Rev. Danny Fisher

Koshin Paley Ellison, founder and co-executive director of training and education at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, sent the following message to the Buddhist_Chaplaincy Yahoo! Group this morning:

Applications for the 2008/9 Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program are now being accepted.

[Program Dates:] September 2008 to June 2009

As Buddhist spiritual practice finds an increasing presence within American society, there is both an opportunity and a need to train Buddhist practitioners to serve as spiritual caregivers and chaplains. The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care is offering a yearlong training program to provide an introduction to spiritual care skills from a Buddhist perspective. This is a unique opportunity to study Buddhist principles and practices relevant to spiritual caregiving, as well as an introduction to the psychological, social, and ethical issues related to chaplaincy.

The program is designed to meet the needs of people in a variety of ways:

* Beginning training for those interested in becoming volunteer or professional chaplains in hospitals, hospices, jails, and other places where spiritual care is needed.

* Basic training in spiritual care: attending the sick and dying, performing memorials and other ceremonies, and offering spiritual direction for interested Buddhist clergy and lay practitioners.

Applications are due on May 1, 2008.

For more information, visit http://www.zencare.org.