UPAYA BUDDHIST CHAPLAINCY TRAINING PROGRAM

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This may Interest some of you guys..UPAYA BUDDHIST CHAPLAINCY TRAINING PROGRAM

Upaya offers a two-year Certificated Buddhist Chaplaincy Training

Program in Prison, End-of-Life-Care, Peacemaking, Women’s, and

Environmental Ministry. The training is open to those who wish to be

ordained as Buddhist Chaplain Priests, Lay Chaplains, and those who

wish to deepen their understanding of service from the Buddhist and

systems perspective.

Directors: Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Fleet Maull

Faculty includes:

Roshi Joan Halifax (Co-director), Sensei Fleet Maull (Co-director), Dr.

Austin, Gigi Coyle, Barbara Dossey, Rabbi Malka Drucker, Maia

Duerr, Troy Fernandez, Roshi Norman Fischer, Roshi Bernie Glassman,

Goldberg, Jim Gollin, Dr. Al Kaszniak, Merle Lefkoff, Joanna

Macy (2009), Roshi Enkyo O’Hara, Ostaseski, Cynda Rushton, Sharon

Salzberg, Beate Seishin Stolte, Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi, Lynne Twist,

Margaret Wheatley, Wilkins

Mentors:

Wilkins, Beate Stolte, Marty Peale, Maia Duerr, Malka Drucker

Introduction The Upaya Buddhist Chaplaincy Training is a visionary and

comprehensive program for a new kind of chaplaincy based in serving not

only individuals and communities, but also the environment and the

world. It is a program that focuses on altruistic and compassionate

service, and as well on social transformation from a system’s

perspective. The training prepares people in best practices for

transforming all forms of suffering, including suffering induced by

structural violence. The training is based in a systems approach, with

the premise that those doing ministerial work are endeavoring to serve

and heal not only individuals, but environments and social systems as

well. Thus, chaplaincy is conceived as compassionate service from the

point of view of systems change, from intrapsychic and interpersonal to

environmental and global. This approach, based on complexity and

systems theory and Buddhist philosophy, is radically innovative and is

the theoretical,

practical, and compassionate basis of the training program. Over the

last 20 years, we have seen a huge growth in the presence of Buddhism

in the West and what it has to offer as a way of life and a means for

transforming suffering in the world. Buddhism addresses suffering in

the first teaching of the Buddha on the Four Noble Truths. During the

two-year training program, faculty and students study suffering, its

causes, the end of suffering, and the way that suffering can be

transformed. Our studies, practices, processes, and projects are all

based in the profound motivation to end suffering in the world and in

our lives. The “how†of this altruistic intention is the heart of our

training.

Areas of Training:

· Theoretical, Scientific and Practical Bases of Service

· Introduction to systems and complexity theory.

· A new model of service: Living systems and trans-local perspectives

· Exploration of emergence and robustness

· How to intervene in a system for social change

· Buddhist philosophy and psychology of social and environmental responsibility

· Buddhist perspectives on the relevance of interdependence, causality, and impermanence in terms of social service

· Exploration of neural substrates of attention, compassion, altruism

· Engaged Buddhism

· Introduction to history, ethics, vision of service and social action, and the function of a chaplain in our changing world

· The Five Buddha Family Mandala as a systems model for chaplaincy training

· Essentials of Buddha Dharma and chaplain practice

· Ritual process and rites of passage

· Meditation practices as a base of chaplaincy

· Transforming Suffering

· Exploration of direct and structural violence, social service and social action

· Exploring issues related to moral and spiritual pain

· Training in recognizing compassion fatigue and working with secondary trauma

· Practices for care of others and self care, including identifying the signs of stress

· Perspectives on care of the environment and the creation of sane environmental policies

