Buddhist Military Sangha

Buddhist New Year at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

2012-01-16T21:56:00.001-08:00

From Chaplain Malasri: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Buddhist community will celebrate traditional Buddhist New Year 2555 at North Fort Chapel, JBLM, WA on 31 March 2012. There are many activities including Sutra chanting, Dhamma talk, meditation, Bath the Buddha statue, delicious lunch, traditional dances from Thai, laos, Cambodian, Burmese, plus demonstration of Thai Boxing and more.

Army's first Buddhist chaplain serving 11th Engineer Battalion

2012-01-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Great article on Chaplain Dyer! From the Official U.S. Army Homepage.

December 15, 2011

By Vince Little

Chaplain (Capt.) Thomas Dyer engages in Zen-posture meditation Dec. 5 at Sightseeing Road Chapel.

The Bayonet
Fort Benning home page
FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Capt. Thomas Dyer took something of a unique passageway into the Buddhist faith. But he doesn't want to be stereotyped in his role as an Army chaplain.

Assigned to the 11th Engineer Battalion since August, Dyer said the unit ministry is his top focus, even as he works to provide spiritual guidance and counseling to a growing number of Buddhists in the ranks. It's unknown exactly how many Soldiers and Families practice the religion at Fort Benning, but he leads a weekly service for about 200 people -- mostly trainees -- every Sunday at the Regimental Chapel on Sand Hill.

"We don't really know yet, and it's difficult to get the data," he said of the post statistics. "Soldiers practicing Buddhism have to identify themselves. Many times, they don't. A lot of times, they're not really aware they have a chaplain representing them. One thing we have to do is get them aware.
"(But) the first thing I want to accomplish is making sure the battalion ministry is very solid. My first responsibility is to the battalion. … I wanted to avoid becoming known as 'the Buddhist chaplain.' I didn't want the 11th Engineers to lose their chaplain, even to a great cause of serving the Buddhist community."

Dyer became the Army's first Buddhist chaplain in 2008 when he was accessioned through the Tennessee National Guard. Last year, a second-generation Thai joined him in the chaplain corps.
In the early 1990s, the Army endorsed both the Islamic and Buddhist faiths, creating positions for chaplains, he said. The branch got its first Muslim chaplain in 1996, but the Buddhist slot went unfilled for another dozen years.

From Baptist pastor to Buddhist

Dyer's military career began in the Marine Corps Reserve, where he served from 1984 to 1990. He got out to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in college. Dyer later spent four years as a Southern Baptist pastor before beginning his new spiritual journey, around the same time he entered the National Guard.

"I came to Buddhism in 2003," he said. "At the time, I was looking for a little more depth than what I was experiencing, so I looked to the Christian Mystics for help."

Dyer said he began practicing a form of Christian meditation a year earlier and felt very comfortable with it, for reasons that escaped him -- until an experience one day expanded his mind.

"I really didn't understand what happened, but I knew it had forever changed me," he recalled. "I realized I had to leave the church. This experience, it was almost like an egg cracking, and an eagle came out of the egg. You realized there was some greater potential that you didn't know before."

The chaplain further explored what happened to him and soon discovered Zen Buddhism, he said. It allowed him to reflect back what had transpired in his own mind.

"Buddhism has traditionally been a pacifist religion," he said. "Over the years, as it's grown and gone into different segments of society, people learned it was not practical. There has to be some interaction as Buddhists begin to participate in larger roles of society."

Finding 'relevance' in Iraq

Dyer has deployed once. In 2010, he went to Iraq with the Tennessee National Guard. It was downrange he learned about the nuances and nature of his position and duties, he said.

"The challenge, of course, was that you're so new," he said. "You're sort of treated as an anomaly, something strange and out of place. It's kind of like a phone booth in the middle of the desert. It doesn't make sense initially."

At first, mild resistance came from those accustomed to the traditional faiths of Christianity and Judaism, he said. There simply wasn't much familiarity with the Buddhist religion.

Dyer said many troops didn't recognize the patch on his camouflage uniform, or even realize he was a chaplain.

"What we discovered in Iraq was that Buddhists are a hidden people group," he said. "Many didn't realize how many were in the Army. For me, it became grounds to demonstrate not just your right to be a chaplain, but your relevance as a chaplain. Once the Buddhists were coming out of the woodwork, it became a little more clear that I was more of an asset than an anomaly."

Numerous Christian chaplains began contacting Dyer about performing services for Buddhists in their units. So he spent a large amount of time hopping around to different forward operating bases in the country.

"It was very wonderful to experience that aspect of it," he said. "When I was invited to a FOB to hold a service, it might be the only Buddhist service some Soldiers would get during the whole 12-month deployment."

Balance at Fort Benning

Dyer said he's committed to keeping the 11th Engineer Battalion's ministry on solid ground. Ensuring Buddhist Soldiers can exercise their First Amendment rights in an Army setting -- perhaps for the first time -- and accommodating requests to counsel personnel in units across post are his other top priorities.

The Sand Hill service starts at 8 a.m. every Sunday. Dyer and the installation chaplain are now gathering research and data on the number of Buddhists at Fort Benning in an effort to determine whether it's the best location for the community. After the New Year, an officially sanctioned Buddhist service will be established, he said.

Dyer said every Soldier not only has the right to practice their chosen religion, but it also has impact on health and wellness, resiliency and qualify of life.

"Faith has such an important role for our Soldiers to be able to come into the serene and beautiful environment of a Buddhist service that's meaningful to them," he said. "It provides a quality role in their military service. I want to provide that to a group of Soldiers who have never had that before."

But balancing Buddhist ideals with Army duties can be conflicting for some, the chaplain said.

"Buddhist Soldiers have to deal with issues of livelihood: How do I view myself as a Buddhist and a Soldier who carries a weapon?" he said. "I have developed procedures that help them see themselves as a force for good in the world, protecting what's beautiful and right. It allows them to promote happiness and reduce suffering in the world. I try to teach those things to Buddhist Soldiers."

Buddhist materials now available at MCAS Yuma

2011-12-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

I dropped off some Buddhist texts (Teaching of Buddha, BLP booklets), Thai amulets, and mantra players at the Station Chapel. Ask the RP on duty for assistance if you'd like one of these items.

Happy Bodhi Day!

2011-12-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Bodhi Day to all the readers of the blog!

Bodhi Day (December 8th), also known as Rohatsu, is commemorated by several schools of Buddhism as the day when the Buddha achieved Enlightenment. In the Ariyapariyesana-sutta, the now-Buddha encounters a man named Upaka, who notices his radiant appearance, and inquires as to who he is and his teacher. The Buddha replied,

"Victor am I over all, and omniscient.
In all things I am free from defilement.
I have abandoned everything and have become liberated, free from craving.
Since I myself have gained knowledge, whome should I seek?

For me there is no teacher;
There is none like me.
In this world, including all its deities,
There is none who can rival me.

It is I who in this world am worthy of veneration,
I am the supreme teacher;
I alone am the perfectly enlightened,
I am purified and have attained tranquility.
In order to turn the wheel of the Dhamma
I am going to Kasi [Varanasi].
In the blinded world
I will beat the drum of deathlessness.

Those who have destroyed the defilements
Are like me victors.
I have conquered that which is evil,
And so, Upaka, I am the victor."

Later Buddhist commentators state that although Upaka initially rejected the Buddha's teaching, several years later he returned to him after escaping an abusive wife, became his disciple, and attained Enlightenment!

Remembering Pearl Harbor

2011-12-07T08:03:00.001-08:00

Seventy years ago today Pearl Harbor was attacked and ‎2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded, and 65 Japanese dead. Let the wounds of yesterday heal and the lessons learned today inspire us to work for the world's future in the present. May our country remain strong and a beacon for freedom in this world. May our women and men serving today come home with honor and in well mind.

Namo Amida Butsu

Another Chaplain Candidate for U.S. Army

2011-12-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome LT Niphon Suk, the latest addition to the U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate program!
(Thanks to Rev. Danny Fisher for the news and photo! This is a photo of LT Niphon being administered the Oath of Office by Chaplain Christopher Mohr at the University of the West, Rosemead, California).

Some Changes

2011-11-26T22:14:00.001-08:00

Hello blog readers! Look at the right side of this blog, and you'll notice some changes to the gadgets. I've added some links, removed some sites that had broken links and added a new section that can provide (hopefully) some helpful information if you are getting downsized or leaving the military. Also, I've changed the Chaplaincy links: I know there are other places that are offering Buddhist chaplaincy programs, but I've only listed the ones (which I know of) that have regional accreditation (with exception of CPE). Accredited degree programs or hours are the only ones that will be accepted for Armed Forces chaplaincy consideration. If there are other programs that have accreditation, please send the link to me. If you know of any other relevant sites you would like to see listed here, that are in keeping with the theme of the blog, also please send them my way!

Namo Amida Butsu

Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

A Happy Veterans Day 2011 to all our blog readers!

If you enjoy practicing zazen, chanting the sutras and mantras, and attending your particular place of Buddhist practice and worship, take this time to be mindful of our country's veterans. Thank them, it does mean something. Take a look at the Helpful Links section of this blog; if you are a civilian there are places like The Twilight Brigade, The Pegasus Rising Project, and the USO, among others, where you can offer dana to our veterans and active duty military members. If you are active duty or a veteran, there are also sites where you can find find information on Buddha-dharma, employment after living service, mental health, and other things. If anyone would like to offer a legitimate site which provides information on Dharma services in their area or otherwise has outreach to military and veterans, please send a link.

Taking care of our own has long been a staple of many Buddhist communities in our country. Let us extend our care to our military veterans, in these times especially!

Namo Amida Butsu

U.S. Congress Honors Japanese-American Soldiers

2011-11-02T19:43:00.001-07:00

A long-overdue honor. The origins of American Buddhist military chaplaincy are in the Japanese-American experience of WWII.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of Japanese-Americans who fought in the fiercest battles of World War II and became some of the most decorated soldiers in the nation's history were given an overdue thank-you from their country Wednesday when Congress awarded them its highest civilian honor.
Nearly seven decades after the war's beginning, Congress awarded three units the Congressional Gold Medal. In all, about 19,000 Japanese-Americans served in the units honored at a ceremony Wednesday: the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service.
"This has been a long journey, but a glorious one," said Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii., who lost his right arm fighting with the 442nd and was one of the honorees Wednesday.
About 1,250 people attended the award ceremony at the Capitol. About a quarter of those present were former soldiers, now in their 80s and 90s. Hiroshi Kaku, originally from Hawaii, served in the 442nd and his older brother, Haruo, served in the 100th. He said he volunteered for the Army because he had something to prove.
"We wanted to show American citizens that we loved our country," Kaku said. "We were born and raised here."
After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese-Americans were viewed with suspicion. Nearly 110,000 were sent to internment camps. Lawson Sakai learned how much the world had changed when he drove with some of his buddies to the local Navy recruiting station and tried to enlist. While his white friends were quickly accepted, Sakai was considered an "enemy alien" and could not join.
Sakai then watched as the FBI rounded up Japanese-American leaders in Los Angeles. When the federal government authorized the relocation of people with Japanese ancestry, a sister and some of his friends were sent to internment camps.
"We were blackballed," Sakai said. "Basically, they took away our citizenship."
Sakai's story is similar to thousands of other "Nisei," or second-generation Japanese-Americans. Even as they fought in Europe, many Japanese-American troops had family members who would spend much of the war in U.S. internment camps. American officials, citing concerns that those of Japanese ancestry could be security risks, sent men, women and children to camps around the country.
Sakai served in the 442nd, which consisted of volunteers, about two-thirds from Hawaii and the rest from the mainland. The 442nd experienced some of the most horrific fighting in Europe and became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. In just 10 months of combat, more than 700 were killed or listed as missing in action.
Sakai, 88, was wounded four times and received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He said the years following the war were difficult and that he often drank to deal with his memories. Now, he said, he's able to take pride in his peers' accomplishments and the subsequent congressional recognition.
"We certainly deserved the record that we produced. It was done by shedding a lot of blood. As far as I know, we didn't give up an inch of ground. We were always attacking and the Germans were always on the higher ground," he said.
The 442nd fought in eight major campaigns in Italy, France and Germany. One of the units attached to the 442nd was the 100th Infantry Battalion, which was comprised exclusively of Japanese-Americans from Hawaii who had been drafted prior to Pearl Harbor. They received the nickname the Purple Heart Battalion because of the tremendous number of casualties they endured.
While undergoing training, Susumu Ito would visit his parents and two sisters 200 miles away at the Rohwer Internment Camp in Arkansas. Despite the injustice of being forced to relocate from Stockton, Calif., Ito said, his parents took great pride in their son fighting for the U.S. military. However, he ignored his mother's request in her weekly letters to avoid hazardous duty. He said he wanted to be on the front lines, as did his peers. The motto of the 442nd was "go for broke."
Ito said that mentality reflected the mindset of Japanese-Americans in general.
"This spirit of overcoming any objection was ingrained in my mind," Ito said.
About 6,000 Japanese-Americans served in the Military Intelligence Service, on the front lines and behind the scenes, translating cables and interviewing prisoners of war. Many also served during the postwar occupation of Japan, providing a bridge between Japanese and American officials.
Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., accepted the medal on behalf of his father, Byron. Honda said his father was recruited from an internment camp in Colorado and worked stateside as a language instructor for the Military Intelligence Service. He said his father, who was a civilian member of the intelligent unit, taught him how to go about proving doubters wrong.
"He doubled down. He said, 'Oh yeah, watch this,'" Honda said. "I think that was the prevailing attitude of a lot of the veterans."
President Harry Truman welcomed home many of the Japanese-American soldiers in 1946: "You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice, and you have won."
George Washington was the first recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, in 1776. In recent years, Congress has honored athletes, astronauts and civil rights trailblazers. Lawmakers have also granted the award to the Tuskegee Airmen and to Native American code talkers who transmitted secret messages sent during World War II. The House also voted last month to give the first black Marines the Congressional Gold Medal.
Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Adam Schiff, both Democratic lawmakers from California, were the original co-sponsors of the legislation honoring the Japanese-American soldiers. The legislation was signed into law last year.
"You served our country despite being subjected to hurtful slurs and deep suspicions from many of your fellow citizens," Boxer said. "While we can never repay the debt we owe you, we can and we must recognize your valor and your patriotism."
Inouye was the final speaker. He already received the nation's highest medal for valor, the Medal of Honor. He described the latest honor as heartwarming.
"More importantly, I'm certain those who are resting in cemeteries are pleased with this day," he said

Veterans using Buddhism to understand their military experience wanted for Denver-area study

2011-10-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Posted from the Wildmind Buddhist Meditation site:

Veterans using Buddhism to understand their military experience wanted for Denver-area study

Professor Carrie Doehring, PhD, and Kelly Arora, PhD would like to interview veterans who have used Buddhist practices and worldviews to understand their military experience. These interviews are part of a research project at the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology

After a telephone conversation about the project, and completion of an informed consent form, participants will complete a background questionnaire and do two interviews that will be audiotaped. These interviews will be done face-to-face in the Denver area.

This research will help better understand how veterans draw upon Buddhist practices and worldviews to cope with and understand traumatic military experiences.

The research project, Identifying Military Veterans’ Spiritual Coping and Meaning-Making Practices in Response to Trauma, was approved by the University of Denver’s Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research on Oct. 11, 2011, and funded by the Association of Theological Schools.

For further information, contact Carrie Doehring (cdoehring@iliff.edu, 303-765-3169) or Kelly Arora (karora@iliff.edu)

Q&A with Tricycle

2011-10-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

I recently did a Q&A for the Tricycle Blog about military chaplaincy. You can read it here courtesy of Tricycle online.

Another Buddhist Chaplain for U.S. Army

2011-09-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Second Lieutenant Songkran Waiyaka takes commissioning oath today administered by Chaplain Christopher Mohr and witnessed by Chaplain Aroon Seeda at the University of the West, Rosemead, California.
Congratulations!

Namo Amida Butsu

Remembering September 2011

2011-09-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

Let us take time to reflect on what we have done 10 years on, and what we may do 10 years from now; on the cause-and-condition of our existence, and our journey on the path of Dharma.

"Even though there are Buddhas,
A thousand million kotis in number,
And multitudes of great sages
Countless as the sands of the Ganges,
I shall make offerings
To all those Buddhas.
I shall seek the supreme Way
Resolutely and tirelessly.

Even though the Buddha-lands are as incalculable
As the sands of the Ganges,
And other regions and worlds
Are also without number,
My light shall reach everywhere,
Pervading all those lands.
Such being the result of my efforts,
My glorious power shall be immeasurable.

When I have become a Buddha,
My land shall be most exquisite,
And its people wonderful and unexcelled;
The seat of Enlightenment shall be supreme.
My land, being Nirvana itself,
Shall be beyond comparison.
I take pity on living beings
and resolve to save them all.

Those who come from the 10 directions
Shall find joy and serenity of heart;
When they reach my land,
They shall dwell in peace and happiness.
I beg you, the Buddha, to become my witness
And to vouch for the truth of my aspiration.
Having now made my vows to you,
I will strive to fulfill them."

[from the Larger Sutra on Amitayus, Inagaki translation].

Royal Thai Armed Forces Chaplains Visit USS George Washington

2011-08-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

[From the official US 7th Fleet Web site. Chaplains of the Royal Thai Armed Forces are Buddhist]

LAEM CHABANG, Thailand - The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) hosted 20 Thai military chaplains to participate in a "ministry at sea" workshop Aug. 7.

LAEM CHABANG, Thailand (Aug. 7, 2011) - Cmdr. Brian Haley, command chaplain aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), center right, holds a discussion about conducting religious ministry services while at sea to Royal Thai Armed Forces chaplains who visited the ship. George Washington hosted 20 Thai chaplains, including Royal Thai Army Col. Chainat Yatchimplee, director of chaplains for the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Royal Thai Navy Capt. Manoon Channuan, director of chaplains for the Royal Thai Navy, and Capt. Phil Gwaltney, command chaplain, U.S. Pacific Fleet, to discuss what U.S. Navy chaplains do for their Sailors while conducting religious ministries at sea. George Washington is currently making a port visit to Thailand as an opportunity to strengthen ties with the partner nation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William Pittman)

The Thai chaplains, from all branches of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, came aboard George Washington to participate in the workshop with chaplains from George Washington, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and the guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63).

"We are hosting this visit aboard George Washington for multiple reasons, but key among them is to continue to foster our relationship with the Royal Thai Armed Forces," said Capt. Phil Gwaltney, command chaplain, U.S. Pacific Fleet. "That's why we're hosting this workshop, to discuss everything that U.S. Navy chaplains do for our Sailors, so the Thai navy can begin to see some new opportunities for their chaplains to be supporting their Sailors and families."

Nearly a dozen Navy chaplains participated in the event.

"This is the largest collection of U.S. Navy chaplains that we've had [in Thailand] recently so we used the opportunity to bring the chaplains from the carrier, cruiser, DESRON and air wing together with the Thai chaplains," said Gwaltney. "This gave us the chance to introduce ourselves to each other and to have a discussion about the numerous opportunities this presents us."

Thai chaplains that attended included Royal Thai Army Col. Chainat Yatchimplee, director of chaplains for the Royal Thai Armed Forces, and Royal Thai Navy Capt. Manoon Channuan, director of chaplains for the Royal Thai Navy.

"This meeting is a very good opportunity for Thai chaplains and U.S. chaplains to join together to achieve a common goal," said Yatchimplee. "This makes me very happy and very proud in our chosen occupation as chaplains and I hope the liaison between us will go to new heights and provide many opportunities to work together."

Upon arriving aboard the carrier, George Washington's command chaplain, Cmdr. Brian Haley led the guests on a tour of the ship, highlighting the flight deck, hangar bay, forecastle, library and chapel. The tour ended with an exchange of gifts from both sides.

"One of the Pacific Fleet commander's goals is for all elements of our forces to develop as much interoperability as possible," said Gwaltney. "For chaplains, that really means that when there is a future disaster, can our chaplaincies from the Royal Thai Navy and the U.S. Navy work together to help mitigate the effects of that disaster and to help support the recovery in the event of a natural disaster. So the more we do together, whether it be community service projects or religious exchanges, the more we get comfortable and we find opportunities to work together."

George Washington is currently making a port visit to Thailand as an opportunity to strengthen ties with the partner nation. Port visits increase mutual understanding through positive interaction events such as tours of the ship, receptions and sports and community service projects. This supports regional cooperation on common concerns which are of the utmost importance to continued progress.

Buddhist Study Available at Wheeler Chapel, Hawaii

2011-08-09T16:31:00.001-07:00

For those stationed at or near Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawai'i:

Wheeler Chapel offers variety to residentsJuly 7, 2011

By Master Sgt. Stephen Chinen, Chaplain Assistant, 3302nd Mobilization Support Battalion

WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii -- The Wheeler Chapel celebrates its 43rd anniversary this year.

Built in 1968, at a cost of $366,000, the chapel recently experienced a serendipitous sequence of events, bridging the chapel’s early years and the present.

It was 1970, when U.S. Navy Sailor Mike Cimorosi got married in the new Wheeler Chapel. Fast-forward four decades, he and his wife are now celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary.

Living in Delaware, the couple emailed the chapel assistant asking for any current pictures of Wheeler Chapel. They didn’t expect to ever return to Hawaii again and wanted some pictures to help them celebrate their wedding anniversary.

Luckily, a promotion had recently taken place in the chapel, and it was photographed. Photos were sent to the Cimorosis, who were so elated and grateful.

This example is just one illustration of how Wheeler Chapel continues to be an important part of the Schofield Barracks community and the garrison Chaplain’s Office.

Another recent event that has bridged the past and present is the “Brown Bags Buddhism” discussion group, which is an introduction to Buddhism facilitated by Rev. Kevin Kuniyuki, resident minister of the Wahiawa Hongwanji Mission.

