New Zealand Buddhist Chaplains
For 2,500 years Buddhists have contemplated sickness, old age and death to understand suffering and find an end to it. Buddhist practitioners therefore value sickness, old age, death and other transitions as opportunities for spiritual insight and growth. Buddhist chaplains are trained to accompany people through such difficult times, working in hospitals, hospices, schools prisons and other facilities. By supporting a person suffering in a difficult situation with skilful inquiry, guided meditation and/or prayers, the total pain (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) a person experiences is skillfully and compassionately addressed. With the help of a spiritual friend the person is better able to find the inner resources to deal with what is happening to him or her, moment by moment.
Level 1 is not scheduled for 2019. Level 2 is scheduled for March 2020.
The following people are experienced Buddhist Chaplains who supervise the NZ Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains and were some of the tutors of the Level 1 Buddhist Chaplaincy course:
Ecie Hursthouse
eciely(at)gmail.com
Auckland
Amala Wrightson
amala(at)aucklandzen.org.nz
Auckland
Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains
In 2013 the New Zealand Buddhist Council and Amitabha Hospice started training well-vetted applicants to become Buddhist Chaplains with a Level 1 course. The people on the list below have completed the Level 1 course and been accepted as Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains. They will be required to complete a number of hours of supervised spiritual support in the community and an assignment before they qualify to do Level 2. After completion of these, there will be more requirements to complete before they can take the Level 3 course towards becoming a fully qualified NZ Buddhist Chaplain.
As Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains, the people listed below* can facilitate emotional comfort, support a troubled person’s own Buddhist practices and help the person use their own beliefs to investigate their concerns. These are resourceful people who have received training in listening skills. At this stage, they are trained for medical situations but not yet trained for schools or prisons, which will be covered in the next levels. An Apprentice Buddhist Chaplain may be contacted by hospitals, hospices, nursing homes or privately, with the assurance that they will endeavor to address an individual’s own spiritual needs while fostering a peaceful environment and maintaining strict confidentiality.
*Please substitute @ for (at). We list email addresses in this way to avoid spambots.
Auckland
Anjalee Pieries: vinoanj1(at)yahoo.com
Conny Krebs: conny.krebs(at)gmail.com
Hean Tan: heantan21(at)gmail.com
Heather Buttle: H.Buttle(at)massey.ac.nz
Helen Gallagher: h.gallagher61(at)gmail.com
Karunajoti Grace: karunajoti(at)aucklandbuddhistcentre.org
Marion Feasey: marionfeasey(at)gmail.com
Rukman Wagachchi: rukmanw(at)gmail.com
Steph Madenholt-Titley: stephmt(at)xtra.co.nz
Teresa Behrens: chalicenz(at)yahoo.co.nz
Venerable Sumana: ven.sumanasiri(at)gmail.com
Rotoroa
Geoff Gensei Moore: wrotelearning(at)gmail.com
Christchurch
Erin Lummis: erinlummis34(at)gmail.com
Jane Ross: jane(at)mjaneross.com
Julie Downard: angulijulie(at)gmail.com
Lea Godfrey: leagodfrey4(at)gmail.com
Wilhelmina Flick: wilhelmina.flick(at)gmail.com
Dunedin
Angela Dempster-Passang: angeladempster(at)gmail.com
Drolma Simpson: drolma.simpson(at)yahoo.co.nz
Sue Latimer: lantern2see(at)xtra.co.nz
Gisborne
Lassara Hall lassara.com(at)live.com.au
Invercargill
Venerable Sudchai Lekkratok: sogood27(at)hotmail.com
Levin
Deb Moran: deb.moran(at)gmail.com
Napier
Clare Woodham: clarewoodham(at)gmail.com
Gail Wright: janga(at)es.co.nz
Jan Crawford: janga(at)ihug.co.nz
Nelson
Diane Johnston: dianelittletree(at)hotmail.com
Ramona Clark: ramonaclarknelson(at)gmail.com
Wayne Frecklington: waynefreck(at)gmail.com
New Plymouth
Teresa Goodin: teresagoodin(at)xtra.co.nz
Taupo
Deirdre Savage: deirdresavage7(at)gmail.com
Thames (NZ)
Diane Prajnalila Quin: prajnalila(at)xtra.co.nz
Warkworth/Mahurangi
Annie McMullen: annie_mcmullen(at)hotmail.com
Wellington
Janice Hill: janicefayhill(at)gmail.com
Derek LeDayn: derek.ledayn(at)gmail.com
Rosalind Jiko McIntosh: jikomc(at)gmail.com
Satyadevi Barrett: satyad3v1(at)gmail.com
Whanganui
Laura Cheung: laura_cheung1498(at)hotmail.com
Tejomani Earl: tejomani(at)vodafone.co.nz
Whangarei
Graeme Cleaver: gscleaver(at)xtra.co.nz
Colombia (South America)
Corina Nino: corinanino33(at)gmail.com
Oxford (UK)
Jude Bennett: judebennett51(at)googlemail.com