fostering information-sharing, respect, collaboration and friendship between Buddhist communities in Aotearoa
New Zealand Buddhist Chaplains
Update: 15th February, 2023
For over 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, universities, prisons and other facilities.
By supporting a person suffering in a difficult situation with skillful 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 their own inner resources to handle what is happening, moment by moment.
NZBC and Amitabha Hospice have complete confidence that these NZ Buddhist Hospice / Healthcare Chaplains can be employed to facilitate a person’s mental comfort by helping the person use their own beliefs to investigate their concerns and gain strength and resilience in the midst of a health crisis.
*Please substitute @ for (at). We list email addresses in this way to avoid spambots.
The following are qualified NZ Buddhist Hospice / Healthcare Chaplains:
Auckland
Amala Wrightson, Roshi:
amala(at)aucklandzen.org.nz
Ecie Hursthouse:
eciely(at)gmail.com
Marion Feasey:
marionfeasey(at)gmail.com
Rukman Wagachchi:
rukmanw(at)gmail.com
Christchurch
Hanya Gallagher:
h.gallagher61(at)gmail.com
Jane Ross:
jane(at)mjaneross.com
Julie Downard:
angulijulie(at)gmail.com
Wilhelmina Flick:
wilhelmina.flick(at)gmail.com
Helensville, Auckland
Heather Kempton:
kemptonhm(at)gmail.com
Hamilton
Sandra Shanmugam Harcourt:
shanharcourt(at)xtra.co.nz
Mahurangi West, Auckland
Annie McMullen:
annie_mcmullen(at)hotmail.com
Nelson
Diane Johnston:
dianelittletree(at)hotmail.com
Lea Godfrey:
leagodfrey4(at)gmail.com
Taupo
Deirdre Savage:
deirdresavage7(at)gmail.com
Wellington
Jiko McIntosh:
jikomc(at)gmail.com
Satyadevi Barrett:
satyad3v1(at)gmail.com
Whangarei
Graeme Stuart Cleaver:
gscleaver(at)xtra.co.nz
Nepal
Venerable Thubten Khadro
thubtenkhadrola(at)gmail.com
Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains
In 2013 the New Zealand Buddhist Council and Amitabha Hospice started training well-vetted applicants to become Buddhist Hospice / Healthcare 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 (ABCs).
If they want to pursue Tertiary or Prison Chaplaincy, they are required to complete a number of hours of supervised spiritual support in a hospice or medical setting and two written assignments before they are qualified to do Level 2, which teaches Tertiary and Prison Chaplaincy.
The ABCs who have completed the Level 1 course and the requirements of supervised experience and the written documentation are qualified to work as NZ Buddhist Hospice / Healthcare Chaplains in hospices, hospitals or nursing homes.
NZ Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains may be contacted by hospitals, hospices, nursing homes or privately. They will endeavour to address an individual’s own spiritual needs while fostering a peaceful environment and maintaining strict confidentiality.