Buddhism has been practiced in the U.S. for nearly 150 years. Those interested in learning more about Buddhism attended the recent discussion group.

The next open discussion at Wheeler Chapel is July 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Others will be held at the Main Post Chapel Annex on the fourth Sunday of every month at 1 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend the discussion group and to bring a lunch and questions.

Wheeler Chapel also offers Bible studies, choir rehearsals and other religious activities, including a Catholic Mass every Saturday at 5 p.m., and a Lutheran/Episcopalian Sunday service at 9 a.m.
Unit trainings and other nonreligious activities also often occur in the chapel’s Fellowship Hall.

(For more information or questions about Wheeler Chapel events and services, call (808) 655-9307.)

Service members, Station Residents Find Peace Through Zen Meditation, Buddhist Scripture

2011-08-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

[From the Marines.mil Web site] Thanks to CH. Malasri for the link!

5/12/2011 By Lance Cpl. Jennifer J. Pirante, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — Japan is abundant in cultural experiences and historical sites, which may be new to many service members and station residents. It might be difficult to experience them all in just one two-year tour, but not far from Iwakuni is a spiritual journey waiting to be discovered by those who have yet to experience it.

Approximately 20 service members and station residents spent their Sunday morning exploring the rich culture of Japanese Buddhism during an Information, Tours and Travel trip to the Kofukuji Temple in the Onomichi area of Hiroshima.

The Kofukuji Temple, which belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen, is located at the foot of an island in the Seto-inland Sea, muralled in the background by mountains, green forests and ancient pagodas. The Kojoji Temple, a famous three-tiered pagoda also towers over the village.

Many museums are also scattered among the area, filled with folklore and historical artifacts, which paint a picture of a time when Setoda seaport was once a vital shipping port for the commerce of salt.

The Kofukuji temple is just a short quartermile walk from the seaport. Its surroundings are decorated with citrus grapefruit and orange trees. They could be smelled along the path. Upon arrival, stone lanterns, culptures and shrines stood carefully placed in the yard, aged with time.

As the group walked up the pathway, beneath an archway to the entrance of the temple, Tadahisa Teshima, a Buddhist monk dressed in a black robe, welcomed and invited everyone to remove their shoes. His Buddhist name was Joshun, he said.

Before meditation, it is common to burn incense and, in Buddhism, it is an avid part of the ritual, Teshima explained. Participants lined up and lit a stick of incense before taking a seat on two pieces of cushion décor to experience the art of Zazen, the practice of sitting meditation.

“Practicing Buddhism requires a lot of discipline,” said Teshima. “It requires a lot of concentration.”

Once settled, Teshima instructed everyone to fold the top cushion in half and sit comfortably, spine extended with hands and legs folded with careful posture. The meditation was divided into two sessions, each 10 minutes with a break in between the two.

“It was very relaxing,” said Lance Cpl. Crystal Weaver, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron administrative specialist. “I was able to relieve a lot of stress by just being able to focus on one thing instead of so many.”

For those who experience trouble clearing their mind and finding inner peace, the Buddhist culture provides a few methods to help remedy this inner conflict. During meditation, Teshima rang a sharp, sustaining bell, or Dorje, which is meant to symbolize the “thunderbolt of enlightenment.” It serves as an abrupt change in human consciousness and is designed to help the meditator focus, Teshima said.

The bell rang four times at 2-and-a-halfminute intervals during each 10-minute session. The seemingly gentle monk also walked around with a flat wooden stick called keisaku. Upon silent request, meditators received three whacks, intended to remedy sleepiness or lapses of concentration.

“The meditation was hard,” said Seaman Annabel Rendon, H&HS logistics specialist. “One-on-one time with yourself takes a lot of discipline to be in Zen, but I could hear birds in the background, which helped me relax.”

After the meditation session, the group practiced the art of Buddhist scripture writing. Given a piece of paper and a calligraphy marker, the group had 20 minutes to practice their best Kanji while tracing the most popular of Buddhist scriptures, The Heart Sutra. The scripture is made of 14 Shlokas, or verses, composed of 32 syllables.

Making a handwritten copy of a sutra is called “Shayko.” The Heart Sutra is simple and important to the Buddhist religion, said Teshima. The purpose is to copy each character with deep and careful concentration during each stroke. Buddhist scripture is significant to the Buddhist religion, but in order to train with proper discipline, it becomes a way of life.

“You’re training all the time,” said Teshima. “You must always pay attention to yourself and what you are doing. You need to throw away your ego so you can follow the teachings, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose our personality.”

As a monk, Teshima said his schedule is very busy. He wakes up every day at 4 a.m. to complete chores and clean around the temple. His day is filled with frequent meditation sessions and a dedication to the discipline of the Buddhist religion. Everything he does, from the way he approaches life to the way he eats his meals, is done purposefully and with care.

The group got a taste of Teshima’s way of life when they were treated to a small-portioned vegetarian lunch. Meal setting is strategically prepared by horizontally aligning three bowls, sequential in size. Hot white rice was scooped and served in the largest bowl. Everyone treated themselves to miso soup, which was poured into the medium-sized bowl and in the smallest bowl, everyone was served two slices of pickles, one of which was to be saved for later.

Everyone was instructed to join their hands in a sort of prayer as the monk calmly begged for alms on behalf of the group.

“First, let us reflect on our own work and the effort of those who brought us this food,” Teshima began to chant.

In Buddhist religion, meals such as this are eaten in complete silence. Meals are a time to consciously reflect on the food nourishing the body. At the end of the meal, it was time to clean the bowls. To do this, everyone was instructed to pour warm water into the biggest bowls. A small portion of this water was then poured into the smallest and middle-sized bowl. The slice of pickle, which had been set aside prior, was used the clean the bowls one by one. It is also Buddhist tradition to eat the remaining slice of pickle, drink the water and dry the bowls with cloth. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is spared.

“I was very surprised by the attention to detail,” said Rendon. “I loved it. This is the best thing I have done in Japan so far.”

“We thought it would be a good idea for people to expereince something different,” said Taka Takeda, ITT tour guide. “We thought this would be a really good one because a lot of people want to know what being a Buddhist monk is like.”

ITT has many trips slated for service members and station residents to take advantage of and explore more cultural expereinces throughout Japan including an overnight trip to the Beppu Onsen hot springs May 29.

Buddhist Services at Joint Base Balad, Iraq

2011-08-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

Buddhist services at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, will begin this month. First service will be AUG 13 2011. Sponsored by 77th Special Troops Battalion, Chaplain (1LT) Bermudes.

Thanks to Gregory Melartin for the news!

Buddhist Chaplain Helps US, Australian forces 'Chill Out' During Talisman Sabre 2011

2011-07-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

From the DVIDS web site:

Story by Sara Csurilla
Photo by Sara Csurilla

Chaplain (Capt.) Somya Malasri, one of two active-duty Buddhist chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces, leads members from the U.S. Armed Forces and Australian Defence Force in meditation during a Buddhist service at Camp Rocky during Talisman Sabre 2011. TS11 is an exercise designed to train U.S. and Australian forces to plan and conduct combined task force operations to improve combat readiness and interoperability on a variety of missions from conventional conflict to peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts.

ROCKHAMPTON, Australia - Sit on the ground, cross your legs, sit up straight, gently rest your hands on your knees, close your eyes, relax…and just breathe.

That’s what one may hear walking past the chaplain’s tent early on a Sunday morning at Camp Rocky during Talisman Sabre 2011.

Chaplain (Capt.) Somya Malasri, one of two active-duty Buddhist chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces, has been holding Buddhist services every Sunday; and gatherings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, to provide guidance on meditation.

“We meditate to cultivate our minds, just like we eat to nourish our bodies,” Malasri explains before leading the group meditation during the service.

Malasari traveled with his unit, the 57th Transportation Battalion from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., but was born in Thailand.
In Thailand, Malasri joined a Theravada Buddhist temple when he was 17 years old and was ordained as a monk at the age of 21. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, and teaching others about Buddhist philosophy and history, Malasri performed missionary work in China and India and eventually the United States..

While working at a temple in Las Vegas, Malasri met an American soldier who told him there were no Buddhist Chaplains in the Army. With more than 5000 people in the military practicing Buddhism, Malasri decided to fill the void.

Taking off the robes of a monk, he donned the uniform of a soldier and enlisted as a cook in the U.S. Army. After a several years of learning what it was to be a soldier, Malasri applied to become a chaplain and, with an endorsement from the Buddhist Churches of America, was accepted,

A chaplain for 10 months now, Malasri is spreading the teachings and philosophies of Buddha to soldiers on multiple continents.
“I’m really enjoying my time here in Australia,” he said. “I think the Buddhist service can be really good for the soldiers because it’s not necessarily about religion. It’s about relaxing, reflecting on life, and letting go of worries or suffering of any sort.”

Although Malasri is accustomed to holding services in a chapel at his home base, his service here in a small military tent at Camp Rocky still attracts a crowd.

“This is the first time I’ve meditated in boots,” said Col. Murray Hayes, a dentist with the Australian Army, 1st Health Support Battalion. “Despite being in an incongruent environment, it was very rewarding.”

During each of his services, the chaplain likes to give a quote for the day.

“This too shall pass,” said Malasri, during his Sunday service. “This is what I wanted people to take away from today’s service. I want people to be more positive. If we continue to hold onto bad experiences it only causes suffering.”

Malasri said his number one goal as a chaplain is to raise morale and give people an outlet to talk, no matter what country he’s in.

Meditation in Camp Taji, Iraq

2011-06-24T19:34:00.001-07:00

U.S. Army Chaplain Thomas Dyer teaches meditation class at Camp Taji, Iraq,watch the video available on Youtube!

U.S. Armed Forces First Hindu Chaplain

2011-06-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Military's first Hindu chaplain brings a diverse background
By CHRIS CARROLL
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 2, 2011
WASHINGTON — As a child in New Delhi and other cities of India’s northern Plains, Pratima Dharm moved easily through a kaleidoscopic swirl of religions and cultures.

“My neighbors were Muslims, my neighbors were Jews, Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, Christians,” she said. “My close friends in school represented all the different faith groups, and it never occurred to me then that we were different or there was anything strange about it.”

She feels the same decades later. The U.S. Army, where she holds the rank of captain, and the United States itself, where she immigrated just months before the 9/11 attacks, were founded on the idea that people can be united while worshipping differently, she said.

Dharm, 40, has been named the first Hindu chaplain to serve the Department of Defense. Hinduism, with nearly a billion adherents worldwide — but fewer than 1,000 active servicemembers, according to Pentagon statistics — was the largest of the world faiths not represented by a chaplain.

Though the Army hasn’t yet publicized her appointment, the rumor has spread among Hindu servicemembers around the world. And Dharm, a chaplain on the medical staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, has started getting emails from them.

“I’m already on the job,” she said. “There’s this tremendous sense of hope and relief that there is someone who understands their story at a deeper level, coming from the background I do.”

Still, most of her time at Walter Reed is spent reaching across faiths to minister to anyone who needs it. That’s a key responsibility of military chaplains, she said.

“Some of them come back having lost their buddies, some of them come back having lost their limbs, and things have changed for them forever,” she said. “To be able to sit down and show compassion for soldiers I have never met before is part of the message of Christ as well as [the Hindu teachings] of Vedanta.”

Dharm speaks easily of Christian teachings. A unique aspect of her story is that until this year, she wore the cross of a Christian chaplain on her battle fatigues. When she started on active duty in 2006, she was endorsed by the Pentecostal Church of God, based in Joplin, Mo.

But she’s now sponsored by Chinmaya Mission West, a Hindu religious organization that operates in the United States. A Washington, D.C.-area religious teacher who interviewed her for the organization before giving her an endorsement said her multifaith background is an advantage.

“She knows Christian theology, and she has a great grasp of Hindu theology,” said Kuntimaddi Sadananda of Chinmaya Mission’s Washington center. “This means she can help everyone.”

She didn’t convert from Christianity to Hinduism, she said.

“I am a Hindu,” she said. “It’s how I was raised and in my heart of hearts, that’s who I am.”

But — and perhaps it is hard for some Western Christians to understand — she hasn’t rejected Christianity either.

“In Hinduism, the boundaries are not that strict,” she said. “It is to base your life on the Vedantic traditions, and you can be a Christian and follow the Vedantic traditions.”

An Indian-American Army Reserve veteran said that during his years in the service, he was always comfortable meditating in Christian services and talking to non-Hindu chaplains about spiritual matters.

“Hinduism has a strong interfaith philosophy,” said Chaturbhuj Gidwani.

But having a Hindu chaplain available, even if only by email, will make one important group very happy — military mothers who want to make sure their children can practice their faith properly. Sometimes that means explaining cultural fine points.

“Mothers would ask, can you give proper rites to the soldiers?” he said. “For example, if I die, I don’t want to be buried, I want to be cremated. I don’t want to eat beef, I want vegetarian food.”

The Air Force officer who led the Pentagon action group that established Chinmaya West as a chaplain endorsing agency said Dharm’s story is testimony to American pluralism and democracy.

“I get emotional when I talk about it,” said Lt. Col. Ravi Chaudhary, a cargo plane pilot and acquisitions officer. “When you consider Pentagon bureaucracy ... when people here saw that in a fundamental way this is an expression of American values, people moved so quickly to accomplish this.”

Dharm spent a year at a forward operating base near Mosul, Iraq, in 2007 and 2008. She received a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal, among other awards, but the most important thing she came home with was a deeper understanding of what Army chaplains are there for.

It isn’t to advocate for their own faiths, but to bind up the wounded spirits soldiers of any background receive in the brutality of battle.

“You learn to grieve with someone you don’t know on a deep level,” Dharm said. “You watch someone die in front of you and comfort the soldier left behind who had a connection to that person.

“Things of that nature you don’t learn in seminary.”

carrollc@stripes.osd.mil

Australian Defence Forces seek a Buddhist chaplain – any takers?

2011-06-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

(Via Sujato's Blog)
Australian Defence Forces seek a Buddhist chaplain – any takers?
The number of Buddhists in the Australian Defence Forces has now exceeded 350. This means the ADF is seeking a chaplain to minister to their needs. This issue has been discussed a number of times over the years, but it is only now that the number of Buddhists is great enough that the ADF is actively seeking a chaplain for them.

The role would be as an officer, who would receive basic ‘brush & comb’ training in protocol and so on, but would not go through boot camp. They would minister to the spiritual needs of Buddhists in the Defence Forces – which, one can imagine, would be a tough call.

This call has come through the FABC. If anyone’s interested, let me know and I’ll put you in touch.

In this Resource Package Related to Buddhist Chaplaincy, you’ll find an interesting selection of material on this issue, complied by the ADF.

Article on Last Week's Army Vesak Service!

2011-05-13T13:26:00.001-07:00

Congratulations Chaplain Malasri for a wonderful Vesak service!

‘It’s good to be different’JBLM Soldier is the first and only active-duty Buddhist chaplain in the U.S. Army
Marisa Petrich/Northwest GuardianPublished: 04:06PM May 12th, 2011
Ingrid Barrentine

Chaplain (Capt.) Somya Malasri, 593rd Sust. Bde., was a monk in Thailand before disrobing to join the Army. Malasri is the first and only active- duty Buddhist chaplain in the Army.

Of all the branch insignia on uniforms at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, one stands out for a unique reason.

Chaplain (Capt.) Somya Malasri’s dharma wheel is one of the most uncommon symbols in the military. He is the first — and currently, the only — active-duty Buddhist chaplain in the Army.

Now with the 593rd Sustainment Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Malasri is facing the challenges of being a good Soldier, a good Buddhist and a good leader to the Soldiers he came to help.

“It’s good to be different ... We can all connect to each other,” he said.

Originally from Thailand, Malasri entered a Theravada Buddhist temple near Phuket when he was 17 to study Buddhism and meditation. At 21, he became a fully ordained monk, and entered Mahachula Buddhist University to earn his bachelor’s degree.

While he was there, he taught Buddhist philosophy and history to students, and did missionary work in China and India. He eventually became interested in a missionary program that sent monks further abroad.

He applied and was selected from among 200 candidates to go to the United States, serving at temples in Colorado, Utah and Las Vegas. This was where he encountered his first American Soldier.

While working at a temple near Salt Lake City, a Buddhist Soldier came to Malasri for a blessing before he deployed. Later, while he was working at a temple in Las Vegas, Malasri met another Soldier who told him there were no Buddhist services available on base. From there, the decision was made. “OK, I want to be a chaplain,” Malasri said of his thoughts at the time.

In 2005, Malasri applied to be a chaplain. Though he had to wait for an endorsement from the Buddhist Churches of America for his application to be accepted, he didn’t wait to jump into Army life.

Instead he disrobed as a monk (in the Theravada tradition, one cannot be a monk and a Soldier at the same time) and enlisted to get an idea of what it was like to be a Soldier.

In 2006 his application was accepted and he went on to earn his master’s degree and become an ordained Buddhist minister in Los Angeles.

Now that he’s a fully-fledged chaplain at JBLM, he doesn’t regret his decision to leave life as a monk.

“Now I’m happy because I can serve more people,” Malasri said.

Part of his service to others includes providing weekly Buddhist services on base. Spc. Lawrence Ross, 593rd Sust. Bde., attends regularly.

“(It gives me) a sense of belonging, where a group can connect without any animosity of judging,” he said.

Ross, who became a Buddhist in 2008, says that it has helped him become a better Soldier and that having a Buddhist presence on base helps people see another side of the Army.

“It’s not all about kicking down doors and killing people,” he said. “It’s all about helping people. Bottom line.”

This is a sentiment Malasri agrees with. He says he gets asked a lot how he balances being a leader of a famously peaceful religion and being in the armed services. For him, even the least aggressive of people must be able to defend themselves, their property and their rights.

“If you don’t have a Soldier ... you don’t have freedom to practice your own religion,” he said.

Protecting this diversity is important to Malasri.

“We cannot have only one religion,” he said. “For example, we have five fingers. They’re all different (but they all work together).”

Chaplains by the numbers

Active-duty chaplains:

1,653: total

1,532: Protestant

98: Catholic

10: Jewish

6: Eastern Orthodox

6: Muslim

1: Buddhist

A surprise wedding

Every couple wants their wedding day to be one to remember, and Pfc. Jon Ruh, 593rd Sust. Bde., and Sheena Scott’s was one for the record books.

The couple was married at JBLM’s first annual Vesak Day celebration at Lewis North Chapel Saturday — and the best part? No one attending the event knew it was coming.

“Every wedding should be unique in its own way,” Scott said.

After a ceremony celebrating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha and several traditional Cambodian and Thai dances, an unannounced guest (Ruh) was invited to the front. He was followed by Scott, wearing a wedding dress and holding a bouquet.

No one outside the Ruh and Scott’s small group of family and friends and Chaplain (Capt.) Somya Malasri, 593rd Sust. Bde., knew they’d be going to a wedding that day.

The couple is not Buddhist, but were happy to be married as part of the Vesak celebrations.

“We thought it would be kind of special because of that,” Ruh said.

If you go: Buddhist services are held every Sunday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lewis North Chapel. For information, contact Chaplain Somya Malasri at 967-4046 or somya.malasri@us.army.mil

News Article on Army Vesak Celebration

2011-05-06T22:40:00.000-07:00

A nice writeup in the Northwest Guardian (newspaper for Joint Base Lewis-McChord) this week!

Vesak celebration special part of Buddhist tradition
Marisa Petrich/Northwest Guardian
Published: 09:25PM May 5th, 2011 Marisa Petrich: marisa.petrich@nwguardian.com
The birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha will be celebrated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s first ever Vesak Day celebration at Lewis North Chapel on Saturday.

“The event is very special in the Buddhist calendar,” said Chaplain Somya Malasri, who is coordinating the day’s activities.

In fact, it’s the most important day of the year in Theravada Buddhism, the primary denomination in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. But this event isn’t just for the Buddhist community on base. Everyone is invited to come learn and celebrate.

Malasri’s choosing to hold the celebrations a little earlier than usual — Vesak falls on May 17 this year, but the event on Saturday will allow community members and local monks to get involved.

“I’d like to invite the monks from off post to celebrate together,” he said.

The free event will include traditional Buddhist chanting, blessings and food. Cambodian, Thai and Vietnamese dance groups have been invited to perform.

There will also be a five-minute meditation session.

“They can find peace of mind while they’re here, so they get something,” Malasri said.

In the end, the event will give the whole base community the chance to get to know their neighbors and get a taste of what Buddhism is all about.

Vesak Day will be at Lewis North Chapel Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information contact Chaplain Somya Malasri at somya.malasri@us.army.mil or at 365-8753.

Current Buddhist Military Chaplains

2011-04-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Noticed erroneous information in a NY Times article today, which stated that there is only one Buddhist chaplain in the U.S. Armed Forces. This is incorrect: We have THREE commissioned Chaplains who have served or are serving on Active Duty: myself, Chaplain Somya Malasri, and Chaplain Thomas Dyer. We are all endorsed by the Buddhist Churches of America, which is (yes) a religious organization.

Soldier 360°

2011-04-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

There is growing interest in meditation in the U.S. Armed Forces: From Army Times:

Soldier 360° teaches holistic healing
By John Ryan - Staff editor
Posted : Saturday Apr 23, 2011 8:20:12 EDT
An Army program has adopted some old Eastern practices to help allay modern post-combat stress. The Soldier 360° program in Germany is teaching soldiers and their spouses how to deal with trauma and rebuild relationships using holistic tactics, including yoga, acupuncture and meditation.

“This course has taught me that you do not have to know all the answers or be perfect — just be open-minded, forgiving, and respectful of each other’s individual differences,” Chief Warrant Officer Wendy King, who recently completed the course, said in an April 7 news release.

