Recently, Buddhist chaplains from hospitals and prisons across NSW gathered for an inspiring two-day Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training in Parramatta. The course was graciously facilitated by Nygell Topp, who travelled all the way from Port Hedland, Western Australia, to offer his expertise free of charge. His generosity and knowledge set the tone for… Continue reading Buddhist Chaplains Upskill in Mental Health First Aid
After completing our Introduction to Clinical Pastoral Education course Ada volunteered as a chaplain assistant working alongside an experienced chaplain. This year she is a full chaplain working on her own in a women’s prison. We asked about her experiences. What motivated your choice to become a Buddhist chaplain in a correctional centre? I was… Continue reading A prison chaplain’s journey: interview with Ada Lee
Dane Millanta and Trish Nguyen have together spent 22 years as Buddhist chaplains at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Camperdown. Since the Buddhist Council of NSW was awarded an additional subsidy in 2021 they each increased their hours, so we now have a presence in the hospital four days a week. We asked them both… Continue reading Life of a hospital chaplain: Dane Millanta and Trish Nguyen, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The annual conference of Corrections NSW chaplains addressed concerns of chaplaincy in a fast changing world with a special focus on gender, sexuality and the needs of LGBTIQ inmates and staff. Buddhist chaplain Daniel Troyak offered these reflections to fellow chaplains from his Buddhist practice. The Buddha never gave commandments, that is commandments that must… Continue reading Gender, sexuality and Buddhist chaplaincy
Buddhist prison chaplain Anna Carmody shares thoughts for inmates how to handle Christmas. This is wisdom for us all! That’s hard. Very hard. I guess it doesn’t help to point out that many people dread and hate Christmas. It’s also dangerous with unmanageable debt, drugs and alchohol, domestic violence, suicide – where does it end?… Continue reading ‘Inside’ at Christmas: a Buddhist perspective
Within NSW Corrections, amongst inmates and staff, and much like ‘on the outside’, Buddhism is quite fashionable. People love to quote the Buddha, but rarely implement his teachings to their lives. The Buddha’s teachings, also known as Dharma, are altruistic, loving, compassionate and transformative. However, it also requires an authentic teacher and serious commitment by… Continue reading Mindfulness-based Therapy In Prisons
