this new and pure environment with dreams and expectations, and started my high school career as a member of this warm community. This is the most precious and unforgettable experience in my life. I experienced happiness, excitement, and warm moments, but also hardships, frustration, and even confusion, which have bloomed into a rich rose harvest of good memories. It is unbelievable that time passed so quickly, and graduation and departure are close at hand. From doing hard schoolwork, energetically playing on the sports field, having delicious meals, listening to teachers’ instructions, strolling around on campus, doing community service, or reciting Sutras in the Buddha Hall—all these memories are still fresh in my mind, erasing the sorrow of departure and leaving me with joy. The fact that I was able to enjoy my life and improve both academically and spiritually cannot be apart from the help and support of this big family of CDR. I would like to express appreciation with my utmost sincerity to all the Dharma Masters, teachers, parents, and schoolmates here, for without you all, I would not be able to stand here today. I want to say thank you to all the Dharma masters, volunteer teachers for providing me such a wonderful environment to live and study in, selflessly and kindly offering me great care and support, teaching me all the high school courses to move toward my future career, and putting all the possible efforts to instruct me so that I can correct my faults and develop moral character. When I was sick in the hospital your caring visits and supportive words sustained me. I also want to say thank my parents for giving me both economic and spiritual
support so I can study at CDR IGDVS. As I begin a new journey in my life I will use everything I’ve learned in CDR IGDVS as my foundation, motivation, and direction to pioneer a new future and contribute my effort to society.”
- Spirit Ma
CDR IGDVS '20
UC Santa Barbara '24
School Lunch
Vegetarian MealsWe believe what we eat matters. That’s why our kitchen serves 100% homestyle vegetarian meals made with care. We aim to provide our students with top-quality and nutritious hot lunches throughout the entire school year with locally-sourced or organic ingredients. All meals are plant-based and freshly cooked daily.
Ready to Learn More?
Experience our campus, meet our teachers, and see how our learning environment supports mindfulness, curiosity, and compassion.