THE DETAILS

Learn more about Soldier 360°

Here’s what you need to know about Soldier 360°:

360° AWARENESS
Like the Army-wide Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, a holistic plan to help improve the physical, social, spiritual, emotional and familial aspects of troops’ lives, Soldier 360° also offers soldiers tools to help regain physical health and “psychological readiness” before the onset of more serious post-deployment problems.

BREAKING THE CYCLE
Through a series of seminars and activities led by instructors and experts, the program ushers noncommissioned officers and spouses through a six-phase, behavior-modifying process called “learn, do, practice, model, teach, and change,” according to the Combined Arms Training Center in Grafenwoehr, Germany, which offers the course.

PUSH THE PAUSE BUTTON
The program strives to derail soldiers from well-traveled paths toward addiction and depression after surviving combat. It highlights methods to manage stress, anger, pain and booze, and relays techniques to relax, eat right and express oneself in journals and through humor. Soldiers are also encouraged to push pause during life to reduce stress and refocus.

RIPPLE EFFECT
Back at their units, graduates of the program are expected to pass on coping techniques to subordinates and peers struggling with stress or anxiety, or guide them to get help.

“Every community is unique and soldiers need to be familiar with the agencies available to provide them support,” said Col. Mary S. Lopez, director of strategic initiatives for a medical command in Germany.

BROADER REACH
The year-old program has been targeted at staff sergeants, the rank of most squad leaders, because its organizers believe they have the “greatest impact on the health and wellness of the unit.” But, according to the Combined Arms Training Center, the program can be expanded to other Army groups.

Hanamatsuri 2011

2011-04-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

A Happy Hanamatsuri to all our blog readers! May we all recommit ourselves to the Dharma teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha in this year.

Namu Kie Butsu (I take refuge in Buddha)
Namu Kie Ho (I take refuge in Dharma)
Namu Kie So (I take refuge in Sangha)

Operation Tomodachi

2011-04-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

BY JEANETTE STEELE, UNION-TRIBUNE
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2011 AT 9:09 P.M.

Marines from Camp Pendleton’s 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment clear debris piled up on Oshima Island in Japan. U.S. Marines

The Marines taught Cpl. Adam Shatarsky to use his field shovel to dig fighting holes.

In Japan, however, the Camp Pendleton Marine found himself using it to rescue photographs and family heirlooms from piles of rubble.

Shatarsky knew nothing would be quite normal after arriving in Oshima, the Japanese island where 300 Marines spent the past week righting boats and clearing away homes toppled by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

“One of the things that struck me right off the bat, there was a car flipped upside down on top of a tree,” said the 29-year-old Marine from Camp Pendleton’s 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before. The very first thing that stuck out in my mind was — there’s a lot to be done here.”

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit was dispatched as part of the U.S. military’s recovery effort in Japan, called Operation Tomodachi or Operation Friends.

With it went about 1,200 San Diego County Marines who supply the unit’s infantry contingent.

The San Diego-based aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and its support ships were among the first American ships on the scene along Japan’s damaged northeast coast. After three weeks of assistance, the Reagan group departed this week.

A 7.1-magnitude aftershock that hit Thursday did not damage any U.S. military assets or harm American troops, the Pentagon said.

About 45 miles from earthquake’s epicenter, Oshima got a wallop from the March 11 tsunami waves. Passenger ferries that service the island’s towns washed ashore, landing 400 feet up the beach, according to the Marines.

The island became a snarl of destruction. The Japanese forces couldn’t dock to help the 3,000 townspeople; there was too much debris in the water.

Enter the Marines.

They arrived in landing craft that are intended to deliver boots onto beaches. Dating to World War II, these vessels put down a ramp and Marines troop out.

Cpl. Seth McConville, a 22-year-old from Murrieta, said it was immediately clear to him that the hand of friendship would need a sturdy working glove.

“Anything you could see was destroyed and pulled toward the water, or in the water. Definitely, no one was landing there besides us,” he said.

“That’s when a couple of us were like, ‘Oh, man, this place is wrecked.’ ”

Arriving Saturday, the Marines dug in. They began clearing roads and bays.

It was cold work, with snow fluttering down some days. They slept in tents and ate prepackaged meals.

Initially, the shellshocked Oshima citizens watched from a respectful distance, waving and offering thank-yous in shaky English.

But as the Marines attacked the mess with shovels, rakes, even garden hoes, the Japanese residents started coming around.

“When they got used to us being there, and seeing what we were all about, they started coming down with personal requests,” said Shatarsky, who lives in Huntington Beach.

The residents had belongings in the homes that were now, quite literally, upside down. Before the bulldozers turned the houses into piles, the owners hoped to retrieve their irreplaceables.

“The people didn’t have the strength to get in there and pull that stuff out,” said unit spokesman Capt. Caleb Eames, in a telephone interview from the amphibious assault ship Essex.

“It took the Marines to climb in there and pull stuff out of the way, and to lift up corners of broken roofs to get in there and pull the stuff out,” he said.

“I personally watched one lady just in tears, thanking these guys for saving a family heirloom, a big tub for making sushi,” Eames said.

It was five days of elbow grease.

In addition to the troops on the ground, Marine helicopters delivered supplies to the shore and flew reconnaissance missions.

In recent days, American troops arrived with portable hot shower units. The delivery meant the first hot showers for residents in weeks.

Schooled as a mortar man, Shatarsky said none of his training as a Marine really applied to this situation.

But, he added, it didn’t matter.

“Toward the end, it wasn’t like the Japanese and the Marines were separated. It was kind of like everyone coming together,” he said.

“And I don’t think people need training for that. I think in a time of need, people just come together.”

Operation Tomodachi

Since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, U.S. military forces have been providing humanitarian assistance under Operation Tomodachi, or Operation Friends.

U.S. 7th Fleet forces have delivered more than 260 tons of relief supplies and flown more than 160 aerial reconnaissance and search sorties.

Involved in the effort

• Four ships – the Essex, Tortuga, Blue Ridge and Safeguard

• 54 aircraft

• 4,295 personnel, including about 1,200 Marines from a Camp Pendleton infantry battalion serving with a unit assigned to the Essex

Previously involved

The San Diego-based Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, which includes the Chancellorsville, Preble, Shiloh and Curtis Wilbur, ended active support this week.

Vesak Day at Ft Lewis

2011-04-04T17:34:00.001-07:00

From Chaplain Somya Malasri: Vesak Day Celebration at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Time/Date: 7 May 2011 1400-1600.

Married to the Military - Part 2

2011-03-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

Military Chaplains not only work with members of the military, we are also active in helping their dependents. Our assistance may take the form of offering marital counseling, finding resources in the way of childcare and other similar support, advising the command about family issues, and of course providing religious and spiritual services. As a Buddhist chaplain, I've met spouses who are Buddhist and are "married to the military." My interest as a Chaplain and also as a student of Buddhism is how they understand and practice Buddha-dharma in such a unique environment. This also relates to understanding interfaith and intercultural relationships, and how Buddhist lay women act to transmit Dharma to their families.

Last year I conducted an interview with Mrs. Connie Miller, a member of the Hsi Fang Temple (Fo Guang Shan) here in San Diego and the spouse of a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer (Ret.). We discussed what it was like to be a married to a member of the military, being a Buddhist spouse in a predominant Christian environment, and how she understood and practiced Buddha-Dharma.

This year I'd like to present another interview I conducted with a friend of mine recently returned to the San Diego area after living overseas with her Navy physician husband. Mrs. Barbara Zaragoza is a practicing Zen Buddhist, and is active in her Sangha and also, as a Navy wife, active in the local community. As a "convert" Buddhist, she has her own unique perspective on living as a Buddhist, coping with the hardships of marriage in a time of war, and being in a unique environment (the militaryc community) as a Buddhist. I first met Barbara online when, while living in Naples, Italy, she emailed me asking me for some guidance about becoming a Buddhist Lay Leader. Since then, we've kept up an email communication, and finally we met this month in person. I've submitted similar questions to her, and now present her responses here, in her own words.

Our hope is that other Buddhists in similar situations will know that they are not alone, and can find support. We also hope to continue to work together to create a supportive environment for all the families of our active and reserve military servicemembers. I'd like to thank Barbara for her dedication to her Dharma friends in Naples, and hope that her actions will have planted the seed of Dharma in many people for many years to come.

Namo Amida Butsu

Interview with Barbara Zaragoza (Dharma Name Shaku Enju)

--Were you raised Buddhist?
No. My father is an ex-Catholic priest who studied to get his Ph.D. at the Vatican in theology. My mother was raised a Lutheran. I went to Catholic schools, but was baptized and confirmed as a Lutheran. As a teenager, I was very devout, but when I got into college I began searching for my own path. Buddhism spoke to me almost immediately, probably because of my love of philosophy, my reading of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, and, most importantly, because of my karma.

Still, growing up in a Judeo-Christian culture, I really wanted to make Christianity work for me. Although I wandered through Buddhist sanghas for about 10 years, visiting a Korean Zen Center and spending a year practicing with Tibetan Buddhists, in between, I was a member of a Southern Baptist Church, practiced with born-again Christians, made friends with the Baha'i, visited Jewish temples with friends, and studied as many religions as I could, including Hinduism, Shintoism, and Sunni & Shi'a Islam. Then I spent two years at a Lutheran Church that was very active in passing out food to the homeless, provided a medical clinic for free, and had members who actively did prison ministry. I became Church Council President there and then -- boom -- I went into labor with my second child and had a very powerful enlightenment experience. It was basically a strong call to Buddhist practice, although I didn't want to tell anyone about the actual experience and I still don't like to talk about it because the experience was so deeply intimate. But at that point, I left the Lutheran Church and found a Japanese Soto/Rinzai Zen Center and began meditating seriously.

How do you practice Buddhism now?
I practiced at a Zen Center in San Diego for three years, while my husband was stationed here. My practice heavily emphasized meditation. That made things hard, especially since I was a mother of three small children and my husband had a very busy schedule. My husband supported my practice, so I was able to start meditating once a week for an hour at the Zen Center and then I would meditate at home everyday for 10 minutes. Once I stopped breastfeeding, I could participate in Sesshins about once every three months.

Sesshin is when we meditate from 6am - 8pm Friday, 6am - 8pm Saturday, and 6am - noon on Sunday. We don't meditate immobile the entire time. There is a schedule where we sit in meditation for half-hour increments, breaking for mindful eating, two hours of work meditation where we do yardwork or cleanup of the property, and there are about 12 - 14 periods of sitting meditation each day. We also do chanting, the most important for me being the Heart Sutra.

In 2007, the Navy transferred us to Naples, Italy, so my meditation with a group, at first, seemed to have come to an end. Italy is a pre-dominantly Catholic country and in all of Naples (population one million) there was only one Zen Center that had three people. I sat with them for a while, but the commute was long. So I decided to create my own meditation group on the military base in Naples. The Chapel and the Chaplains were very kind and open. They let me have a space and made me the Buddhist Lay Leader for the base. Every Monday I would go to the Chapel and meditate for thirty minutes. Whoever wanted (and I put up some flyers) came to meditate with me. I facilitated the meditation group for 2 1/2 years, during which time I made such wonderful friends. Our little group flourished and still continues on today through a Buddhist friend of mine who took over as Buddhist Lay Leader.

-- Are your husband and children Buddhist? If not, do they belong to any other religion?
Because of my religious wanderings, my eldest daughter was baptized Catholic, my middle daughter was baptized Lutheran, and my youngest daughter received her Buddhist blessing. My husband is an atheist. I've always been very spiritual. Neither my husband nor I have ever had any conflict with each other's beliefs. In fact, we were and continue to be attracted to one another precisely because of our differences. We've never once debated with each other about religion. Instead we've always liked to ask each other questions and learn more. His beliefs help my spiritual practice grow and transform in new directions because he offers me so many fresh perspectives. My spiritual beliefs help my husband see his life fresh and differently everyday too. For us, our differences are beautiful.

My children come with me to the Zen Center and they also stay home with their dad -- both. My children definitely ask me for spiritual direction. For example, by the time all three of my children turned five years old, each one asked: "Will I die, mommy?" I naturally answered them with my Buddhist values. So I would say that my children are being reared with Buddhist values. When people ask my children: "What are you?" They answer: "I'm Buddhist." But, I do encourage them also to listen to their own internal voices and seek out the way that will speak to them when they become adults.

-- What does your husband do?
My husband started out as an officer on submarines in the early 1990's. Once his commitment was over, he got out of the navy because he wanted to become a physician. Then, he found out that he could sign back up with the Navy while in medical school, which he did. He finished his medical residency at Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego. He then went on to become a psychiatrist and deployed as the psychiatrist to the detainees at the detention center in Afghanistan in 2007. He then served as the psychiatrist for the detainees in GITMO from 2009-2010.

-- What is it like to be a military spouse? Where have you been?
Between my husband's career on submarines and then as a psychiatrist, we've been in Vallejo, Groton, San Diego, and Naples. (There have also been a lot of short short tours in Enfield, Orlando, and Honolulu.) We like moving and we love travel, so in that sense the Navy has been a dream for us. We are also very proud to serve our country and we have given up a lot of creature comforts (stable friends, home, location) in order to serve. My husband has always had a strong feeling of care and respect for active duty service members and their families. He's also always appreciated military culture.

I think for me, as a military spouse, there have been joys and challenges. When my husband was on submarines, he had a wardroom and I met all the spouses. The Captain's wife, in particular, felt her role was to show kindness and be responsible for the other spouses under her husband's command. She never asked us for anything, but instead was always there to say a kind word or have people over to her house or set up get-togethers -- and this was a woman who took full-time care of four small children while her husband spent six months out of the year away! She was incredible and she's been an inspiration to me ever since. She had a commitment to serve unconditionally and support her husband by nurturing those under his command.

Through her, I realized that I don't need to wait for my husband to become a Captain in order to behave the same way. I try to role model myself after her as much as I can in my daily life and try to be mindful of how I treat others, especially military spouses.

The challenge, however, is that my husband gets the accolades and that can feel hard. He gets the rank. He gets the paycheck. He gets the ceremonies. As his spouse, I have a lot of responsibility in keeping his spirits high and taking care of all his household/financial/family responsibilities when he's gone. I've really had to come to terms with the fact that we military spouses are critical to the mission, we are critical to our active-duty member's work, and we are critical in supporting the service members & dependents around us. But, in the end, I also have to accept that my work won't be acknowledged in any way -- and that has to be okay.

A lot of mental health research has shown that people will work extremely hard and serve others for little pay or even for free -- if only they are acknowledged. I think a lot of depression, relationship problems, and problems within commands stem from a lack of spouses being acknowledged for their work. When active duty members are deployed, for example, I've heard so many spouses say that nobody ever asks them how they personally are doing. Nobody ever sends packages or cards of thanks to them. I've heard of some spouses even being berated for taking vacations with their children while their active-duty members are deployed, saying: "How dare you have fun while your spouse is away working!" These kinds of incompassionate and... well... ignorant statements really add stress to an already stressful situation, particularly when a spouse might be trying to be pro-active in caring for children who are depressed, angry, and upset that their parent is gone.

-- What advice would you give to military spouses?
Every person's experience is different, so I don't feel like I could ever give anyone advice. I can only relate my own experience as a spouse. It's been a wonderful journey at times, it's been a difficult journey at times. I love my husband.

-- What support would you like to see provided?
I've thought about this a lot based on so many conversations with my fellow military spouses. I don't think it's reasonable to ask the military to provide any financial support to spouses other than the current benefits. I don't think it's reasonable to provide babysitting or food or any real provisions for military spouses while their active duty service members are gone either. Everyone's needs are so different, so you'll never get that right. What's more, when you marry someone in the service, you must go into the marriage knowing that your spouse's job is to deploy or leave for long stretches. That's what they do.

With that said, I think it is a very terrible mistake for higher ups (Chiefs, Captains, and Admirals, to name a few) to not take the personal time to acknowledge the spouses in their command. Giving the task of calling a spouse to a 21-year-old Ombudsman [a volunteer who liaisons between the Command and the families] or another dependent says that they don't think the spouses are valuable. And yet, watch how quickly a spouse can derail their mission and an entire command by dropping into a depression, becoming hospitalized or just leaving, and the active-duty-serviceperson must immediately leave their position and return back home to take care of their financial and family responsibilities. If the higher-ups truly care about the mission, they'll care about the people who are doing the mission. If they care about those people, they'll care about the spouses who are taking care of their responsibilities at home.

I'd like to see a military wide change that requires every Captain of a command to make a personal phone call to the spouse of a forward deployed service member and ask how they are doing, spending a little time listening, taking them out to lunch once, and providing them with a small pin or something like that to honor and acknowledge their work. Think how much time and money the military would save with some small acts of appreciation that come from the top!

-- How would you reconcile being a Buddhist and living in a non-Buddhist environment [i.e. military culture; Judeo-Christian culture]?
I'm not sure how to answer this question. In the last six years, I've never once come across anyone in the armed services who has said anything negative to my face for being Buddhist.

I feel that -- whether I'm on base or out in the civilian world -- I live in a non-uniform environment, where I manage through diversity everyday. In my meditation group on base, I had active duty members and spouses who were Muslim, Sufi, Catholic, Jewish, Unic, Transcendentalist, trumpet players and agnostic. For me, not everybody needs to be a Buddhist. I'm just grateful that the military has given me the opportunity to worship Buddhism so freely.

Interestingly enough, I think it's been harder having my fellow civilian Buddhists accept the fact that I'm a military spouse and that I live in a military culture that is very diverse. When my husband was in Afghanistan, for example, I was very heavily judged by a Buddhist monk who said such mean and bitter words to me, pointing his finger in my face and saying that my husband wasn't doing anything 'out there' and that I was enabling his immorality. This Buddhist, within two minutes of meeting me, assumed who I was and what my husband was doing, without asking me a single question or getting to know me at all. I went home and cried.

Many other Buddhists have stereotyped me openly because I'm in the military, in particular saying that we don't work for peace and compassion. Meanwhile, my husband's role during two deployments was to care for detainees as their psychiatrist (some known terrorists, others there for questionable reasons), and I had many civilians come up to me and say that my husband was torturing people. Then, active duty military service members resented his work and would even angrily tell my husband that he was "working with the enemy." So, we've had some very dark days when it comes to reconciling what we are doing with the downpour of judgments by civilians and service members who ask no questions and tell us who we are.

Looking back, my husband has spent the last eight years as a physician and psychiatrist caring for active duty service members, their families, and detainees. I, alongside him, set up a meditation group on a naval base while raising our three children. We are reconciled with that.

U.S. Navy Warships Reach Japan On Relief Mission

2011-03-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

I'm sure many people have already heard the tragic news from Japan. A memorial service was held tonight at the Buddhist Temple of San Diego, which was attended by sangha members and also many people from the local community. For those who want to help, please contact the American Red Cross at redcross.org.

From the San Diego Union-Tribune.

BY ELIZABETH AGUILERA AND GARY ROBBINS
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 11, 2011 AT 10:07 P.M., UPDATED MARCH 12, 2011 AT 6:56 P.M.
Three San Diego-based warships -- the carrier Ronald Reagan, the destroyer Preble, and the cruiser Chancellorsville, have reached the east coast of Honshu, Japan, where they're preparing to provide humanitarian relief to the quake stricken country, say U.S. Pacific Fleet officials. A fourth vessel, the fast combat supply ship Bridge, which was built in San Diego by NASSCO, also is now in Japanese waters.

Pacific Fleet said in a statement, "Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) arrived on station off the coast of Japan March 12 at approximately 1 p.m. eastern ... Reagan will continue to operate near Japan in order to best support disaster relief efforts led by the Japan Self-Defense Force.

"To date, the JSDF has asked the aircraft carrier to provide refueling operations for their helicopters and to assist in the transportation of their troops to affected areas. As long time allies, U.S. and Japan forces are extremely interoperable U.S. Forces Japan is in constant contact with their JSDF counterparts as we continue to support their operations to aid the people of Japan.

"U.S. military assets are supporting the requests of the Government of Japan by providing logistical support to the JSDF. Two SH-60 helicopters from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Fourteen (HS-14) from Naval Air Facility Atsugi delivering 1,500 pounds of rice and bread to Shiroishi City in Miyagi Prefecture. The food donation was from the people of Ebina City, Japan."

"Additional U.S. military assets continue to position themselves to provide the most expedient support needed at the request of the JSDF, which is leading the disaster relief efforts."

The Reagan finished pre-deployment exercises barely a week ago and set off for the western Pacific for a mission expected to last at least 5-6 months.

“People are in trouble and frequently countries look to us for assistance,” said Capt. Jeff Breslau in Hawaii, spokesman for the Navy’s Pacific Fleet. “It’s second nature for us when there is a crisis to switch to that mindset.”

Navy personnel could help in various ways, including providing helicopter logistics support, transporting people and supplies, giving medical assistance, creating communications systems, conducting search-and-rescue operations and building shelters.

They also may offer water-purification services via aircraft carriers and other ships.

An aircraft carrier can produce 400,000 gallons of water daily, Breslau said.

The Navy not only responds worldwide, as it did for similar natural disasters in Haiti and Indonesia, it also works directly with local, state and federal agencies to prepare for similar disasters at home. A recent training hosted by the Navy in San Diego focused on how to respond to an attack on a military base.

Another training session planned for July will center on expected damage from a huge storm, which has been predicted to have enough force to cause deaths, produce floods and landslides, take out roads and displace large numbers of residents, said Ed Caviness, program director for training and readiness for Navy Region Southwest.

Before providing any help to civilians, military authorities in San Diego said they would first assess their bases for operational readiness, said Joe Stuyvesant, director of operations for Navy Region Southwest.

Once cleared, personnel on a base can respond locally within the first 72 hours under the direction of their commanding officer.

Afterward, they would need to receive clearance from the Department of Defense to continue such work or start new projects with civilian emergency responders.

Similarly, Japan or any country seeking U.S. military aid must ask the State Department for such help. Once a request has been filed, the U.S. Department of Defense would make the final decision, Breslau said.

