Thank you to the UWest student chaplains who organized and volunteered at the Memorial Service this past Sunday. It was truly a great tribute to the man who established the Chaplaincy Program at UWest. His dedication to pluralism, his intellectual contributions and his mentorship are so dearly missed.

"Silence" -an interfaith service sponsored by the Chaplaincy Club

Join us this Tuesday at noon for our final service of the semester, an interfaith ceremony created by the MDiv students at University of the West.

Day of Remembrance service tomorrow

Storyteller Event this Friday!

Upcoming Overnight Meditation Event

Join us this Friday, March 30th at University of the West for our second Overnight Meditation Event!

6pm -Vegetarian Dinner

7pm -Keynote Speaker Ven. Tenzin Kacho

9pm -Overnight meditation begins, featuring Theravada, Chan, Pure Land, Vajrayana and Yoga practices.

Organized entirely by students, this event takes place each semester as a collaboration between the Chaplaincy Club, the BudaWest club, the UWest Contemplative Council and the Office of Student Life. Free and open to the public.

Religious service photo album by UWest chaplain candidates

Follow the UWest Buddhist Chaplaincy Club events on facebook

Puja and Kuan Yin Service this Thursday!
12pm at the fountain between ED and AD buildings, at University of the West



Schedule:

- Opening ceremony
- Incense offering
- Guan Yin Service by Ven. Dung Nguyen
- Magha Puja Service by Ven. Aroon Seeda
- Walking meditation
- Standing meditation
- Blessing from two traditions (Theravada & Vietnamese Buddhist)
- Conclusion

Poster designed by Songkran Waiyaka

Chaplaincy Club web page

Check-out the latest UWest Buddhist Chaplaincy student activities on our club web page!

The Buddhist Chaplaincy Club provides socials, religious services and educational experiences for the community at University of the West. By offering ecumenical learning opportunities and ritual observances to address collective grief, growth and celebration, we advocate and provide for inter-religious dialogue and spiritual life on campus, as well as offer chaplaincy students practice in conducting public events. The club also serves as an informational setting for those interested in applying to the UWest Buddhist Chaplaincy program.

Another Buddhist Army Chaplain on the Way

Today Venerable Zhen Guan commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate program. Venerable Zhen Guan is a Ch'an monk originally from mainland China and a first year student in the MDIV program. Chaplain (1LT) Christoper Mohr, a December 2011 graduate of the program, administered the oath. Chaplain Candidate (Ens.) Aroon Seeda, current student, held the Vimalakirti Sutra upon which Ven. Zhen Guan swore his oath. Chaplain Candidates (2LTs) Songkran Waiyaka and Niphon Sukuan stood at attention while the oath was administered. Students, friends, and staff looked on to support Ven. Zhen Guan in his aspiration to be of service to the men and women of the U.S. Army.  The UWest chaplaincy program has graduated two U.S. Army chaplains and is currently preparing four more Army and one more Navy chaplain for service.

Roundup of Articles on Chaplaincy

"What People Talk About Before They Die" is a lovely article by Kerry Egan, a hospice chaplain with thirteen years of experience and author of Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago.  Hosted by CNN, this article explores the language through which we talk about ultimate meaning and the role of love in our lives - our family.

They talk about the love they felt, and the love they gave. Often they talk about love they did not receive, or the love they did not know how to offer, the love they withheld, or maybe never felt for the ones they should have loved unconditionally.

Over at Dharma Cowgirl, there is a roundup of recent articles about the work of the Buddhist chaplain (or at least, the thoughts of a Buddhist chaplain-in-training), including:

• Hard Questions
• Almost in the Navy
• Care From the Heart

The Buddhist Military Sangha blog has a notes about UWest students Songkran Waiyaka and Niphon Suk, who both commissioned as U.S. Army second lieutenant's and chaplain candidates. Both are former Thai monks and both hope to become active duty Army chaplains after graduation. They also have a longer article about Chaplain Thomas Dyer, the U.S. Army's first Buddhist chaplain, - "Army's First Buddhist Chaplain Serving 11th Engineer Battalion."

Numerous Christian chaplains began contacting Dyer about performing services for Buddhists in their units. So he spent a large amount of time hopping around to different forward operating bases in the country.

"It was very wonderful to experience that aspect of it," he said. "When I was invited to a FOB to hold a service, it might be the only Buddhist service some Soldiers would get during the whole 12-month deployment."

Also new in 2011, the launch of a new website we hope will prove to be a great resource: BuddhistChaplains.org. Check it out their Resource Directory and recommend new sources to add.

On Buddhist Ministry