· ing ecological sustainability as a basis of compassion

· Ethics, Relationship and Communication

· The creation of networks and communities of practice

· Buddhist ethics and pitfalls on the path

· Relationship-centered care

· Exploring communication skills for use in complex situations

· Mediation skills

· Council training

· Cultural competency in a multi-cultural world

· Defining Ministries

· Compassionate end-of-life care

· Prison ministry

· Environmental ministry

· Peacemakers

· Interfaith and multi-faith ministry

· Women’s ministry

· Systems ministry

• Applications

· Creating and sustaining global and local chaplaincy programs

· Fundraising for chaplaincy programs and projects

· Fulfillment and Confirmation

· Receiving Jukai (lay vows), Tokudo (Novice Priest Ordination), Lay Chaplain ordination

· Presentation of Project Demonstrating Excellence

· Formal presentation by Upaya Institute/Zen Center of Certificate of Completion and ordination documents.

The Training Path includes:

Students create their Training Path with mentors:

· Participating in the core UBC training programs

· Twentysix Upaya learning/practice days a year

· Four conference call meetings a year with the core learners

· Four telephone meetings a year with a Upaya mentor and/or Roshi Joan

· An eighteen-month learning project, with plan, mentorship, and fulfillment/presentation

· One hundred hours of volunteer chaplaincy over a two-year period with documentation

· Completion of assigned readings

· Four written assignments a year

· Four Field trips over a two-year period to hospitals, hospices,

prisons, and other service centers with written reports of visits.

· Training in and then reception of lay vows (Jukai) during the first

year, and for those whom it is appropriate, Novice Priest ordination or

Lay Chaplain ordination when preparation is completed.

Criteria for acceptance into the training:

The aim of this training is to invite people who have a commitment to

Buddhist practice and teachings, along with an ongoing involvement in

engaging with Buddhist practice and teachings in daily life in service

to others, to participate in a training program that will prepare them

to be Buddhist chaplains within the prison system, in end-of-life care,

the environment, service to women, and peacemaking. To facilitate this,

participants will receive Jukai (lay vows) from Roshi Joan Halifax.

Those for whom it is appropriate to receive Novice Priest and Lay

Chaplain ordination will be supported and trained to do so.

Requirements for acceptance into the training:

The number of places in the training is limited; applications will be

considered as they are received. The first Cohort meets April 2, 2008.

The second Cohort meets January, 2009.

Please send:

· If not a student of Joan Halifax Roshi, a letter of recommendation from your current Buddhist teacher is required.

Experience required:

· Having engaged in a regular and committed Buddhist practice and related study for at least 4 years.

· Previous chaplaincy training will be taken into account on an individual basis.

· Having attended at least four Buddhist retreats, of one week or longer.

A written report covering the following:

• Your reasons for engaging in this training at this time.

• How your life/work experience will support this training?

• What are your plans for engaging in this work following training completion?

An interview either in person or by telephone.

Program Cost:

2008/9 is the first time this unique training will be offered. Those

who register for this program by 1 December 2007 are eligible to pay

the discounted tuition of $4950 a year. This includes tuition, food,

lodging (on a dorm basis), program costs, mentoring, and conference

calls. Students who wish to engaged in more programs than the 26

learning days may do so for a 10% discount on tuition and lodging

(international trips excluded). More information can be found on the

website at www.upaya.org or by contacting Registrar@... or chaplaincy@... .

Upaya Zen Center and Institute

Upaya is a residential Zen Buddhist practice and social service

community, serving many people each year through our retreats and

social action projects. Our vision focuses on the integration of

practice and social action, bringing together wisdom and compassion.

Upaya provides a context for community practice and education in

Buddhism and social service in the areas of death and dying, prison

work, the environment, women’s rights, and peace-work. It endeavors to

fulfill the vision of the Five Buddha Family Mandala by understanding

the integration of all of its functions from a systems theory

perspective. It is a vision of Buddhism that is integrated,

interconnected, and process-oriented and is based on the integration of

our spirituality, education, livelihood, service, and community into a

whole cloth.

Location

The Training Program will be held at Upaya Zen Center, 1404 Cerro

Gordo, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501. Directions can be found on the

website at www.Upaya.org.

Upaya Zen Center

1404 Cerro Gordo

Santa Fe, NM 87501

Telephone: 505 986-8518