The Armed Forces Press Service reported that Japan has asked the U.S. for support.

The warships on their way to Japan were already in the western Pacific for other missions. Along with three members of the Reagan Carrier Strike Group, the Essex, Harpers Ferry, Germantown, Tortuga and Blue Ridge are traveling to the disaster site, Breslau said.

Sea Service Leadership Association (SSLA) 24th Annual Joint Women's Leadership Symposium March 15-16 2011 San Diego, California

2011-03-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

Not directly Buddhism related...but I will be attending this and want to get the word out. Read on!

Leadership Development Opportunity for Military Women: Sea Service Leadership Association’s 24th Annual Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium

By: LCDR Nicole Shue, President of the Sea Service Leadership Association

Join hundreds of your sisters in arms at the Sea Service Leadership Association (SSLA)’s 24th Annual Joint Women's Leadership Symposium that is taking place March 15-16 in San Diego.

Themed “Connect. Empower. Succeed,” this year’s symposium will offer women from all service branches an opportunity to focus on their leadership development while also highlighting the achievements of women leaders on the front lines across the globe.

Among the confirmed speakers are:

• Department of Veterans Affairs’ Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs L. Tammy Duckworth, who will share the challenges and rewards of her 19 years of Army service and the needs of female service members and veterans

• Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer

• Retired Army Capt. Dawn Halfaker, an Iraq war veteran, business leader and U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate who earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star following serious injuries at war

• New York Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller, who spent time embedded with the Marine female engagement team in the Helmand province of Afghanistan

Day one of the symposium will feature speakers and panel sessions on issues relevant to all military women, such as “Achieving Career Success,” “Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle” and “Financial Management.” A female general officer panel including representatives from all branches will address leadership issues. Elisabeth Bumiller will moderate the “Women Building Global Security and Stability” panel.

The second day will include high ranking senior officer speakers and leadership development agendas specific to each of the service branches.

The symposium will be a wonderful opportunity to learn from other inspiring women, and hear distinguished speakers from both industry and the military. A wide range of leadership building activities will be a part of the symposium.

*For more information, and to register by March 14, visit the symposium’s webpage.
Follow the event on Facebook here.

Happy Magha Puja Day!

2011-02-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

Magha Puja is a holiday celebrated by Buddhists mostly of the Theravada (Southern Buddhist) tradition, commemorating the Buddha's teachings to monks nine months after his Enlightenment. Magha Puja is now also celebrated in the U.S.

Chaplain Somya Malasri, one of our active Army Chaplains, will observe Magha Puja tonight at 6PM at the Fort Lewis North chapel.

No matter which vehicle we travel in, may we all take the time to re-commit to the Buddha-Dharma, and help all beings to Awakening!

Namo Amida Butsu

Buddhist Holidays for 2011

2011-01-24T19:44:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Angry Asian Buddhist Web site, here is a list of some major Buddhist holy dates for 2011:

Lunar New Year · February 3
Magha Puja · February 18
Losar · March 5
Ohigan · March 17
Hanamatsuri · April 8
Thingyan · Apri 12–20
Songkran · April 13–15
Vesak · May 17
Gotan-e · May 20–21
Obon · July & August
Asalha Puja · July 15
Vu Lan · August 14
Pavarana · October 12
Kathina · mid-to-late Octoberish
Rohatsu · December 8

Another helpful resource is Interfaith Calendar.org which has a list of most major religious dates, many chaplains I know use this.

Coming Home Project Retreat for Female Veterans

2011-01-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

For those in the Southern Caifornia Area: The Coming Home Project has announced a retreat for female servicemembers who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. The retreat is free of charge and will be held February 10-13 in Oceanside, CA, near the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. You can find more information and register here.

An Interview with an American Buddhist Soldier in Afghanistan

2011-01-12T20:10:00.001-08:00

Sensei Trevor Maloney, a Zen priest in Austin, TX, recently posted an interview he conducted with Buddhist soldier and two-time Bronze Star Medal recipient, 1st Lt. Stephen J. Hunnewell. I corresponded via email with 1stLT Hunnewell while in Afghanistan, but we never met as we were stationed in separate areas of the country. Sensei Maloney kindly sent me the link to the interview, which is on his blog, The Big Old Oak Tree. Please read it. I am grateful to him for doing this interview, which will hopefully present another perspective on Buddhists serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Thank you Sensei!

Namo Amida Butsu

HH The Dalai Lama: Countering Stress and Depression

2011-01-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Countering stress and depression among servicemembers and their families is something chaplains work with almost on a daily basis.
I hope this article by the Dalai Lama may interest many of you.

From www.dalailama.com

Countering Stress and Depression

At a fundamental level, as human beings, we are all the same; each one of us aspires to happiness and each one of us does not wish to suffer. This is why, whenever I have the opportunity, I try to draw people's attention to what as members of the human family we have in common and the deeply interconnected nature of our existence and welfare.

Today, there is increasing recognition, as well as a growing body of scientific evidence, that confirms the close connection between our own states of mind and our happiness. On the one hand, many of us live in societies that are very developed materially, yet among us are many people who are not very happy. Just underneath the beautiful surface of affluence there is a kind of mental unrest, leading to frustration, unnecessary quarrels, reliance on drugs or alcohol, and in the worst case, suicide. There is no guarantee that wealth alone can give you the joy or fulfilment that you seek. The same can be said of your friends too. When you are in an intense state of anger or hatred, even a very close friend appears to you as somehow frosty, or cold, distant, and annoying.

However, as human beings we are gifted with this wonderful human intelligence. Besides that, all human beings have the capacity to be very determined and to direct that strong sense of determination in whatever direction they like. So long as we remember that we have this marvellous gift of human intelligence and a capacity to develop determination and use it in positive ways, we will preserve our underlying mental health. Realizing we have this great human potential gives us a fundamental strength. This recognition can act as a mechanism that enables us to deal with any difficulty, no matter what situation we are facing, without losing hope or sinking into feelings of low self-esteem.

I write this as someone who lost his freedom at the age of 16, then lost his country at the age of 24. Consequently, I have lived in exile for more than 50 years during which we Tibetans have dedicated ourselves to keeping the Tibetan identity alive and preserving our culture and values. On most days the news from Tibet is heartbreaking, and yet none of these challenges gives grounds for giving up. One of the approaches that I personally find useful is to cultivate the thought: If the situation or problem is such that it can be remedied, then there is no need to worry about it. In other words, if there is a solution or a way out of the difficulty, you do not need to be overwhelmed by it. The appropriate action is to seek its solution. Then it is clearly more sensible to spend your energy focussing on the solution rather than worrying about the problem. Alternatively, if there is no solution, no possibility of resolution, then there is also no point in being worried about it, because you cannot do anything about it anyway. In that case, the sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for you. This formula, of course, implies directly confronting the problem and taking a realistic view. Otherwise you will be unable to find out whether or not there is a resolution to the problem

Taking a realistic view and cultivating a proper motivation can also shield you against feelings of fear and anxiety. If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, if you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively with less fear or worry, not being afraid of what others think or whether you ultimately will be successful in reaching your goal. Even if you fail to achieve your goal, you can feel good about having made the effort. But with a bad motivation, people can praise you or you can achieve goals, but you still will not be happy.

Again, we may sometimes feel that our whole lives are unsatisfactory, we feel on the point of being overwhelmed by the difficulties that confront us. This happens to us all in varying degrees from time to time. When this occurs, it is vital that we make every effort to find a way of lifting our spirits. We can do this by recollecting our good fortune. We may, for example, be loved by someone; we may have certain talents; we may have received a good education; we may have our basic needs provided for - food to eat, clothes to wear, somewhere to live - we may have performed certain altruistic deeds in the past. We must take into consideration even the slightest positive aspect of our lives. For if we fail to find some way of uplifting ourselves, there is every danger of sinking further into our sense of powerlessness. This can lead us to believe that we have no capacity for doing good whatsoever. Thus we create the conditions of despair itself.

As a Buddhist monk I have learned that what principally upsets our inner peace is what we call disturbing emotions. All those thoughts, emotions, and mental events which reflect a negative or uncompassionate state of mind inevitably undermine our experience of inner peace. All our negative thoughts and emotions - such as hatred, anger, pride, lust, greed, envy, and so on - are considered to be sources of difficulty, to be disturbing. Negative thoughts and emotions are what obstruct our most basic aspiration - to be happy and to avoid suffering. When we act under their influence, we become oblivious to the impact our actions have on others: they are thus the cause of our destructive behaviour both toward others and to ourselves. Murder, scandal, and deceit all have their origin in disturbing emotions.

This inevitably gives rise to the question - can we train the mind? There are many methods by which to do this. Among these, in the Buddhist tradition, is a special instruction called mind training, which focuses on cultivating concern for others and turning adversity to advantage. It is this pattern of thought, transforming problems into happiness that has enabled the Tibetan people to maintain their dignity and spirit in the face of great difficulties. Indeed I have found this advice of great practical benefit in my own life.

A great Tibetan teacher of mind training once remarked that one of the mind’s most marvellous qualities is that it can be transformed. I have no doubt that those who attempt to transform their minds, overcome their disturbing emotions and achieve a sense of inner peace, will, over a period of time, notice a change in their mental attitudes and responses to people and events. Their minds will become more disciplined and positive. And I am sure they will find their own sense of happiness grow as they contribute to the greater happiness of others. I offer my prayers that everyone who makes this their goal will be blessed with success.

The Dalai Lama

December 31, 2010

Originally published in the Hindustan Times, India, on January 3rd, 2011

Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-01T20:45:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone will have a happy and peaceful New Year. I attended our Joya-e (New Year's Eve) and Shusho-e (New Year's Day) services at the Buddhist Temple of San Diego. We did the 108 ringings of the bell, symbolically ridding ourselves of our blind passions for the past year and renewing our commitment to hear the Buddha-Dharma in 2011. May all beings awaken the Bodhi Mind and awaken to the peaceful bliss of Nirvana.
Namo Amida Butsu

Clint Eastwood Urges Veterans to Meditate

2010-12-20T21:39:00.001-08:00

Here is an article from the Austalian news network; this is interesting. Although this article is about Transcendental (TM) Meditation, there are many other different forms of meditation out there. This is going to be a new field to explore, the links between Buddhist, and other forms of meditation, and trying to treat stresses. This is something chaplains have to deal with often. Any thoughts?

News link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/14/3092708.htm?section=justin
Hollywood A-listers, including Clint Eastwood, have joined US military veterans to promote what they called the near-miraculous powers of meditation in overcoming war stress.

The event in New York drew an unlikely alliance ranging from fashion designer Donna Karan to traumatised veterans of World War II, Vietnam and Iraq.

Uniting them was a belief that transcendental meditation - dubbed TM for short - is the cheapest, most effective and medication-free way of healing people who have suffered severe stress in war and any other extreme experience.

"I'm a great supporter of transcendental meditation. I've been using it for almost 40 years now. I think it's a great tool for anyone to have," said Eastwood, best known for playing hardened characters on screen.

The fundraising event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was organised by experimental filmmaker David Lynch, whose Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace encourages meditation along the lines espoused by famed guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Lynch has launched a project, named "Operation Warrior Wellness", aimed to train 10,000 veterans in the art of finding inner peace.

Critics have cast doubt on the value of meditation for treating psychological disorders.

But Lynch says there are "a lot of misunderstandings about meditation".

He believes the technique can help everyone from disruptive school pupils to soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is an increasingly high-profile problem among servicemen returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, a large number of whom are believed to fear revealing their disorder to military health staff.

Vietnam vet Dan Burks gave a moving account of the mental scars he carried after a battle in which he says he killed Vietnamese soldiers and lost many of his own troops.

"[PTSD] is a wound. It takes your life away, just like losing a limb," he said.

"But guess what - you can get rid of it."

He described his life after discovery of transcendental meditation as "the difference between heaven and hell".

Another veteran, World War II pilot, Jerry Yellin, told the fundraiser that for three decades after the end of the war against Japan he "found no satisfaction in life in anything I did".

At age 51, he took up TM and says he found peace.

"We have the ability to teach young people who are suffering tremendously ... young people who are in a foreign land," he said of today's veterans.

One of those, a former infantry soldier in Iraq, says TM "cleared the skies and I could tell where I was going".

"I felt this warm groovy feeling," he said.

"It just gets better and better."

The star-studded event saw testimonials from fashion designer Karan and British comedian Russell Brand.

Brand says he had suffered severe stress from his much-publicised sex and drugs addictions but found solace in TM.

"I felt love - sort of love for myself, but also love for everyone else," he said in a rambling speech delivered in his trademark hyper-energised style.

"I am a human being and it is applicable to all human beings. Someone, everyone can draw from it."

- AFP

Veterans Day 2010

2010-11-11T21:20:00.000-08:00

Blessings on all our Nation's Veterans past and present! May they be well and happy.

This year witnessed several accomplishments in Buddhist Military Chaplaincy: two chaplains completed deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan respectively, and we have had several new chaplain candidates accepted into preliminary commissioning programs for the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. Also a UK British chaplain visited Buddhist personnel serving in Afghanistan.

We still have more work to do: we still do not have any chaplain candidates for the U.S. AIr Force Chaplain Corps, and we still do not have Buddhist supplies registered in the Department of Defense supply system, due to various reasons. We have had difficulties in creating a Field Service Book; we had contacted several Buddhist organizations for assistance, but some have refused to work with us, due to our association with the Armed Forces. However, I believe there is significantly greater support for Buddhists serving in the U.S. Armed Forces than in the past now that many more people, including non-Buddhist chaplains, recognize the religious and ethnic diversity of the individuals serving, and the growing presence of Chaplains to serve their spiritual needs. Buddhists are in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is my hope that this trend will continue in the future. We are also actively working with the dependents of Buddhist Servicemembers and Veterans, who also fall within the care of all military chaplains. We ask for and welcome your support and prayers.

Namo Amida Butsu

U Student Finds Place for Buddhism in the Army

2010-10-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Just found this article today in the Daily Utah Chronicle! Article can be found here.

U student finds place for Buddhism in the army
By Marie Lenihan-Clarke

Published: Thursday, October 21, 2010
Updated: Thursday, October 21, 2010 13:10

Christopher Reeves
ROTC Cadet Jeffery Gilbert stands in front of the Buddhist temple, the Zen Center.
Cadet Jeffery Gilbert, a junior in philosophy, was accepted to be the first Buddhist chaplain from Utah. He will be one of 1,967 Buddhist chaplains in the acting Army nationwide, according to Sgt. First Class James Benn, special categories chaplain recruiter.
Earlier this year, Gilbert completed a higher part of the ROTC's Leaders' Training Course, becoming a Military Science Three, or third-year equivalent.
Gilbert will work with the chaplain core for the U.S. Army. In order for Gilbert to become a Buddhist chaplain, he must obtain a master's degree in divinity and have the approval of another Army-recognized Buddhist minister.
From a military perspective, Gilbert captures the diversity found within the Armed Forces, said Lieutenant Aaron Weyburn, a gold bar recruiter for the ROTC. The ROTC is raising awareness that practicing religion as well as serving your country is possible in today's society.
"Protecting and serving are quite compatible with Buddhism," Gilbert said. "The use of force or violence is to be avoided, but to what extent differs among some schools of Buddhist thought."
Holding a pacifist role in Buddhism and observing hurt could cause indirect damage and harm, he said.
Understanding that there is more to the Army than force or violence is important too, Gilbert said.
"If you speak to anyone in the Army, they have a strong mentality towards service and protection," he said. "They see their position within the Army as serving the people of the U.S."
Gilbert is furthering his insight into Buddhism as well as other religions through the study of philosophy.
"I take philosophy because it is a personal interest," he said. "Understanding the core issues at the very heart of human existence through philosophical perspectives will allow me to better serve the needs of my community." Since he is a chaplain, a philosophy degree will assist Gilbert to serve all denominations, with a specific focus on Buddhism.
Colonel George Johnson, commander of the U's senior ROTC program, said Gilbert is an asset to the ROTC.
"Cadet Gilbert has the leadership characteristics needed to provide spiritual guidance to our cadets and future soldiers," Johnson said.
m.lenihanclarke@
chronicle.utah.edu
[CORRECTION: The author clearly made a typo in the article above: we do not have 1,967 Buddhist chaplains in the Army - that's nearly the total of the chaplains in all the Armed Forces!]

Buddhist Chaplains Returned from Deployments

2010-10-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just a note that I have returned from my deployment with Combat Logistics Regiment 15Forward to Afghanistan, and will be resuming my ministry, at Camp Pendleton. Likewise, Chaplain Dyer has returned from his deployment to Iraq. We will use our experiences to help develop resources for American Buddhist military servicemembers. As I stated in previous posts, Brian Nagata of the Numata Center is working on a prototype of a service book and The Teaching of Buddha - Military edition. We can also use our experiences to help new chaplain candidates in developing their own form of Buddhist ministry in the field. More good news to follow!

Namo Amida Butsu

Another U.S. Navy Buddhist Chaplain Candidate

2010-09-27T06:18:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Brett Campbell who also entered the U.S. Navy's Chaplain Candidate Program (CCPO)! Brett will be doing his seminary work at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Naropa University was founded in 1974 by the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Bravo Zulu!

Second Buddhist Chaplain to Enter U.S. Navy

2010-09-21T20:04:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to SH3(SW) Aroon Seeda who will be commissioned this week as a U.S. Navy Ensign in the CCPO (Chaplain Candidate Program)! So soon we will have two Buddhist chaplains in the U.S. Navy! SH3(SW) Seeda is a former Thai Theravada monk who immigrated to the United States; he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served with distinction aboard the USS Kidd. As a CCPO he will complete his seminary work at the University of the West in Rosemead, California, where several of our Army Chaplain Candidates are studying. He will make a great addition to the Navy Chaplain Corps. Bravo Zulu!

Proposed Guidebook for Buddhist Servicemembers

2010-09-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

Mr. Brian Nagata of the Numata Center in Berkeley, California, is currently working on a Guidebook for Buddhist Servicemembers. This guidebook would primarily be for Buddhist lay leaders/readers to conduct discussion or services in the absence of a Buddhist chaplain. It could potentially also be used for information by those interested in Buddhism or even as a source of info for non-Buddhist military chaplains. Right now this book would include the following chapters:

Brief History of Buddhists in the American military
A Brief Introduction to Buddhism
The Four Noble Truths & Eightfold Path – basic explanation
Key Buddhist Terms
25 Basic Questions about Buddhism and American Buddhist Military Personnel
Central Objects of Worship (different Buddha pictures and Dharmacakra)
Sample room layout for conducting a Buddhist Service
Sample layout for the Buddhist Altar
Sample Buddhist Altar Set up instructions
Weekly Buddhist Service – Basic Instructions on how to run the service
Weekly Buddhist Service – Suggested service format
Sample of the laminated “Weekly Buddhist Service” card (to be used by service attendees)
Sacred Sayings from the Sutras
Readings from the Dharmapada
Buddhist Holidays
Short Explanation on “Gassho” (Anjali) – universal Buddhist Gesture
Brief Explanation of the Dharmacacra Dharma wheel symbol
A Brief history of the Recognition of Buddhism and the Dharmacakra by the US Armed Forces
Sample Service Format – Simple ceremony to become a Buddhist
Sample Service Format – Last Rite for a Buddhist Soldier (on the battlefield or in a military hospital)
Sample Service Format – Memorial Service for the Committal Ceremony for a Buddhist Soldier (if not at a Buddhist temple or Buddhist Center).
Items Available for Buddhist Military Personnel
Suggested Reading Material List on Buddhism

This book will try to be inclusive of Buddhist traditions; it would probably be unrealistic to expect that this book could be used for every Buddhist service, given the vast difference of practices, but at the minimum it could serve in the absence of texts or other materials. We would welcome your input!

UWest Alum Now Active-Duty Buddhist Chaplain

2010-09-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

From the University of the West Web site:

ROSEMEAD, Calif. – Sept. 7, 2010 – UWest M.Div. in Buddhist Chaplaincy alum Somya Malasri (class of 2010) recently had his degree-work approved by the U.S. Army, allowing him to become the Army’s second active-duty Buddhist chaplain in its history.

“This is great news not just for Somya personally – he has been working toward this goal for many years now – but also for our program,” said Rev. Danny Fisher, Coordinator of UWest’s M.Div. “We’ve put together a very good, very professional program.”

Fisher’s program was launched in 2009 and so far Malasri (who transferred in from UWest’s M.A. in Buddhist Studies program) is its only graduate. Fisher worked closely with Malasri through his studies to his eventual placement as a chaplain serving the Army’s estimated 3,000 Buddhist soldiers.

“With Somya’s going active-duty, we’ve passed a huge test,” Fisher said. “The Department of Defense in particular has the most stringent educational requirements of all the organizations that certify chaplains – they are certainly the body that most narrowly defines what a chaplain's graduate education looks like, at least.”

First Military Chaplain Killed in Action in Iraq, Afghanistan

2010-09-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

Sad news recently. From CNN News: "For the first time in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a U.S. military chaplain has been killed in action.

On August 30, U.S. Army chaplain Capt. Dale Goetz, 43, was killed in the Arghandab River Valley in Afghanistan, when the convoy he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device, according to the Department of Defense. Four other soldiers also were killed in the attack.

Goetz was serving as the battalion chaplain for the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment.

Friends and co-workers said Goetz was a dedicated father and chaplain. He leaves behind a wife and three sons.

The Army's chief of chaplains, Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver, said in a statement, "Dale was a selfless servant of God, a devoted husband and father, a strong American patriot, and a compassionate spiritual leader whose love for Soldiers was only surpassed by his firm commitment to living his calling as a United States Army Chaplain."

Military chaplains share many of the dangers with their deployed servicemembers, and help persons of all faiths. May Chaplain Goetz be blessed and may his family have no separation from peace.

