Grace Song

Grace Song is an ordained Won Buddhist Kyomunim, meditation teacher, and advocate of interfaith dialogue. She serves as the Chair of the Won Buddhist Studies Department at the Won Institute of Graduate Studies. In 2020, she was appointed to the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs. Additionally, she’s a member of the Steering Committee for the Won Buddhism at the United Nations Office and sits on the board of The Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies. 

Grace’s spiritual training began in Philadelphia at the Won Institute. She then relocated to Korea to study with several senior Won Buddhist teachers. After a decade in Korea, Grace chose to move back to the US and join the Won Institute faculty. In the subsequent fifteen years, she has traveled to many countries to present and lead workshops and retreats on interfaith dialogue, social justice, mindfulness in education, and spiritual practice in daily life.

Grace holds a Ph.D. in Won Buddhist Studies from Wonkwang University, an MA in East Asian Philosophy from Seoul National University, and a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Toronto. She has led monthly meditation sessions for The Institute of Korean Studies at Penn State University and meditation retreats at the Won Dharma Center, Claverack NY. Her research interests include Women in Buddhism and the intersection of Buddhism with social justice. Her recent publication, From Courtesan to Wŏn Buddhist Teacher: The Life of Yi Ch’ŏngch’un, explores the life of one of the first female disciples of Won Buddhism. Her writings and online teachings have been featured in Tricycle: The Buddhist Review Magazine and Buddhistdoor Global. 

She is committed to embodying the truth of interconnection and invests her time putting into practice her belief that renewing society starts with renewing our inner lives. 

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