NZ Buddhist Chaplains
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 skilful inquiry, guided meditation and/or prayers, the total pain (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) a person experiences is skilfully 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.
In 2013, Ven Thubten Khadro and Ecie Hursthouse from Amitabha Hospice started training well-vetted applicants to start the process to become fully qualified NZ Buddhist Hospice / Healthcare Chaplains with a Level 1 course. The NZ Buddhist Council assisted by advertising the courses and publishing names of the graduates on their website. Last year, Katrina Robertson also helped train the applicants. Many guest speakers participate in training the participants over the three-day course. These fully qualified 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 fully qualified NZ Buddhist Hospice / Healthcare Chaplains:
Auckland
Amala Wrightson, Sensi amala(at)aucklandzen.org.nz
Ecie Hursthouse eciely(at)gmail.com
Marion Feasey marionfeasey(at)gmail.com
Rukman Wagachchi rukmanw(at)gmail.com
Hadleigh Averill hadleigh(at)theagentc.org
Venerable Sumana ven.sumanasiri(at)gmail.com
Jude Bennett judebennett51(at)googlemail.com
Karunajoti Grace karunajoti(at)gracewaves.co.nz
Lincoln, Canterbury
Hanya Gallagher h.gallagher61(at)gmail.com
Christchurch
Jane Ross jane(at)mjaneross.com
Julie Downard angulijulie(at)gmail.com
Lea Godfrey leagodfrey4(at)gmail.com
Hamilton
Sandra Shanmugam-Harcourt sandra(at)shanharcourt.com
Mahurangi West, Auckland
Annie McMullen annie_mcmullen(at)hotmail.com
Nelson
Diane Johnston dianelittletree(at)hotmail.com
Serina Chang serinac(at)matala.com.au
Tauranga
Terry Hounsome thounsome9(at)gmail.com
Thames
Deirdre/Dee Savage deirdresavage7(at)gmail.com
Katrina Robertson katrina.s.robertson(at)gmail.com
Te Awamutu, Waikato
Teresa Behrens chalicenz(at)yahoo.co.nz
Wellington
Jiko McIntosh flowingmountains(at)yahoo.com
Satyadevi Barrett satyad3v1(at)gmail.com
Whangarei
Graeme Stuart Cleaver gscleaver(at)xtra.co.nz
Europe
Venerable Thubten Khadro thubtenkhadrola(at)gmail.com
Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains:
The ABCs who have completed the Level 1 course and the requirements of supervised experience and the written documentation are qualified to work as professional 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. Their experience helps them become fully qualified like those listed above.
The following are Apprentice Buddhist Chaplains:
Auckland
Anjalee Pieries: vinoanj1(at)yahoo.com
Conny Krebs: conny.krebs(at)gmail.com
Hean Tan: heantan21(at)gmail.com
Steph Madenholt-Titley: stephmt(at)xtra.co.nz
Christchurch
Alex Brennan: alex(at)qbstudios.co.nz
Anake Goodall: anake(at)seedthechange.nz
Erin Lummis: erinlummis34(at)gmail.com
Dunedin
Angela Dempster-Passang: angeladempster(at)gmail.com
Drolma Simpson: drolma.simpson(at)yahoo.co.nz
Sue Latimer: lantern2see(at)xtra.co.nz
Gisborne
Lassara Hall: lassara.com(at)live.com.au
Hamilton
Mark Harcourt: mark.harcourt(at)waikato.ac.nz
Invercargill
Venerable Sudchai Lekkratok: sogood27(at)hotmail.com
Levin
Deb Moran: deb.moran(at)gmail.com
Lower Hutt
Bhante Ji: bhante_ji(at)yahoo.com
Nelson
Ramona Clark: ramonaclarknelson(at)gmail.com
Wayne Frecklington: waynefreck(at)gmail.com
Napier
Clare Woodham: clarewoodham(at)gmail.com
Gail Wright: janga1996(at)gmail.com
Jan Crawford: janga1996(at)gmail.com
New Plymouth
Teresa Goodin: teresagoodin(at)xtra.co.nz
Rotoroa
Geoff Gensei Moore: therapeutics.rotorua(at)gmail.com
Thames (NZ)
Diane Prajnalila Quin: prajnalila(at)xtra.co.nz
Sanghamuni (Steve Howe): sanghamuni2019(at)gmail.com
Takaka
Janine Scott-Dickins: familyphilp(at)hotmail.com
Wellington
Janice Hill: janicefayhill(at)gmail.com
Whanganui
Laura Cheung: lauracheungnz@gmail.com
Tejomani Earl: tejomaniearl17@gmail.com