Namo Amida Butsu

How to Read the Buddhist Sutras (Part 2)

2010-08-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

In the Contemplation Sutra (one of the sutras of the Pure Land School) which tells the story of Queen Vaidehi's acceptance of the Pure Land of Amida Buddha, she is visited by the Buddha and his disciples Ananda and Maudgalyayana. They do not simply get a prison pass and walk in the prison, but they appear to her seemingly out of thin air. The Buddha shows her a vision of the Pure Land, and Vaidehi decides to be born there. In many other sutras, the Buddha manifests supernatural powers and accomplishes deeds which could be described as "miracles" or, activities which defy scientific laws.

Much of this can disturb readers who are expecting a more "rational" form of teaching (the idea of Buddhism as only philosophy comes to mind), and who could be uncomfortable with concepts like "miracles," which we assume to belong solely to the Christian tradition (yet even some Christians, like Thomas Jefferson, was uncomfortable with this)! However, these can be present in many other religions, including Islam.

How can we understand the sutras with their descriptions of incredible beings, and abilities manifested by the Buddha and his disciples? Should we just accept them "literally" that these beings and powers existed in history, or just dismiss them as elaborate yet impossible depictions created later by imaginative scribes? Should we accept one explanation without question, and then deny absolutely the opposite opinion? If the sutras contain "impossible" depictions, how can it be reliable? Where is the truth in its pages? Can it speak to us in today's worlds, with 21st-century issues?

I believe that the answer may lie in between these explanations. The sutras Pure Land or other schools, were not written to be a only a dry, historical account of the Buddha and his teachings, they were also written to convey the idea of the Buddha's uniqueness, to encourage devotion and adherence to the Pure Land teachings, and the wider Mahayana tradition. In the Lotus Sutra, it is encouraged to follow the teachings within this particular text, while other sutras say that this sutra is best. Is one false and the other true? Yes, some Buddhists have argued one is true and the others all heretical, as the Japanese monk Nichiren did in favor of the Lotus teachings. Other monks have made arguments for the validity of the sutras they follow, over others. Depending on the school, one sutra, or several, is preferred over others.

The sutra is not only a primer of "philosophy" but a text that is, perhaps pardoxically, irrational. It is meant to take us to a separate level of understanding, perhaps similar to the purpose of the Zen koan. When we read the sutras, we also read with the mind of faith. This mind of faith is not the mind of "blind faith" (of which many people criticize organized religion for) but rather the mind of opening the mind to the Buddha-Dharma. We may compare queen Vaidehi's example, of receiving the manifestation of the Pure Land in her mind.

However, we have to combine our reason with our devotion TOGETHER, to read the Buddhist scriptures. Simply stating that everything in the sutras is "literally" true or that everything in the sutra is merely smoke and mirrors for another "intellectual" meaning is falling to another extreme, which we should always try to avoid. A Buddhist has this responsibility, and should carefully consider thus the ways to read the sutra for himself/herself. Many individual Christians struggle also with reading the Bible, and take great care how they approach it as both a literary text and as a devotional text; as the sutras are our "holy text" we should take an approach of equal respect and critical reading towards the sutras (which exist in several different versions). Not to do this can lead us to error and the calamities of doubt, or perhaps worse, to what we see afflicting the religions today. Most people only see this played out on our TV screens. Seeing it in person, in Afghanistan for example, leads me to understand that how we read the sutras is crucial to our own understanding of why it is so important to read the sutras, with always the goal of the Buddha in mind - to achieve peace and compassion, beginning with oneself.

Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Adopts Vietnam War Killed in Action

2010-08-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

[The following article is from the August 2010 issue of Wheel of Dharma, the official publication of the Buddhist Churches of America]

Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple(VHBT) is participating in the Japanese American Vietnam War Killed in Action (KIA) adoption program. In this program,community organizations/temples/churches would “adopt” the names of eight to 12 KIA and honor and remember them. Organizations also participating to date include the Pacific Southwest JACL,Centenary United Methodist Church, and the Venice Santa Monica Free Methodist Church. Adopting organizations were invited to participate in the annual Japanese American Veterans’Memorial Service at the Japanese American National Memorial Court at the Japanese American Culture and Community Center by presenting a single flower with the adopted serviceman’s name attached. This service took place on May 29 with members of VHBT present.Danny Nakagiri of VHBT presented a floral tribute on behalf of the Japanese American Vietnam War Veterans. Danny and his wife, Nancy, rushed to the Memorial Service immediately after the birth of their first grandchild, Leah Matsubayashi, daughter of Cindy and Erik Matsubayashi and granddaughter of Rev. and Mrs. George Matsubayashi. The website for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is www.virtualwall.org. There is no cost to participate in the program. There is,however, an endowment fund campaign which is raising money to maintain the Japanese American National Memorial Court at JACCC in perpetuity. VHBT will also honor these young men during our Atom Bomb Memorial Service on Sunday, Aug. 8. Other temples interested in participating in this program should contact Ken Hayashi at kenh@rogerspoultry.com.

UK Buddhist Chaplain to the Gurkhas

2010-08-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the honor of meeting with Acharya Chewang Gurung, who serves as a civilian Buddhist chaplain for the UK Armed Forces. He is visiting Afghanistan to minister to Gurkha soldiers. Gurkhas are Nepalese, and have a long and proud history of service in the British military. Many Gurkhas practice Buddhism, also Hinduism, and a minority are Christians or other faiths; I've been told that Gurkhas do attend each others' services, with Buddhist Gurkhas attending Hindu services, and vice versa. Nepalese Buddhism is primarily Mahayana; there has been some scholarship on Nepalese Buddhism, but still is a new field of study. We had a good discussion, and hopefully will continue to meet and assist with ministering to Buddhist servicemembers wherever they are.

What Do Military Chaplains Do?

2010-07-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

This post is due to the many questions I've received from those interested in military chaplaincy. I've been surprised to learn that actually not many people are familiar with what is chaplaincy in general, not just military chaplaincy and not only in conjunction with Buddhism. Some are unfamiliar even with the term "chaplain" (derived from the French, and refering to a garment worn by soldiers, in legend by a Catholic saint). One assumption I've encountered is that Buddhist chaplains do nothing but sign conscientious objection forms for Buddhist servicemembers! Certainly the C.O. process involves chaplains, but it is not exclusively the work of Buddhist chaplains (in my 6 years as a chaplain I've (correction!) only done one). The work of a military chaplain can be similar to the work of chaplains in other fields, like hospital chaplaincy. Below is a description of some of the military chaplain's roles - this is not a definitive or "official" list by any means, just an outline of what our work may consist of:

Religious Services
This may seem like a given, but I've been asked if we actually do this! So yes, chaplains do perform religious services, although only for his or her particular faith group. So a Roman Catholic chaplain cannot perform a Jewish seder, or a Buddhist chaplain a Mass. We can perform life-ritual services (sacraments) like weddings, confirmations (for Christians, things like baptism, etc.) and such services as required by our faith tradition. We can offer prayers and blessings for various functions like retirements, graduations, convoys departures, etc. The Constitutional Right of the free exercise of religion is our main reason for being. Military chaplains exist so that servicemembers have the opportunity to attend services of their faith tradition, especially in places where they may not be readily available, such as aboard a naval ship, or in the field, or another country. You can imagine it may be difficult for those of a minority faith, like Buddhism, Wicca, or others, to be able to talk to another member of their faith, much less attend services. Buddhist chaplains can help alleviate this.

Pastoral Care and Counseling
Perhaps the bulk of our service involves counseling of individuals. This is something all chaplains can perform for servicemembers regardless of their faith or non-faith affiliations. We often encounter individuals with issues regarding to marriage, stress, even suicidal ideation or post-traumatic stress disorder. In some cases we do refer individuals to mental health professionals or other services. Speaking with a chaplain involves confidentiality, meaning we cannot disclose the information passed in a counseling session to a third-party without the individual's permission. Chaplains also make visits to servicemembers incarcerated in the brig or hospitalized, so in this sense our chaplaincy is very similar to prison and hospital chaplaincies. Chaplains are very important in just being a person the servicemember can go and talk to without fear that their "issues" will be made known to the command, or to anyone. Sometimes all a servicemember wants to do is just "vent" and we can provide an ear for listening. (If you don't think a chaplain is needed, try just "venting" or talking about your issues with your boss, and see how that turns out)!

Morale
Another big part of our work involves boosting the morale of our servicemembers. We work as part of the command on this. This can take the form of providing volunteer activities (many chaplains I know have been involved in outside projects like Habitat For Humanity, which I also hope to participate in!), and assisting with Morale-Welfare-Recreation (MWR) activities and other programs, like United Through Reading. It can take the form of something as simple as arranging for the delivery and distribution of USO items and care packages (important on deployment) to servicemembers. There are many care package organizations, such as Adopt-a-Platoon and Soldier's Angels, that work with chaplains to ensure that deployed units receive free gear like food, toiletries, books, etc. We can liaison with outside, civilian groups, like nonprofits, churches, etc., so that servicemembers can receive assistance with family issues, material support, even financial support.

Education
Historically, this was one of the major jobs of the chaplain. During the 1800s Navy Chaplains were actually involved in the education of midshipmen not just in religious subjects, but in secular subjects like mathematics, history, and navigation. Even today, chaplains can teach college courses on base or in deployed areas or on ships. Many servicemembers do take advantage of such opportunities to gain educational credit.

Administrative
As I stated earlier, chaplains can be involved in the administrative work involved in things like conscientious objector discharges, although it takes more than just a chaplain's sign-off to successful complete such as discharge. We can also assist in other administrative work such as an Exceptional Hardship discharge (usually for servicemembers who need to take care of family member full-time). We also assist in the process of recommending and supporting command-sponsored lay leaders. Additionally, we work with the command in this.

There are undoubtedly many other things military chaplains can do, so I am sure I am neglecting to list them! This is just a brief outline of what our job can consist of. Ideally, a chaplain can do all this very well, but like all human beings, not all of us are completely perfect, but we try to do the best we can. Military chaplaincy is not an easy job, just as being a clergyperson is not a "cake" job (another misconception I've run across). Chaplaincy is clergy work outside the temple or church. Military chaplaincy is clergy work, in an especially challenging an unique environment.

How to Read the Buddhist Sutras (Part 1)

2010-07-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

(This is adapted from my other blog on the Pure Land, "The Western Quarter)

I've often been asked for copies of the "Buddhist scripture" as a chaplain by people interested in Buddhism. They've read books about Buddhism, so they want to see what the "scripture" itself says. This is a natural result of our Western culture, and a very good thing - we are encouraged to study religions on our own, and one way to do that is to read what their scriptures, or the teachings themselves, say, whether it is the Bible, the Torah, or the Koran. When they read these sacred texts, it may be in the context as a "believer" or member of a specific faith, which will also inform them how to read them, whether as "infallible" or in some degree open to interpretation. Of course they may also come to it as a nonbeliever, or "undecided" meaning that they will read it skeptically, or in some other context which will allow them to decide for themselves what to believe. For those coming to the Buddhist sutras, it is also not different from these forms of readings.

Buddhism has many scriptures, today, we have many sutras available in English-language! Most sutras however are not readily available at the bookstore, even independent bookstores specializing in "New Age" or "metaphysical" titles. If you take a look at the "Eastern Religions" section in your local Borders or Barnes & Noble, the majority of titles available tend to be mostly popular books written about Buddhism and meditation, rather than ready translations of Buddhist sutras. You may have better luck online. Whatever sutra you decide to read first (if you are not practicing any specific tradition), find one with a commentary and introduction, most will have them.

Reading a Buddhist sutra can be very different from what might be expected, especially if you were raised with the Christian Bible, or it may be your only experience with reading a religious text. The Bible is laid out as a narrative story (Genesis to Revelations), except for several books that are about ancient Jewish ritual laws. A Buddhist sutra does not necessarily tell a "story" and many passages appear repetitive, or simply bizarre to the new reader. In some sutras, the Buddha manifests what we would describe as "supernatural" powers, and there are lots of otherworldly beings hanging about: devas, nagas, spirits, etc., who don't necessarily participate in a narrative "story." This can seem very confusing especially for someone who is curious about what the Buddhist "scriptures" say, to pick up and read and try to make sense of it. Even many Buddhists who do not read the sutras may find them hard to read! A person can open the Bible and read the story of Joshua and his wars or Moses and the wanderings of the Jews, or read in the New Testament and read about Jesus' life and ministry. In contrast, a person who open up in the middle, for example, the Lotus Sutra or the Larger Pure Land Sutra may have no idea what is happening, and not know when or why such events are taking place. Therefore, some guidance is necessary if a person wants to seriously engage in reading the sutras, and importantly, to make sense of them and acquire wisdom from them.

First, let us look at the physical text itself. Only a few sutras and commentaries (shastras) exist in English translations, and as with any translations into one language from another language (in our case Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese or Japanese to English) they can vary in style and quality. A translated sutra reflect the times they were written in and the author’s attempt to use English to translate some very difficult and different concepts. It’s not unusual to still find Buddhist sutras (especially early editions) translated such as “The Lord Buddha thus spake to his disciples…” This is not the translator’s trying to be obtuse, it is a reflection of what he thought would be the proper English usage. Until recently, only “King James” English was thought proper to use in Bibles and for “religious” language. Now there are dozens of Bible translations, most using contemporary English, but there are still people who belive only the King James translation is the accurate version. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of having dozens of sutra translations to choose which is the most "readable", and unless we know the original language of the sutra, we cannot know ourselves how accurate or good it may be. We trust to the translator or translation committee that they are doing their best. However, we also have to be mindful that the translation, in an well-meaning attempt to be readable, does not sacrifice the meaning for the sake of "readability." We trust a sutra's translation usually in context of our own tradition, that is, Buddhists of our own tradition made the translations. This can be good in that they write for the better understanding, or also problematic, in that they may emphasize a specific reading rather than an "objective" or "academic" one.
(to be cont'd)

First Buddhist Chaplain Performs Army Wesak

2010-07-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

A little bit late but thought this was a nice article!

Story by Sgt. Michael Carden
Date: 05.27.2010
Posted: 06.13.2010 08:22

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE TAJI, Iraq — As a full moon rose into the Iraq night’s sky, more than 200 Buddhist worshipers bowed their heads in meditation May 27 at Contingency Operation Base Taji, Iraq, to celebrate Wesak, the holiest day of the Buddhist calendar.

The celebration was a milestone, being the first Wesak celebration hosted by the U.S. Army, and with the Army’s first Buddhist chaplain, 1st Lt. Thomas Dyer, a chaplain with Regimental Support Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Memphis native.

“This is a time that is very special to the Buddhist community,” Dyer said. “Traditionally, Buddhists cannot practice unless a teacher is present. They can offer prayers, and celebrate meals but actually having a full Buddhist service; a chaplain or teacher has to be present.”

The Army has never had the capability to provide a full Wesak service due to the absence of Buddhist chaplains. Dyer’s presence allowed deployed Buddhists to celebrate an authentic and official service, he said.

“It is very important for Buddhist Soldiers to be able to experience this,” Dyer said. “It is more than just a first amendment right. It is kind of a quality of life issue. It’s a resiliency issue. For Buddhist Soldiers to come and experience [this] for the first time in Army history, with the hope that this will be a continuing thing; it’s really exciting.”

Soldiers from across the Iraq joint operations area were invited to the Wesak celebration.
Spc. Heidi Sanders, a supply specialist with the 585th Military Police Company, 151st MP Battalion, 49th MP Brigade and a Kent, Ohio, native, traveled from Camp Ramadi to be a part of the ceremony.

“It was put out as an invitation to all Buddhists in Iraq,” Sanders said. “I don’t take it for granted. I really appreciate it. Chaplain Dyer is very gracious; very humble. He is just what I need as a teacher.”

Dyer frequently travels throughout Iraq to provide religious support for Buddhist Soldiers.

“The Chaplain Corps cares about every one of their Soldiers,” Dyer said. “[Other chaplains] want to have access to a Buddhist chaplain, so they can provide that service for their Soldiers.”

Officials in the Chaplain Corps believe there are more Buddhists in the military than most people realize, he said.

Dyer is currently working with the Department of the Army to develop a plan to better provide services and support for Buddhist Soldiers throughout the Iraq joint operations area, he said.

According to Department of Defense policy, while Soldiers’ welfare is the main focus of the Chaplain Corps, chaplains are also concerned with, and instructed to provide for, the welfare of contractors.

Hundreds of civilian contractors live at COB Taji, many of them from Nepal and Sri Lanka, which have large Buddhist populations.

After the meditation ceremony, the civilians hosted a traditional Buddhist dinner, a simple vegetarian meal.

Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

I hope every reader here will have a safe and thoughtful Fourth of July holiday, wherever he or she may be, in the United States, its territories, or stationed or living overseas. May all beings have the cause and condition to hear the sublime Dharma, may all beings have no separation from joyfulness, and be at peace.
Namo Amida Butsu

The Dalai Lama's Message to the Armed Forces

2010-06-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Philip Rodgers, who directed me to this message in support of military servicemembers from H.H. the Dalai Lama, which was posted on a Web site about celebrity supporters of the United Kingdom's Armed Forces Day. The message below:

"I have always admired those who are prepared to act in the defense of others for their courage and determination. In fact, it may surprise you to know that I think that monks and soldiers, sailors and airmen have more in common than at first meets the eye. Strict discipline is important to us all, we all wear a uniform and we rely on the companionship and support of our comrades.

Although the public may think that physical strength is what is most important, I believe that what makes a good soldier, sailor or airman, just as what makes a good monk, is inner strength. And inner strength depends on having a firm positive motivation. The difference lies in whether ultimately you want to ensure others’ well being or whether you want only wish to do them harm.

Naturally, there are some times when we need to take what on the surface appears to be harsh or tough action, but if our motivation is good our action is actually non-violent in nature. On the other hand if we use sweet words and gestures to deceive, exploit and take advantage of others, our conduct may appear agreeable, while we are actually engaged in quite unacceptable violence.

The ultimate purpose of Buddhism is to serve and benefit humanity, therefore I believe that what is important for Buddhists is the contribution we can make to human society according to our own ideas and values. The key to overcoming suffering and ensuring happiness is inner peace. If we have that we can face difficulties with calmness and reason, while our inner happiness remains undisturbed. The teachings of love, kindness and tolerance, the conduct of non-violence as I have explained above, and especially the Buddhist theory that all things are relative are a source of that inner peace.

It is my prayer that all of you may be able to do your duty and fulfil your mission and in due course when that is done to return to your homes and families.”

~ Dalai Lama

The Web site can be found here.

Facebook Group Buddhists in the Armed Forces

2010-06-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

USMC LCpl Luke Jamison has a new Facebook group entitled Buddhists in the Armed Forces! You can join here.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

This year’s Vesak observance, the remembrance of Lord Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment, and Parinirvana, occurs closely to our Memorial Day observance. On both occasions, this is a time for the remembrance of deeds that provided for our Emancipation from suffering. The Buddha’s final victory over Mara, and our military veterans who gave the “last full measure” so that we may have freedom today.

The Buddha showed us the Way to liberation, that liberation from suffering was in fact possible, and available regardless of our karmic circumstances or our social caste; our veterans have sacrificed so that we also are liberated from slavery and oppressive government. We continue to honor and remember the Buddha for His Great Compassion for us. We must not only remember what he accomplished, but work to pass on his teachings.

American Buddhists have fought in the wars of this nation, and Buddhist families have lost sons and daughters in our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have also given the “last full measure,” no different from any other citizen of this Nation. Do not forget those who have given so much for us. Take time during your Memorial Day vacation, or during your memorial services this Sunday, to remember those who have served.

Namo Amida Butsu

UWest Commencement Release

2010-05-21T19:49:00.001-07:00

Here is UWest's news release on their recent commencment:

ROSEMEAD, Calif. – MAY 11, 2010 – University of the West, the only accredited Buddhist university in Los Angeles County, will graduate on Saturday May 15 a former Buddhist monk from Thailand who will use his training to become the second Buddhist chaplain in the U.S. Army ranks.
First Lieutenant Somya Malasri, 39, of Rosemead, seemed an unlikely candidate for the U.S. Army in 2001, when he arrived in the United States garbed in a saffron robe, the traditional attire of a Buddhist monk. Originally from a small village in Buriram Province, Thailand, Malasri had been a Buddhist monk since he was 17 years old.
The U.S. military has been actively trying to recruit Buddhist chaplains since World War II, said Rev. Danny Fisher, program coordinator for the M.Div. in Buddhist Chaplaincy at UWest.

“At this point, there have only ever been two Buddhist chaplains in the U.S. military,” Fisher said. “Both are on active duty now.”

One of the two is also a UWest student; Jeanette Shin is earning her Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at UWest and is currently a Buddhist chaplain in the Navy. The other is Thomas Dyer, who is in the Army and became the Army’s first ever Buddhist chaplain, about a year ahead of Malasri, Fisher said.

The US Army currently has an estimated 3,300 soldiers claiming a Buddhist affiliation. It wasn’t until Malasri met some U.S. soldiers who were Buddhist that he realized their need for chaplains. So Malasri “disrobed” to join active service in the Army.

After graduation this month, Malasri expects to be deployed, although he is not yet sure where.
“I’m very happy and also at the same time I don’t know what to expect in the Army,” Malasri said. “When I adjust to everything it’ll be OK. I’m really happy.”

In 2007, Malasri became the first Buddhist chaplain candidate for the Army. He would have become the first chaplain, however Dyer, a chaplain from a Christian background converted to Buddhism, making Malasri the likely second Buddhist chaplain ever in the Army. He will become a full chaplain by the end of 2010, Malasri said.
Malasri did achieve a first by becoming the first student to graduate from UWest’s M.Div. in Buddhist Chaplaincy program. The M.Div. in Buddhist Chaplaincy program at UWest is one of only three accredited Buddhist chaplaincy training programs in the United States.

