OVERVIEW

Chaplaincy is a form of serving others.  Our chaplains volunteer to go into hospitals and prisons on a periodic basis (e.g. half a day per week) and they do this as a form of their Buddhist practice - a kind of "Dharma in action".  We have monastic chaplains (monks and nuns) as well as lay people (with careers and retired). 

Hospital chaplains go to the patients that identify themselves as Buddhists and who need the spiritual support from another Buddhist.  The time that a hospital chaplain gives can help the physical healing of the patient and can in some cases also give support to the friends and family.

Prison chaplains offer to help those who would like to find a new life.   Many of those helped by prison chaplains have had difficult lives and an upbringing which limited their opportunities to find a spiritual path.  A prison chaplain provides encouragement and can teach simple forms of meditation which the inmates can use to bring calmness and clarity to their minds.

The Buddhist Council is a member of the Civil Chaplains' Advisory Committee (CCAC), an interfaith group responsible to the Department of Corrective Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice and New South Wales Health.

If you are interested in becoming a chaplain please download the Chaplaincy Program Application Form and contact the Buddhist Council for a discussion, as you will require a letter of recommendation from the Buddhist Council.