“Graduating our first chaplain is a joyous way to cap off the first year of the program's existence,” Rev. Fisher said. “In addition, Somya, who has done so much training already as a former Theravada Buddhist monk and chaplain candidate in the U.S. Army, has set a wonderful example for his fellow students.”
“I learned a lot from the program,” Malasri said. “For example, I learned how to be a good facilitator, how to be a good counselor.”

“To have more Buddhist chaplains in the military is important because servicemen and women have been needing and asking for them for a long time now,” Rev. Fisher said.
University of the West is a Buddhist-founded campus open to all students and located in the Eastern suburbs of Los Angeles County

Bravo Zulu!

2010-05-20T20:21:00.001-07:00

Here's another wonderful pic of our Dharma friend Rev. Danny Fisher and new University of the West graduate Rev. Somya Malasri! Check out the 2010 UWest commencement photos at their site!

Introducing 2ndLt Christopher A. Mohr

2010-05-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Again thanks to Chaplain Dyer, we have this wonderful picture of Chaplain Candidate Christopher Mohr leading a Dharma service. 2LT Mohr completed his CH-BOLC officer basic course on April 2009. He is currently working on his graduate degree in Religious Studies. He is also serving with HHC 1-185 AR BN California Army National Guard. 2LT Mohr is projected to graduate from his masters program in the fall of 2011and become the fourth Buddhist Chaplain to come on active duty.

Introducing 2ndLt Tommy Nguyen

2010-05-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to 1stLt Thomas Dyer, our U.S. Army Chaplain of Buddhist faith (currently in theater in Iraq), for this wonderful picture of Chaplain Candidate Rev. Tommy Nguyen. Rev. Nguyen was commissioned as an Army Chaplain Candidate for the Buddhist faith. He is currently attending the University of the West in Southern California and upon his graduation he will go into Active Duty as a Buddhist Chaplain.

Congratulations Rev. Malasri!

2010-05-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Rev. Somya Malasri who will graduate this month from the University of the West in Rosemead, California. Soon he will become an active-duty chaplain of Buddhist faith for the U.S. Army. His bio in his own words below:

My name is Somya Malasri, a Buddhist minister. My denomination is Theravada Buddhism. I was born on September 11, 1970 in Buriram Province, Thailand. I joined a Buddhist temple as a novice, when I was seventeen. I went to study Buddha's teachings and meditation in southern Thailand for four years. I was ordained as a Buddhist monk in Southern Thailand on June 1, 1991, when I was twenty one years old. I moved to Bangkok for further education and resided at Wat Bodhinimit Temple. I enrolled at Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University in 1996 and graduated in 2000.
In 2001, I was invited by the Thai Buddhist Sangha Council in the United States (the council of Thai monks) to teach Buddhism and Thai culture to Thai Buddhist communities. I served Thai Buddhist communities in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado; Layton, Utah; and Las Vegas, Nevada. While I was at a Layton Buddhist temple in Utah, I met with a Buddhist soldier. He came to the temple to get a blessing before deploying to Iraq. This was the first time that I considered to be a Buddhist chaplain. In 2004, I met with another Buddhist soldier who just finished his basic training. He came to the temple where I lived in Las Vegas and told me that he did not see any Buddhist chaplain while he was in basic training. I then checked with a chaplain recruiter, the recruiter told me in positive.
With the intention to help soldiers in the U.S. Army, I disrobed and joined the Army as an enlisted personnel in 2005. The reason I joined as an enlisted soldier first because I wanted to gain basic knowledge of military. I was also waiting for an endorsing document from Buddhist Church of America. My first duty station was at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. I received the endorsing paper from the Buddhist Church of America in May 2006. In November 2006, I was commissioned as a second lieutenant and became a Buddhist chaplain candidate in the Army.
I am currently doing my Masters of Divinity in Buddhist Chaplaincy at University of the West in Rosemead, California. I will graduate on May 15, 2010. I am ready to serve as a chaplain and hope to accession as a chaplain in August 2010.

Okinawa Zazen Group

2010-05-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

USMC GySgt Jordan Fountain, a command-sponsored lay leader and author of SlowZen and Ashura Dharma blogs, is hosting Zazen at his home at Camp Shields, Okinawa. Interested persons can contact him via Facebook or on his blog Asura Dharma.

Vesak at Kandahar

2010-05-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I was invited to conduct a Buddhist service at the Kandahar air base for a small group of Buddhists there. This was a reminder of the diversity of the traditions of Buddhism represented in our armed forces. Among our small group meeting for the first time, we had Jodo Shinshu, SGI-USA (one Navy Corpsman was a 27-year member!), Shinnyo'en, Zen, and also those still exploring different schools of Buddhist thought and practice. We discussed the life of the Buddha, and the challenges of being an openly professing Buddhist in the military. There was also discussion about the future of Buddhist Chaplaincy in the armed forces. A very positive discussion!

Hopefully this service will serve as the nucleus of future Buddhist fellowship at Kandahar, which is a major installation in southern Afghanistan. If anyone stationed at Kandahar would like to be participate in Buddhist meetings there, please contact the CMC there, at DSN 841-7594.

The Process for all Navy Chaplain Programs

2010-04-12T03:25:00.011-07:00

This is from our official Navy Chaplain Corps site on Navy Knowledge Online. This gives a great comprehensive outline of what is required for Navy Chapalin and Chaplain Candidate programs, active and reserve, and whom to contact. Please note the age limits and religious education requirements, these seem to be the biggest obstacles for Buddhist chaplain inquiries.
__________________________________________
The process for all Navy Chaplain Programs, to include the Chaplain Candidate Program, Active Duty, or Reserves, takes time. The names of all individuals seeking a commission in any service must be placed on a scroll, or list, that periodically goes up to the SEC of Defense for approval. This takes approximately 12 weeks. Only after this list is approved can we request commissioning documents on individuals who have been selected. There are also a number of documents that must be turned in/ and evolutions that must be completed before a person's kit (application package) can be processed. Some of the major things that applicants will need to submit/ and compete are as follows:

--An application
--Ecclesiastical Endorsement/ or for students, an Ecclesiastical Approval
--Resume
--At least 3 work related Letters of References; 3 Peer references
--Transcripts from undergrad/grad schools in sealed envelopes to recruiter
--Academic Degree Completion Plan for seminarians signed off by academic your academic advisor
--Copies of FITREPS/ EVALS and DD 214 for prior service
--DD368 Conditional Release for those currently in the military
--Physical
--Background Check
--Interview with a Chaplain 0-4 or Above
--Interview with the appropriate Chaplain Program Manager

There are only 3 opportunities a year for individuals who are going to Officer Development School with follow on Navy Chaplain School:
January, May and September. CCPOs train in May and July.

All Application packages go before the CARE Advisory Board, which is a professional Board made up of senior Chaplains, and one line officer. Active Duty applicants will be flown to Washington DC for a live interview via the CARE Advisory Board. The CARE Advisory Board will review the applications of all other applicants but a live interview is not conducted with Reserve or CCPO applicants.

The CARE Advisory Board will make a recommendation and final selection will rest with Commander Navy Recruiting Command. Once a person is Final Selected, and the scroll that individual was on is approved, commissioning documents will be requested.

Again, this process takes time, and the faster an applicant can gather and turn in the required paperwork, the better chance we have of hitting the target.

Officer Development School is located in Newport, RI, while the Naval Chaplain School has relocated for Fort Jackson, Columbia, SC.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Requirements for military chaplaincy:

Ecclesiastical Endorsement from applicant's denominational endorser (this certifies experience and degree requirements meet the standards of the respective ecclesiastical group applicant is representing)

A minimum of two years religious leadership experience consistent with clergy in applicant's tradition. This means that if clergy in your tradition preach/ Teach/perform weddings, funerals, baptisms/counsel, etc, you must have a minimum of 2 years’ experience. If an applicant requires an age waiver, the professional Board reviewing the application will expect experience to be commensurate with Age.

United States citizenship (No dual citizenship)

Bachelor's degree (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) from an accredited school.

A graduate degree in religious studies of no less than 72 semester hours (or equivalent) from a qualifying (accredited) institution, consistent with the respective religious tradition of the applicant. Endorsers are free to exceed the DoD standard per ecclesiastical requirements, but cannot go below the minimal DoD requirements, e.g. many endorsers specifically require the Master of Divinity degree..

Commissioned and on active duty before age 42. Prior to age 44 if prior service. Age waivers are considered on a case by case basis. Though we Value the wisdom that comes with age and experience, the reality is that The Navy has to bring in individuals young enough who will be able to fill senior leadership positions down the line requisite with Big Navy's Mission. By Title10 law Navy Chaplains must retire no later than The first day of the first month after their 62nd birthday. To be Eligible for retirement, individuals must be able to put in 20 years of Service before their 62nd birthday.

Pass a military commissioning physical

Pass a security background investigation.

Ability to work in the DoD directed religious accommodation environment.

Recruiter - Points of Contact

Below are our (6) Chaplain Program Officers and their contact information. They are attached to Regions East and West, and strategicially located throughout the United States. These individuals ensure that all applicants are connected to the appropriate boots on the ground recruiter in their area, and, mentor applicants through the process. They are:

CDR PETER MUSCHINSE
NAVY RECRUITING REGION WEST
NOSC ST LOUIS
10810 LAMBERT INT’L BLVD
BRIDGETOWN, MO 63044
peter.muschinske@navy.mil
(314) 263-6480 (office)
(314) 261-6456 (cell)
(314) 263-6488 (fax)

LCDR JEFF LOGAN
NAVY RECRUITING REGION WEST
NORS IRVINE
4255 CAMPUS DR, SUITE A255
IRVINE, CA 92612
Jeffrey.logan@navy.mil
(949) 509-7679 (office)
(949) 769-1775 (cell)
(949) 509-9718 (fax)

LT MARGARET E. SIEMER
NAVY RECRUITING REGION WEST
1803 Doolittle Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76127
817 782-1990 office
817 320-4310 cell
margaret.e.siemer@navy.mil

CDR MICHAEL MUELLER
NAVY RECRUITING REGION EAST
6525 BELLCREST RD. STE 450
HYATTSVILLE, MD 20782-2024
Michael.g.mueller1@navy.mil
(301) 394-0502 ext. 228 (office)
(518) 339-2021 (work cell)
(301) 394-0510 (fax)

LCDR DAVID BROWN
NAVY REGION EAST
2400 HERODIAN WAY, STE. 400
SMYRNA, GA 30064
david.r.brown4@navy.mil
(770) 612-4360 ext. 2803
(770) 238-9715 (CELL)

LT GREGORY PETERS
Chaplain Programs Officer
Navy Recruiting Region East
3990 E. Broad St. Bldg 10 Ste 13
Columbus, OH 43218
(614) 693-3072
Fax: (614) 693-3039
Cell: (614) 301-3747
gregory.r.peters@navy.mil
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CHAPLAIN CANDIDATE PROGRAM OFFICER PROGRAM MANAGER

LTJG Daniel A. Sorensen, CHC, USN
Chaplain Candidate Program Office
US Fleet Forces Command, N01G
1562 Mitscher Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23551-2487
Com: 757-836-0059
Fax: 757-836-7928
daniel.a.sorensen@navy.mil

"Images at War's End" Vietnamese Refugees Exhibit at Camp Pendleton

2010-04-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

There's an article in today's Los Angeles Times on Vietnamese refugees who temporarily lived at the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. This article mentions that Buddhist services were held during this time at the base. This exhibit is being held at the Camp Pendleton Ranch House from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM through Sept. 30th, 2010. This should be very interesting for anyone interested in Vietnamese-American history, and Buddhism in the U.S.

Happy Hanamatsuri!

2010-04-09T03:59:00.000-07:00

April 8th is commemorated as the Buddha's Birthday in Japan, and also in Jodo Shinshu temples in the U.S. A small shrine, called a hanamido is usually set up in the temple and decorated with flowers and the image of the infant Sakyamuni. I haven't been able to find any flowers here at Camp Leatherneck, but a couple of Marines did come to the service last night! We had a good discussion about Dharma and sitting meditation. The Dharma continues to flourish in Japan and beyond.
Namo Amida Butsu

For Buddhist Servicemembers at Camp Leatherneck/Camp Bastion

2010-03-20T02:14:00.000-07:00

There is an active Buddhist group meeting at the LSA-3 Chapel on Thursdays at 1800.

Hope to see you there!

Guidelines for Buddhist Chaplaincy in the U.S. Armed Forces

2010-03-10T15:59:00.001-08:00

I have received several requests for information on how to become a chaplain of Buddhist faith for the U.S. Armed Forces. Here are the guidelines by the Buddhist Churches of America, which is currently the only endorser for Buddhist military chaplains:

Requirements for chaplaincy include (Endorsement must certify):

1. Ecclesiastical endorsement from your Buddhist faith group. This endorsement must come from your superior (ecclesiastical head of your organization) and must certify that you are an ordained member of the clergy in your denomination or faith group.
2. that you are qualified spiritually, morally, intellectually, and emotionally to serve as a Chaplain in the U.S. Armed Forces
3. that you are sensitive to religious pluralism and are able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their family members, and civilians who work for the military.
4. that you possess a baccalaureate degree of not less than 120 semester hours
5. that you possess a master’s degree in divinity or a graduate degree in theological studies (in the related religion), which includes at least 72 hours.
6. that you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
7. that you are able to receive a favorable background check
8. that you are able to pass a physical examination

These are the guidelines that BCA follows as set forth by the U.S. Department of Defense.

In addition to the above, a candidate must also be able to exhibit a favorable and positive working relationship with the Buddhist organization to which he/she belongs. The Buddhist organization must also be a legitimate and recognized organization here in the United States. Legitimacy and recognition must be substantiated through the submission of documentation such as the organization’s Bylaws and organization structure.

For additional guidance, contact the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) in Berkeley, California. The IBS has established a chaplaincy program as part of their curriculum (but a candidate does not have to be a graduate of this particular program).

Institute of Buddhist Studies
2140 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704-1589
Tel: (510) 809-1444
Website: www.shin-ibs.edu

Also, anyone can directly contact the Buddhist Churches of America National Headquarters: www.buddhistchurhcesofamerica.org

Consider chaplaincy!

Namu Amida Butsu

Forward to Afghanistan!

2010-03-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

There will be few regular posts from me in this year since I am scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan shortly. I hope to be able to post at least several times, but I am not sure about connectivity to the Internet there (if there is any!) especially on blogging Web sites. I am looking forward to the experience and to providing Buddhist ministry to our servicemembers there (I have already had prior requests for materials from other units there). Afghanistan has had an ancient history of Buddhists traveling along the Silk Road, when it known as Bactria and Sogdia, and of course the famed statues of Bamiyan were once there. It should be quite an experience to be in a place that has had such an ancient history of Buddhism. Anyway, keep checking back here, in case I am able to post something!

Namu Amida Butsu

For Buddhist Servicemembers in the Scott AFB/Ft. Leonard Wood Areas

2010-03-01T06:21:00.000-08:00

Mr. Scott Xian-Liao has offered to facilitate for lay services/discussion groups in your vicinity. His tradition is Mahayana (Ch'an). He may be reached at: manjushrihead@gmail.com.

Happy New Year!

2010-02-14T12:39:00.001-08:00

Today is first year of the Lunar new year, which is celebrated by many Buddhists (and others!) worldwide. This year's Chinese zodiac animal is the tiger. May we all be possessed of courage and bravery as we encounter this challenges of the New Year, whether in life or on the battlefield.

Namo Amida Butsu

Married to the Military!

2010-01-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

Part of a military chaplain's ministry is with the spouses of servicemembers. In the Sea Services chaplains work with Navy ombudsmen and Family Readiness Assistants (who are often spouses) and a large part of our counseling work involves marital issues. Military marriages are occasionally synonyms for hardship, long separations, and fear and anxiety over whether their loved one is safe, or even worries about where they are. Many servicemembers marry very young, and some have unrealistic expectations. On the dark side, there are instances of abuse, including cases in which it is the husband who is the victim. Divorce rates in the military can be high, almost passing the national average, if it hasn't already. The chaplains are often on the "front line" with working with and helping couples, and this has become a major feature of chaplaincy work. If you plan on becoming a chaplain, get familiar with marital counseling! You'll be doing a lot of it!

However, long and happy marriages are possible in the military! I don't think there is any special "secret" to keeping a marriage intact; it's very much up to the individuals involved. I would like to offer one perspective on military marriages: since the end of World War II many American servicemembers stationed in Asia have brought home wives from those countries and, more recently, husbands! A percentage of these spouses are Buddhists, and their experience is a part of the landscape of Buddhism in the United States. I don't believe this is a subject that has been studied much (anyone in need of a dissertation topic?), but it is a fascinating one. How do multi-racial, multi-religious marriages survive, especially when it is linked to a difficult environment like the military?

Mrs. Connie (To Hing) Miller is one of these military spouses. She was born in Vietnam, as an ethnic Chinese, and married her husband, a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, in 1971, so she is set to celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary. Her husband retired in 1978 after 23 years' honorable service in the Navy, and he worked at Sony Corporation for 20 years afterwards. Both are retired, with 3 adult children and 2 young grandchildren, whom she babysits occasionally. I came to know her as she spends her weekends volunteering at the Buddha's Light Bookstore, located next to the Hsi Fang Buddhist Temple in San Diego, and I engage in an inordinate amount of book-buying there. Hsi Fang is affiliated with the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha's Light Mountain) Order of Buddhism, also known as Humanistic Buddhism. Mrs. Miller is a devout lay member of this temple. She agreed to a short interview due to our joint interest in supporting military families (I apologize in advance for my poor transcription abilities)! I hope the Q&A below will act as a window into this world, and that others will follow in understanding the life of a military spouse, and being an ordinary Buddhist.

Q: Were you raised Buddhist?
A: Yes, when I was small I went with my parents to the temple. My parents were Buddhist. I did not know anything then, we only pray and then leave.

Q: How do you practice Buddhism now?
A: Fo Guang Shan is like a home to me (Mrs. Miller became a Fo Guang Shan member after moving to America in the 1970s). I understand religion better. I learned how to sit down and chant the sutras. I follow the teachings of Ven. Master Hsing Yun. Religion [ultimately] doesn't matter, it is harmony that is important, getting along. The family is very important. I follow the "Three Good Things" Ven. Master Hsing Yun teaches: One, your talk should be good, Two, you should do good things, Three, you should have a good heart.

Q: What is it like to be a military spouse?
A: My husband only went on one deployment [after we were married]. He was away for 6 months. During that time I lived with my husband's family in San Jose. I wanted to live overseas but [Navy] wouldn't let us. I think it is good for dependents, there are more benefits. It is good to see how other people live [overseas]. You can save money and when you retire you have a fixed income. Being a military wife was for me. It was a very good experience. [But] Asian wives may feel uncomfortable. I do not see many Asian spouses today. Only once I saw a young Japanese mother with 2 children at Miramar [Air Station].

Q: Is your husband Buddhist?
A: No he is not religious. Sometimes he says he is interested in taking the precepts, since he wants to be sure to "get to heaven!" [laughs] [He] doesn't have to be Buddhist, just do good things.

Q: What advice would you give to military spouses?
A: Just try to work on your marriage. Comfort the husband. Remember your vows on your wedding day, it is not just for one time. Try to keep busy, do volunteer work, or hospital work. Go to school, or work if you cannot afford to do volunteer work and need help with income."

Q: How do you reconcile being Buddhist and living in non-Buddhist environment?
A: All basic religions teach harmony, basic things like helping each other, do not discriminate. This is the essence of "The Diamond Sutra." Ven. Master Hsing Yun, he is from south [China] he went to north where people discriminate people of south. He says, "When we practice Buddhism, do not divide race, [any] kind of person from Buddhism." This is the heart of Buddhism.

Note: For those living in the San Diego area, Hsi Lai temple is accepting donations for the Haiti earthquake relief.

Respect Healthy for Different Faiths

2010-01-16T15:34:00.001-08:00

Via Air Force Times:

By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 16, 2010 9:46:39 EST
A predominance of Christians in the Air Force creates an atmosphere that assumes all airmen are Christians, allowing prayers and other religious displays at everything from football games and holiday parties to commander’s calls and change-of-command ceremonies, according to non-Christian airmen interviewed by Air Force Times.

Still, the instances of overt religious intolerance are few, and the general acceptance of those who practice other faiths is good, the airmen agreed.

Religion in the service attracted renewed attention in November after an Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire inside a soldier readiness center at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 13 and wounding 32. The suspected shooter, Maj. Nidal Hasan, is a Muslim and had made it known that he was disturbed by the wars being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the vast majority of the populations practice Islam.

“I really believe that the Air Force and the military generally do a very good job of fostering tolerance,” said Capt. Omar Ashmawy, a judge advocate in the Air Force Reserve and one of about 700 self-identified Muslims in the service.

Hostility, though, is “right below the surface,” Ashmawy said. “And [after] an event like Fort Hood ... people who are inclined to discriminate against Muslims will do it.”

The subject of religious bias came to the forefront for the Air Force five years ago when non-Christian cadets at the Air Force Academy reported being harassed by Christian counterparts and feeling ostracized because they were not religious.

Last month, the academy superintendent, Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, issued a positive progress report — endorsed by one of its most vocal critics — citing the creation of a Cadet Interfaith Council, which helps identify upcoming religious holidays so scheduling conflicts can be avoided and meets with chaplains monthly to discuss the religious climate.

“This is the first time we feel positive about things there,” said Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which battled the academy in court over claims that evangelicals at the school were imposing their views on others.

Servicewide, about 80 percent of airmen in 2008 identified themselves as Christians to the Defense Manpower Data Center. Nearly 17 percent gave no religious preference, and about 3 percent listed non-Christian faiths. Less than 1 percent — 0.68 — said they considered themselves atheists, those who do not believe in God or any deity.

By comparison, 76 percent of the U.S. population told the Census Bureau that they practice Christianity. Roughly 13 percent stated no religious preference, and about 10 percent identified themselves as religious but not Christian. Again, less than 1 percent — 0.71 — listed themselves as nonbelievers.

In the Air Force, Wicca — witchcraft — is the largest non-Christian faith, with 1,434 followers. The breakdown of other religious minorities: 1,271 Buddhists, 1,148 Jews, 678 Muslims and 190 Hindus.

PUBLIC EVENTS
The atmosphere that non-Christian airmen mentioned to Air Force Times manifests itself most often at public events — invocations, Christmas carols and the like.

“The Air Force is laced with inappropriate religious display at commander’s calls, military formations and holiday gatherings,” according to an e-mail from a former airman and current civilian employee at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., who did not want to be identified for privacy reasons. “Airmen are force-fed religious jargon.

“I had many superiors over the years that were religious, and a few openly carried Bibles at work,” the former airman said. “Had they known I am agnostic, it would, I am sure, have affected their views of my annual performance ratings.”

A Wiccan airman said the displays are a tacit endorsement of Christianity and a subtle form of intolerance and exclusion.

“I don’t find the Air Force to have any improved tolerance of non-Christian religions,” said the airman, who also did not want to talk on the record. “What you practice on your own time is your business, but to have your nose constantly rubbed in one religion is getting plain ridiculous.”

For Ashmawy, the Reserve judge advocate, the issue isn’t overt discrimination or proselytizing, but the lack of inclusion of non-Christians.

“God in the military is almost exclusively Jesus,” he said.

PRIVATE ENCOUNTERS
Despite the public events, the non-Christian airmen reported they seldom come across overt intolerance one-on-one. Those rare occasions shock and hurt, nonetheless.

Ashmawy wrote a commentary for Air Force News shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks and received a deluge of e-mails and letters about it.

“The response to that piece was about 90 percent overwhelmingly positive, from all over the Air Force,” he said. But “10 percent, ranging from airmen to colonels, sent me hate mail — e-mails telling me I’m deluded, I’m against God, I’m not an American, I’m a traitor. ... That was my first real bad experience in the military.”

Another Muslim airman reported generally being treated well but occasionally experiencing hostility.

“There are always those that hear ‘Muslim’ and instantly go rigid,” said the staff sergeant, who also asked to not be identified for privacy reasons. “I mean, it’s a visible, physical reaction. ... The spine turns into a fence post, and you get the double take. ... [But] these are just personal reactions from individuals, [and] I can honestly say that I have never been impacted professionally because of my religion.”

The Wiccan airman has stopped talking to other airmen about religion because of the negative reactions.

“The most common inconsiderate comment I get is that I must worship the devil or that I must be a hippie tree-hugger,” the airman said. “Now, I just don’t say anything. It gets old listening to the ignorance that spews from people’s mouths.”

U.S. Navy, Marines to Haiti

2010-01-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

Update:

Source: Reuters
Jan 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is mobilizing thousands of soldiers, sailors and Marines along with members of the Air Force and Coast Guard for relief efforts in Haiti. Here are the main military components announced so far:
WHO'S THERE ALREADY?
* The vast majority of the forces announced for Haiti have not yet arrived, but the military has flown in hundreds of rescuers and has advance teams and assessment teams on the ground. Air Force special forces were among the first military relief workers to arrive. The Coast Guard has deployed four ships as well as air support for evacuation efforts. The Navy destroyer USS Higgins, with about 320 sailors on board, arrived on Thursday.
MORE THAN 5,000 MARINES, SOLDIERS
* Up to 3,500 soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg will be deployed in Haiti by Sunday. An advance group of about 125 troops were due to arrive on Thursday and 800 more will arrive on Friday.
* Another 2,200 Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Lejeune, N.C., may arrive this weekend or on Monday for what initially is expected to be about a 90-day deployment.
AMPHIBIOUS GROUP, FLOATING HOSPITAL
* An amphibious readiness group with three ships -- the USS Bataan, the USS Fort McHenry and USS Carter Hall -- will take the Marines to Haiti. This group can produce its own purified water.
* A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, with a crew of between 4,000-5,000 sailors on board, is on the way and will arrive in the area by Friday, with 19 helicopters on board. It has three operating rooms, several dozen hospital beds and can produce fresh water.
* The much-anticipated hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, will not arrive until around Jan. 22. It has 12 operating rooms and 250 hospital beds. The Pentagon says the Comfort is a slow-moving vessel and will need a week to arrive in Haiti.
* Two additional ships, the USS Underwood and the USS Normandy, with 400 and 250 personnel, are expected to arrive on Jan 16.

Also: Buddhist relief organization Tzu Chi Foundation has worked on relief to Haiti, and will provide earthquake relief. Visit their site to learn more about donating for Haitian assistance.

Pardon the Mess...

2010-01-05T22:04:00.001-08:00

I'm also in the process of cleaning up the links and everything on the blog, so pardon the construction...I hope to have most of the links up and running soon, and if you were regularly contributing on this blog (or would like to), please let me know...

A New Blog!

2010-01-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

I have started a new blog, The Western Quarter, which will focus exclusively on my tradition of Buddhism: Jodo Shinshu, or "The True Pure Land School." I hardly have time to post here, so I don't know how regularly that will be updated! But if you are interested in this particulary form of Buddhism, please check it out!
Not too much up there, but soon hope to be posting just basic information about Jodo Shinshu, what it is, etc.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of this blog's readers! (And everyone else too!)

2010 should be a very productive year. I will be deploying again this Spring (to Afghanistan this time). Also some of our chaplain candidates should be graduating soon, hopefully!

I have another poll below (I'm not sure how reliable these are, since the last one actually seemed to run backwards). This one focuses on what you would like to see on this blog.

I will have a separate blog up soon also; this will not be exclusively about Buddhists in the military, but will focus specifically on Jodo Shinshu Buddhism (my tradition). Once I get around to doing it(!), I'll have a link on this site also.

In gassho,
Chaplain Shin

Army Fighting To Fill Chaplain Shortages

2009-12-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

Via Army Times:

The Army chaplaincy is reporting shortages of Roman Catholic priests, Buddhists, Eastern Orthodox priests, Muslim imams and Jewish rabbis. The Army has just eight Jewish chaplains to serve 1,800 Jewish soldiers, 2009 Army statistics show. There are six imams, one for every 280 Muslim soldiers. For 1,900 Buddhists, there is one Buddhist priest. While a chaplain's job is to serve soldiers of every religion, seeing a chaplain of his or her own religion affords a soldier a sense of home and community, of vital importance amid the stress of repeated deployments, said Chaplain (Maj.) Peter Dubinin.
Dubinin heads the Special Categories Recruiting Team, which recruits clergy from minority religions and the Roman Catholic Church.
To become a chaplain candidate, one must be a U.S. citizen, endorsed by a religious organization, with a graduate degree in theology and two years of related experience. From there, candidates must qualify for to receive a favorable security clearance, pass a physical and make it through a 12-week Chaplain Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Jackson, S.C.
The team's mission this year includes bringing in at least one chaplain and one chaplain candidate from each of the minority religions represented in the Army.

Veterans Meditation Initiative

2009-11-29T17:10:00.001-08:00

UPDATE: This event was postponed from the date below. Ms. Baranay communicated to me that this event will be rescheduled.

Via Rev. Danny Fisher's Blog, via Mahasangha News:

Dear Sangha,

Perhaps you or a family member are a veteran of the armed services? Or perhaps you or a family member are currently serving in the military?

Tentatively scheduled for December 14 – Monday – in New York City – will be the launch of the Veterans Meditation Initiative.

Acharya Spiegel has graciously accepted the role of dharma leader and will therefore give the opening talk.

Paulette Graf – long time sangha member and teacher, Naropa graduate and Instructor of Mindfulness Stress Based Reduction has graciously agreed to coordinate the NY team and keep the forming groups of Veterans who meditate organized.

Patrick Gualtieri – Vietnam Veteran and President of the United War Veterans Council and producer of the largest Veteran’s Day Parade in the US in NYC has graciously agreed to bring to VMI, the veterans and active military through his connections.

At the moment we are working with the curriculum that will follow the opening talk and run for approximately 6 weeks. This is not yet formalized. However, the plan is to have a talk by Acharya Spiegel every 2 months, acting as a gateway to VMI and then 6 week classes to follow.

Several MIs/teachers in the NY area and sangha have expressed an interest in joining VMI and are helping to launch this vision. I recently met with 3 Vietnam Vets and the father of an active military person who are members of Shambhala. They have agreed to meet and show their support of meditation by coming to this first talk. We are expecting 200 veterans, family and active military to attend.

Please email me privately if you are interested and I will send you specifics.

Yours in the vision of turning the flower outward,
Christine Baranay
cabaranay@mac.com

Ekoji Dharma School Dana Project for Our Troops

2009-11-24T19:29:00.000-08:00

The Ekoji Buddhist Temple Dharma School (a Jodo Shinshu temple in Fairfax County, Virginia) has made some great drawings and letters thanking our servicemembers! Thank YOU for your dana and support, we place our hands together in gassho.
Namo Amida Butsu

Veterans Day

2009-11-11T08:51:00.001-08:00

For this Veterans Day I'd like to share an interesting account of the first US Marine burial in Japan, which occurred during Commodore Perry's visit in 1854. The event is actually an account of possibly the first interfaith Christian-Buddhist service of this kind:

"The flags of every vessel in the squadron were hoisted at half mast as the boats pushed off. The body was borne to a very picturesque spot at the foot of a hill, at a short distance from the village of Yoku-hama. The chaplain, Mr. Jones, was robed in his clerical gown, and on landing was received in the most courteous manner by some of the Japanese authorities, who showed none of their supposed repugnance to the Christian religion and its ministers...The place chosen for the burial was near a Japanese place of internment, with stone idols and sculpted headstones, and as the procession came up a Buddhist priest, in robes of richly embroidered silk, was observed already on the ground.

Mr. Jones read the service of the Protestant Episcopal church, and while he was officiating the Buddhist priest sat near by on a mat, with an altar before him, on which was a collection of scraps of paper, some rice, a gong, a vessel containing saki, and some burning incense. The service having been read, the body lowered, and the earth thrown in, the party retired from the grave. The Buddhist priest then commenced the peculiar ceremonies of his religion, beating his gong, telling his rosary of glass and wooden beads, muttering his prayers, and keeping alive the burning incense. He was still going through his strange forumlary when the Americans moved away..."
[Source: History of the Chaplain Corps , Part I, NAVEDTRA 14281]

Especially on this day, but on all days, we should be mindful of those who have gone before us, and who are still volunteering to serve. As chaplains we can also learn much from past examples of interfaith cooperation, and continue our determination to serve.

Chaplain Jones also recorded one of the epitaphs made for a servicemember interred in Japan, and I would like to close with it here, as it is still very much meaningful:

Sleeping on a foreign shore,
Rest, sailor, rest! thy trials o'er;
Thy shipmates leave this token here,
That some, perchance, may drop a tear
For one that braved so long the blast
And served the country to the last.

Namu Amida Butsu

First Chaplains School Graduation at Fort Jackson

2009-11-02T17:03:00.000-08:00

Update: Nov. 12, 2009. Found an even more detailed article about the Ft. Jackson Chaplains School graduation:
NAVY.MIL 10 NOV 09) ... Steve Vanderwerff

COLUMBIA, S.C. (NNS) -- The Naval Chaplaincy School and Center (NCSC), part of the newly established Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center (AFCC), graduated 29 chaplains and chaplain candidates Nov. 6 during a ceremony at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C.
The chaplains are the first to graduate since mid-August when the Naval Chaplains School relocated from Newport, R.I., to Columbia as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission's 2005 decision to co-locate all of the military ministry training at Fort Jackson.
The Naval Chaplains School became the Naval Chaplaincy School and Center to reflect the training of Navy chaplains and religious program specialist (RPs) in the same location,
"I'm totally excited about this crop of chaplains going to the fleet," said Capt. Michael W. Langston, NCSC's commanding officer. "They come with a variety of ministry experience. They're excited about the opportunity to minister to the fleet. More than anything else they're mature and they're bright, they have a servant's heart, and want to go out and take care of the needs of our men and women in uniform."
NCSC, the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School (USACHCS), and the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Service Institute (AFCSI) are co-located in Fort Jackson to form the AFCC. It is the aim of the AFCC to foster closer cooperation among the chaplain corps and make use of shared instruction and training.
More than 200 guests attended the ceremony, including Col. Steven Keith, commandant of AFCSI, and Chet Lanious, USACHCS' director of the Center for World Religions. Officials from the various faith groups that endorsed the graduating chaplains, and friends and family members of the new chaplains were also in attendance.
Navy Chief of Chaplains, Rear Adm. Robert F. Burt, served as guest speaker.
"Today, our country is engaged in several conflicts and missions around the world", said Burt. "The likelihood that you will find yourself in an area of hostilities is very real. We don't ask you to pull triggers, launch missiles, or throw grenades…but we will ask you to take care of our warriors who are in the fight."
The graduates began their journey in August in Newport at the Officers Development School for five weeks of naval indoctrination. In late September they arrived in Fort Jackson for the Basic Chaplain Course. During their seven weeks of training, chaplains were introduced to the schools newly developed curriculum, learning quickly how to adapt their civilian ministry skills to the military culture. They received first-hand knowledge from veteran chaplains who have served in combat.
"Lessons learned from combat is new to the curriculum," said NSCS Instructor Lt. Cmdr. Bruce Crouterfield. "The biggest lesson we have learned in combat, which we probably knew on an intuitive level, and something that has proved it's self over and over again, and even more so now, is that the chaplain is a symbolic reminder of the presence of God, even in combat. We can share that story now, like we've never been able to before."
Currently, NCSC is operating out of a temporary facility they refurbished. NSCS will remain in the refurbished building until they move into a newly built state-of-art "green" building in December. When they move into their new building, they will be connected to the other service chaplain schools that will also be housed in their own buildings.
Similar to AFFC's aim to foster closer cooperation among the Chaplain Corps, it is NCSC's intent to enhance its religious ministry team by having its chaplains and RPs train in the same location. The school will officially begin training RPs, the enlisted support Sailors for Navy chaplains, in January 2010. Until recently, RPs received their training at Naval Technical Training Center in Meridian, Miss.
"One can't do what one needs to do without the other," said Crouterfield. "In today's environment not only is the RP supporting the chaplain in terms of ministry, but the RP is an enlisted service member, so there is a connection with their colleagues. RP's have their ear to the deck plate. They can facilitate and move these young men and women toward the chaplain if there is a need.
"One of the key things in combat is the RP becomes the force protection for the chaplain. As a team, the chaplain can do the ministry while the RP is facilitating and providing the force protection, so that team concept is vital to us being able to accomplish the mission."
Like the chaplains before them who were taught in Newport, the chaplains graduating from NCSC in Fort Jackson will continue to serve the spiritual needs of those serving in the fleet through-out the world.

U.S. Army Sending First Buddhist Chaplain to Iraq

2009-10-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

A few posts back I mentioned a military chaplains documentary by Ms. Lee Lawrence called "Chaplains Under Fire." She recently posted a series of interviews with Chaplain Dyer, and a Buddhist former employee of Blackwater. The link to her site is listed under "Helpful Links."
Also another good article from Fox News:

Friday, October 30, 2009
By Lauren Green

All Army chaplains wear the same uniform, and all of them answer to the same calling: to provide comfort and to relieve the suffering of American soldiers.

But one chaplain stands out from the crowd. Thomas Dyer is the first and only Buddhist chaplain in the history of the U.S. Army.

Dyer will be deployed to the Middle East in December along with the 278th Armored Calvary Regiment. Although his faith is grounded in pacifism, the 43-year-old Dyer says war has become a necessary part of peace.

"My teacher has concluded that without the military, without civil protection, the world would enter into a very dark place very quickly," Dyer told Fox News. "There aren't that many caves to run to, there aren't that many mountains to go to anymore. And if we don't have protection, we suffer greatly."

A former Baptist preacher, Dyer found his new faith a few years ago through the practice of intense meditation. Born in Nashville, Tenn., he says his Christian background gives him an advantage in meeting the demands of a military with diverse spiritual needs.

“It has made me kind of like someone who is bilingual, where they can speak two languages, or bicultural,” he said. “I am kind of like a bi-religious person, so I am able to make connections with soldiers in a way that is very familiar to them, so I don’t look so scary or ... strange.”

Less than one percent of the United States population is Buddhist, and Buddhists make up only three-tenths of a percent of the military. But Dyer has quickly gained the respect of his Christian colleagues, who make up the vast majority of military chaplains. He has also fostered a close relationship with his chaplain assistant, Spc. Jonathan Westley, who's trained specifically to protect him.

"It definitely was something different when I got to meet him for the first time last year,” Westley told Fox News. “Fortunately, we clicked right from the start."

Dyer will be a spiritual guide to all soldiers, not just Buddhists. He says no matter what their faith, all soldiers at war have common spiritual needs.

"They have a lot to bear. The training is tough. The environment is rough at times ... and as a result of this they will come to someone who wants to help," he said.

Religion aside, he says, soldiers face death daily, and what matters most to them is that someone who knows what they’re going through cares about their fate.

In Response to Rev. Senauke

2009-10-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

In response to Rev. Senauke's concerns regarding Conscientious Objector (C.O.) status, I would like to add that the availability of Buddhist chaplains is very unlikely to affect any such application. Chaplains do not decide whether a C.O. application will be accepted (this is a common misconception), chaplains merely assist the commanding officer (of the applicant) with his/her evaluation of the validity of the application i.e. whether the applicant is an actual and practicing member of that faith which he or she has to be (as opposed to, for example, just reading a few books and proclaiming oneself an adherent). Any chaplain can write a letter for a C.O. application, it doesn't have to be a chaplain specific to the faith of the applicant. A civilian clergy's opinion can also be added (as Rev. Senauke has done). It is up to that commanding officer and the Naval Personnel Board (in the case of the USN and USMC) whether or not a discharge is granted. There may be other factors involved also. Each C.O.application is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In my experience as a chaplain, actual C.O. cases are rare and unlikely to go through; most individuals with a history of being unable to adjust to military life are simply administratively separated. In my 5 years (so far) of active and reserve service I've only seen 1 applicant (and that person was not a Buddhist).
For additional information reference MILPERSMAN 1900-010.

The concerns expressed by Rev. Senauke and others that the presence of Buddhist chaplains might deter commanding officers from taking C.O. claims seriously, can, in fact, be seen as a positive development on several fronts. First, Buddhist scholars, and certainly some Buddhists(!) may be aware that Buddhism is not a monolithic entity, but is extremely diverse in beliefs and practices, but most non-Buddhists are simply not aware of this. We can describe this as a "teaching moment" for others, including other chaplains, who are in fact growing in awareness of the rich diversity of Buddhism. Just as there can be vast differences between Christians like Southern Baptists and Quakers regarding military service, there is similar diversity in Buddhism. The presence of Buddhist chaplains now on active duty and in training (Mahayana, Vajrayana, Theravada) reflects this. Second, it maintains the integrity of the C.O. process. Believe it or not, C.O. can be seen as an "easy out" by individuals simply wanting to get out of their enlistment contract; it may not have anything to do with moral or religious beliefs, but can be for reasons such as to enroll in a school a semester early or get an available job. However, the military commitment has to be honored first and genuine C.O. applicants (Buddhist or otherwise) have to be respected. For those individuals believing that all they have to do is claim to be "Buddhist" and that will get them out the gate, the fact of Buddhist chaplains in the military now makes this belief untenable. It may reduce the bogus applications, in any case. There is NO one religion that can release someone from service just by adherence, especially in the era of the all-volunteer force. I have known of Quaker and even Jain servicemembers!

I've worked with Rev. Senauke in the past, and would like to thank him here for his wisdom and understanding in assisting Buddhist servicemembers, whatever their need. While others may dismiss Buddhist military chaplaincy as unnecessary, even wrong, he is correct in stating that there is a need for chaplains simply because of the presence of Buddhists in the Armed Forces. They self-identify as Buddhists, so this fact cannot be dismissed, certainly not by the Chaplain Corps of the various armed forces branches, which is mandated to respect the freedom of worship guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and therefore provides for Buddhist military chaplains, places of worship, and material. We should also be mindful that chaplains may assist persons of all faiths or no faiths, and not just servicemembers, but also includes their dependents (family members). The most crucial emphasis for chaplains is not on theory and doctrine, but on core counseling: PTSD, stress and anger management and treatment, marriage and family counseling, and clinical pastoral education (CPE).

On Chaplaincy in the U.S. Military: Hozan Alan Senauke, Clear View Project

2009-10-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

An interesting article by Rev. Alan Senauke, from the Upaya Zen Center newsletter:

This week an NPR story announced the creation of a Vast Refuge Dharma Hall in the basement of the Cadet Chapel at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This is the first dedicated Buddhist chapel in the U.S. military. At the chapel’s dedication, the Reverend Dai En Wiley Burch of the Hollow Bones Rinzai Zen school said, "Without compassion, war is a criminal activity. Sometimes it is necessary to take life, but we never take life for granted."

The academy's Buddhist program leader, Sarah Bender Sensei of the Springs Mountain Sangha, asked herself how Zen Buddhism fits with the military path.

"People in the military come up — for real— against questions that most of us just consider abstractly," Bender says. "The questions of Buddhism are the questions of life and death. So, where else would you want Buddhism than right there where those questions are most vivid?"

My first response to this was positive. A Buddhist chapel is a good thing. Even more so at the Air Force Academy, where year after year there have been complaints of intolerance and religious discrimination. But several days ago, a friend and collaborator, a lawyer working with conscientious objectors within the military raised questions that gave me pause. My friend, a dedicated and observant Jew wrote:

I’m of course concerned about its impact on CO clients for whom Buddhism is their route to their beliefs against participation in war in any form. The more deeply Buddhism becomes entrenched in military life, the harder it is for that to be the accepted religious source of a CO applicant’s beliefs. It is already such an uphill battle for Christians – I can see that happening how for those who articulate Buddhist values or beliefs in support of their CO applications. “Soldier, the Air Force has a Buddhist Chaplain and a Buddhist Chapel. How can you sit here and say to me that Buddhism is against participation in war in any form?”

In an email response, I wrote very quickly:

This question of Buddhist chapel and chaplain is a real conundrum. There are several thousand Buddhist personnel (actually more than 5000) in the military. They need day-to-day resources and ministry. But as you point out, the presence of these resources argues against the explicit position of Buddhist "nonviolence."

A group I work with designing Buddhist chaplaincy materials ran up on this question from another angle. Do we include the Buddhist precepts, all versions of which begin with the vow or prohibition against taking life. I think I won that round, insisting that they remain in the materials, because to omit them is to undermine the moral basis of Buddhist teachings. But how individual chaplains will work with this, I don't know. I would not really like to be in their shoes. However this does not seem vastly different from the role of chaplains of other faiths, themselves in the position of counseling men and women within a context that may be fundamentally not moral.

I sent this out to a couple of list-serves I participate in — the American Zen Teacher’s Association and the Soto Zen Buddhist Association — and got some responses, both challenging and supportive. Here is my reading of several of these questions.

Is it truly possible to keep the first precept, not taking life? I was asked whether I thought all military and police were “immoral.” What about the military of “Buddhist” nations like Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka? Were conscientious objectors using Buddhism as a pretext for escaping the military, or whether these were serious practitioners. And then, am I substituting my personal sense of morality for another, and is this itself transgressing the Buddha’s precepts?

So, let me try to clarify some of my thoughts, maybe not in a completely logical sequence.

• This comes first. I believe in nonviolence as a way of life and as a dedicated and disciplined way of resolving conflicts, whether between individuals or countries. I believe in what Dr. King called the “beloved community,” a place that is not free from inevitable conflicts, we one can turn away from weapons and violence as the means of resolving conflict. Nonviolence is not, for me, being nice. It has to be tough and flexible. It is a practice and it can be a strategy.

At another time, we could talk at length about active nonviolence, which calls for rigorous training and an ability to counter violence simultaneously resisting it, receiving it, and not retaliating. It does not always work, but it is surprising how effective it can be. One could tick off numerous recent historical examples.

For the sake of transparency, I should say that in the 70s I was part of a group that came to espouse violence as a necessary and inevitable means of social change. This never sat right in my body back then, but, like others, I thought my self into a dark corner in which violence was the answer. Delusion! And, it was more or less a disaster. I deeply regret this.

And, of course, I am aware that one cannot live without taking life. For those who may not know me, I am hardly a strict constructionist on the precepts. We have to look at intention, awareness, the whole picture. If I am caught in rigidity, then in keeping a “rule” I have failed to keep the spirit.

• Yes, there have always been armies and police, and there has to be some provision for defense. Even were we living in a world of wise rulers, protection is necessary. The Buddha speaks of this, as does Dogen. Aggression exists within each of us. But our wars today day wars are hardly the work of wise rulers (Neither were most wars in the past.). Whatever the issues may be, however just, the killing is fed by arms dealers and vast corporations who profit from the various technologies of killing. And by politicians driven by self-interest in raw form. And even by ourselves in a willingness to preserve privilege over groups and people elsewhere in the world.

• Having said all that, I would add that military personnel and families I have met often embody the highest principles of honor, duty, and self-sacrifice. They try to live according to what I might call “practice,” for the sake of their country and people. It is essential to hold this in mind.

• I mentioned chaplains “in the position of counseling men and women within a context that is fundamentally not moral.” This word ‘context’ has meaning for me. Just in our own historical memory, I consider the following U.S.-sponsored wars fundamentally not moral: Vietnam, the invasions of Grenada and Panama, the first Gulf War, the invasion and occupation of Iraq. If you or I thought a bit, we could probably add to this list.

This does not mean that there were not perhaps moral issues involved in some of these conflicts (though many might question that), but our readiness to go to war seems only to create the basis for more violence, planting trauma and hatred ever more deeply. I mean, have these wars worked out for anyone’s benefit and real safety?

• If there is going to be a military—and there will be--there must be chaplains, compassionate and wise women and men who are capable of helping soldiers in need, in suffering, in the moment of leaving this world. Chaplaincy is an ancient and honorable calling. Even if we had a “shantisena,” a peace army of well-trained nonviolent defenders, we would need chaplains.

At the same time, I think back a year or two, in a working group developing Buddhist chaplaincy materials for the military, I was struck by a comment from an active-duty Buddhist chaplain in the U.S. military. She came back from a Navy/Marines annual training and said the head chaplain was quite direct about the Marines’ mission. I remember the words she quoted. “Marines kill people and blow things up.” There was no glorification or justification of this mission, just a painful statement of fact.

Along with chaplains, the availability of chapels and places of worship within the military also seems essential. I think it is a good step, especially, as I noted earlier, in a place like the Air Force Academy, which has been accused of religious discrimination in the recent past.

• The conscientious objectors Deborah and I have worked with are enlisted men and women (one or two, I think, in the reserves) who are Buddhist practitioners of various kinds, who find their enlistment was a serious error, and feel unable to carry on as a member of the military. I think most of them did somehow think they could join the military and avoid the mission of killing. In other times, this was possible, or one could convince oneself so. Not now. And many of them were channeled into the military by financial need. These are moral people, usually troubled, too, at the thought of being in circumstances where their beliefs and conscience might create risk for fellow soldiers. In each case I have had extensive discussions and written exchanges with them. For my part I need to be convinced about their practice, understanding, and sincerity. If called for, I point them to nearby Buddhist centers, and strongly urge them to take part in sangha. Often I have later had to answer on their behalf to a hearing officer.

• The fact that so-called Buddhist nations--Japan, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, etc.—have armies is problematic in several ways. First, in the case of Japan (in WWII), Burma, and Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist military has actually put forward a badly distorted and nationalistic interpretation of dharma to justify their brutality and ethnic domination. Buddhists killing non-Buddhists.

Second, I have deep mistrust of any nation where “church” and state are aligned with each other. Could I call this an unholy alliance, one that inevitably corrupts the very religious principles it claims to uphold? If any of you can point me towards a historical setting—modern or ancient—where this has worked out, I would be interested.

• My last point comes down to “not knowing.” Having said all the above, I confess to not knowing about the absolute application of nonviolence. I come to nonviolence because I am aware of the violence within me and find that its use has never worked out well for me or those affected by it. But in the face of a totalitarian regime, Burma for example, nonviolence has been crushed again and again. I believe it will triumph in time. But meanwhile, I have never counseled Burmese activists or ethnic groups simply to throw away their weapons. I do not judge them, nor would I or have I hesitated to offer them spiritual words. But the disproportionality of resources and guns in the hands of the Burmese military doesn’t make a good argument for armed insurrection.

Nor do I pretend to know the “best policy” for our country in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Total withdrawal? What will come of that? More troops, what will come of that? Sometimes one has implacable enemies, who control their own people with fear. (One could argue that is how the U.S. government has tried to control its own people these last eight years.) How does one stand up against this implacable wish to do harm? So now we have a tangled mess.

For my part, I practice with fear and try to be aware when self-righteousness is arising. These are dharma gates, right?

Still, as I have written before, I can’t help wondering, maybe naively, what would come of a policy that replaces retribution with generosity, that uses even a portion of the trillions we spend on war and destruction at home (prisons) and abroad for education, health, housing, and food? I would sign up in a New York minute as a chaplain to that kind of army.

Japanese-Americans In the Military Exhibition

2009-10-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Below is a press release from the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego on their latest exhibition. This is significant as there were many Japanese-American Buddhists who served in World War II and beyond (in my experience, this is an relatively unknown fact, as many people assume that Buddhists serving in the U.S. military is a recent phenomenon). The exhibit will be held at the San Diego Veterans Museum & Memorial Center, which is worth visiting on any day.

On November 10, 2009 the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego (JAHSSD) will open an exhibition titled “Japanese Americans in the Military” at the Veterans Museum & Memorial Center, 2115 Park Blvd. in Balboa Park. It will run through May 31, 2010.
“Japanese Americans in the Military,” curated by Susan Hasegawa, Professor of History at San Diego City College, and Linda Canada, JAHSSD archivist, will tell the stories of men and women of Japanese descent who have served in the United States armed forces.
The exhibition will draw from the historical society’s considerable photograph and artifact collection. Sections are devoted to Japanese nationals volunteering for service around 1900 (including one killed in the explosion of the USS Bennington in San Diego Harbor in 1905); the heroism of Japanese Americans who served during World War II; stories of the war on the home front, where West Coast Japanese Americans served time in internment camps while their sons and brothers served our country on the front lines; and the differences between the segregated armed services and what was later experienced by Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars veterans.
Programs at the museum to accompany the exhibition include: January 17, 2010 (3-5 pm) screening of “Only the Brave,” the WWII drama about the All-Nisei 100/442 Regimental Combat Team by filmmaker Lane Nishikawa who will introduce and discuss his film; and February 19 (6-8pm) a Day of Remembrance program.

In addition to the Veterans Museum & Memorial Center of San Diego, sponsors of the exhibition include the San Diego Chapter and the Pacific Southwest Region of the Japanese Americans Citizens League, Asian American Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4851, and the World Cultures program at San Diego City College.

An exhibition preview and opening reception will be held from 2-4 pm on November 8.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am-4 pm. Admission fees range from $2 to $5. Active military and children 12 & under are free. The museum offers free admission the second Tuesday of the every month. For more information about “Japanese Americans in the Military,” call JAHSSD at (619) 660-0174 or go to www.jahssd.org. For more information about the Veterans Museum, call (619) 239-2300 or go to www.veteranmuseum.org.

Military Buddhist Chapel Represents Tolerance

2009-10-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

Also, here's another nice article from National Public Radio about the Buddhist chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

by JEFF BRADY
October 13, 2009
The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., is home to the only Buddhist chapel on a U.S. military base. After a controversy over religious intolerance during the summer of 2005, the chapel was built in the basement of the academy's iconic Cadet Chapel.

In 2005, conservative evangelical Christians were accused of trying to force their religion on others. According to current and recently graduated cadets, the religious climate has improved substantially since then.

Chapel Construction

The controversy prompted the Air Force to issue guidelines for religious expression. The military also has made efforts to accommodate all faiths. These include the construction of the 300-square-foot Buddhist chapel at the Air Force Academy paid for by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.

The floor is bamboo, and the walls are Port Orford cedar. The focal point is a cherry and ash altar with a Burmese Buddha statue on top.

Curiosity Trumps Judgment

During services, which are held Wednesday evenings, about half of the 18 pillows on the floor are usually occupied.

Tanner Faulkner, an 18-year-old student attending the prep school at the academy, says he feels encouraged to explore his religious curiosity.

"They let us know, 'We have this available for you, and it is possible for you to go to different services, whether you're Jewish faith or Buddhist or Christian or whatever,' " Faulkner says.

Sophomore cadet Dan Dwyer says his fellow cadets seem to have respect for his religion.

"People wonder where I go every Wednesday," Dwyer says. "I tell them I go to the Buddhist service, and it's just more of a curiosity rather than judgment."

Buddhism And Military Service — A Discordant Pair?

Out of 1.4 million people in the military, 5,287 identified themselves as Buddhists as of June 2009. For these folks, questions inevitably arise about whether Buddhism — a pacifist religion — is even compatible with military service.

Sarah Bender is the Buddhist program leader at the Air Force Academy. She says she has plenty of questions herself about whether it's ever right to kill in order to stop further harm. But, Bender says, she leaves the academy every Wednesday evening feeling like this is where she's supposed to be.

"People in the military come up — for real — against questions that most of us just consider abstractly," Bender says. "The questions of Buddhism are the questions of life and death. So, where else would you want Buddhism than right there where those questions are most vivid?"

Bender says the academy is now a place where cadets and staff are free to practice any religion they choose.
Photo Caption: Steve Honda, an Air Force Academy military trainer, kneels before the altar in the base's Buddhist chapel.

Navy's Only Buddhist Chaplain with 1stMLG

2009-10-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here's an article from the 1st Marine Logistics Group newsletter, The Convoy, about me in my new job!

Story by Lance Cpl. Khoa N. Pelczar
The Convoy Staff
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Born a prince, he had everything most people ever wanted -- wealth, power and prestige. He had it all, yet, still unsatisfied with his life. He left everything behind and set out to find his purpose. About 2,000 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama traveled the world to find the purpose of life. At the age of 29, he established Buddhism, which is still in practice to this day. Navy Lt. Jeanette G. Shin, the only Buddhist Chaplain for the Navy and Marine Corps, is now assigned to 1st Maintenance Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, to share this knowledge and practice the religion with service members. “Buddhism has been around for a long time,” said Shin, from Midwest City, Okla. “(It wasn’t) until the ‘50s and ‘60s that the American began to be more interested in Buddhism.” Shin said she was raised a Buddhist, but it wasn’t until her teenage years that she started to practice it. Growing up, she wanted to be a scientist. But being a military brat, she joined the service instead. She enlisted to become a communications operator for the Marine Corps instead of going into the Air Force like her father because she wanted to do something different. After leaving the service, Shin went to school at George Mason University in Virginia, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Religious Studies. After college, Shin attended the Buddhist Seminary in California, where she took her education to the next level and received a master’s degree. Her goal was to become a minister, but the plan changed when America went to war in Iraq. “I’ve been a chaplain since 2004,” Shin said. “Since we’re at war, I thought I should go back to the military. With my background and knowledge, I thought I should become a chaplain. That way I can help our service members prepare for the war, not just physically, but spiritually. Buddhism can be practiced in many different ways, Shin explained. “Some people find their peace of mind and gain calmness by studying scriptures; some practice Buddhism by simply showing respect to their elders. Most, however, find their way through meditation.” A public service is usually set up in a room with incense, some prayer beads and a service book, Shin said. “Meditation is a time to reflect on the things you’ve done.” Practicing Buddhism helps service members to relax, let go of their stresses and aspire to spiritual enlightenment. “Buddhism is about knowing who you are,” Shin said. “It emphasizes ethical behavior, something every Marine knows and aspires.” Working with service members, Shin helps them to relax, meditate and enlighten them with the history of the religion. One can find out more information about Buddhism and its services by contacting the chaplain’s office at 1st Maintenance Battalion at 760-725-4001.

In Memoriam: John Daido Loori (1931-2009)

2009-10-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

One of the early and foremost teachers of Zen in the United States passed away today. A short bio and obit is below (from Wikipedia):

John Daido Loori (June 14, 1931 – October 09, 2009) was a Zen Buddhist priest who served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery, and was the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order, and CEO of Dharma Communications. Daido Loori received shiho (or, dharma transmission) from Taizan Maezumi in 1986 and also received a dendokyoshi certificate formally from the Soto school of Japan in 1994. In 1997, he received dharma transmission in the Harada-Yasutani and Inzan lineages of Rinzai Zen as well. In 1996 he gave Dharma transmission to his student Bonnie Myotai Treace, in 1997 to Geoffrey Shugen Arnold and in 2009 to Konrad Ryushin Marchaj. In addition to his role as a Zen Buddhist priest, Loori was also an exhibited photographer and authored more than twenty books.
In October 2009, he stepped down as abbot citing health issues. On October 09, 2009 at 7:30 a.m. he passed away.

John Daido Loori served in the U.S. Navy from 1947-1952.

Fair Winds and Following Seas
Namo Amida Butsu

Any Buddhists in Kansas?

2009-09-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here's an article about chaplain shortage in the Kansas Army National Guard. There are chaplain shortages in almost every branch of the US Armed Forces, and it doesn't look like the need for chaplains will be diminishing in the foreseeable future (And if they can't get enough ministers to do "Bible Studies" then why not ministers to do "Dharma Studies?" There you go.) Buddhists contemplating chaplaincy with the Armed Forces, including their state National Guard, may be able to help alleviate the shortage. I expect that we will also need chaplains to work in the VA. Contact the Buddhist Churches of America (link on this page) to inquire about chaplain requirements!

Military struggles to find enough chaplains to minister to troops
By Associated Press
3:50 PM CDT, September 27, 2009
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Finding enough chaplains to minister to troops has become a difficult task.

The Kansas Army National Guard has only six of 15 chaplain slots filled — a vacancy rate that officials describe as typical of other units across the country.

The number is better in the Kansas Air National Guard, where four of six chaplain positions are filled.

The Kansas Army National Guard has attempted to address the shortage with a $10,000 sign-on bonus, $4,500 in tuition assistance and extending the age limit for new enlistees. But those efforts have done little to help so far.

And the approaching retirement of many chaplains promises to compound the problem in the future.

___

Information from: The Topeka Capital-Journal, http://www.cjonline.com

National Public Radio Interview with Chaplain Dyer

2009-09-25T14:04:00.001-07:00

September 11, 2009
Thomas Dyer is preparing to deploy with the Tennessean National Guardsman as the Army's first Buddhist chaplain. Dyer, a former Southern Baptist minister, says he was drawn to Buddhism through meditation and explains how he will apply the principles of his faith as a spiritual counselor for the troops.

Copyright © 2009 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

MICHEL MARTIN, host:

As the country becomes more religiously diverse, so do U.S. soldiers. And the military is trying to accommodate by bringing on chaplains from a wider range of faiths.

We turn now to a chaplain, who is making history. Thomas Dyer, a member of the Tennessee National Guard will soon deploy with the Tennessee Guard as the military's first Buddhist chaplain. And Chaplain Dyer joins us now from member station WKNO in Memphis, Tennessee. Welcome, thank you so much for speaking with us.

Mr. THOMAS DYER (Buddhist Chaplain, Tennessee Guards): Great, thank you for having me.

MARTIN: Now, your story is interesting, I think, for many reasons. Not only are you the military's first Buddhist chaplain; before that, you were a Southern Baptist minister, which turns out to be important to your current post - we'll get to that. Can you just tell us what drew you to Buddhism, recognizing that, of course, it's complicated and a complicated journey for anyone, but can you help us understand what drew you to the faith?

Mr. DYER: I think the journey begins with meditation. The idea of meditation is not to talk or interact with words but to just sit with God or Christ. In my pastorate as a Southern Baptist pastor, in my office, I would sit and meditate in this manner. As I began to interact with Zen Buddhism itself, pretty much like a homecoming, so to speak.

MARTIN: You know, it's a remarkable coming together of all your various lives, if I can put it that way. I mean, your family, your wife and your children have not embraced the same path as you. How is that working, if you don't mind my asking?

Mr. DYER: My wife and family are very committed Christians, and I support that. But you can imagine with great compassion how they would feel. But I've decided that this Buddhism is an individual path. So I support my family, my wife's Christian faith, and I help support raising our children in the Christian faith, as well.

MARTIN: How did the decision to become a chaplain come about? You had been in the Marine Reserves before you were a minister, as I understand it, so but then how did the decision to go into the Chaplain Corps come about?

Mr. DYER: So when I left the church, I was a little freer to do some things I wanted to do. So I went back into the National Guard. So from there, I was just practicing Buddhism very quietly, very privately and was very content to do that.

I did not even dream or expect that was has happened as far as becoming a chaplain would be something that I would be interested in. However, in my service, there were a lot of soldiers who were coming back from Iraq, and we would talk. And one specific soldier had a very bad incident that happened -and it's probably not necessary to go into all the details - but there was a small child that was killed, and it disturbed his mind very much, and he suffered very deeply.

As we had developed this friendship, I began to work with him with some meditations to help kind of calm the mind and calm the mind stream down. It seemed to help him very deeply. So he said, you know, you should be a chaplain. Of course, I laughed and said, you know, I do have the credentials. But I really don't think that would work because I'm a practicing Buddhist now.

And, of course, he shared with - that wouldn't matter, of course, with the pluralistic view of the Chaplain Corps. So he informed one of the commanders, and the commanders called a recruiter, and the recruiter called me and said, would you like to become an Army chaplain? And, of course, in our faith tradition, we have to go to our teacher and I asked for permission and things of that nature.

My teacher, who's a Tibetan monk, his name is Khenpo Gawang Rinpoche, thought that this would be a good path and could be a way to help relieve suffering in the world, specifically in the military with soldiers.

MARTIN: You begin intensive training later this month. And then in January, you'll go either to Iraq of Afghanistan, or you're expected to, as I understand it. How do you imagine your role as a chaplain?

Mr. DYER: The first thing that I think should be understood is that we are chaplains first. So it might be better to say instead of I am a Buddhist chaplain, it might be better to say I am a chaplain who is Buddhist. And we do many functions, such as post-traumatic stress counseling, crisis intervention, battle fatigue, suicide prevention, family counseling. And then beyond that, each chaplain who holds a certain faith distinction will then provide for a specific soldier or soldier's needs in their faith tradition.

MARTIN: And finally, I understand that the faith tradition doesn't - isn't really organized in such a way as to lend direction on these matters, but I wonder if there are those who belong to your faith tradition who believe that your faith principles are incompatible with military service and don't - and have expressed a view that you should not serve for that reason.

There are those, obviously, as you know, within the Christian tradition who believe that the taking up of arms is not compatible with the tradition, even though it is common. So I just wanted to know if you've heard any feedback from that perspective.

Mr. DYER: This is a very, very good and excellent question that needs to be addressed very clearly. There are lineages that teach that the absolute no-violent approach to life is just the way it is. But as a result of life as it is at the present moment, many Buddhists believe that dissipating in civil action is necessary.

The issue is, at present, is military service what we call right livelihood? Most Buddhist teachers are moving to say yes because the potential to do good and to protect is there. And it is not beneficial to not participate in civil action when peoples and nations around the world are suffering. It is something that has become necessary, we might say.

MARTIN: Chaplain Thomas Dyer. He'll begin training this month with the Tennessee National Guard's 278th Support Squadron as the military's first chaplain who is a Buddhist. Chaplain Dyer, thank you so much for joining us.

Mr. DYER: Thank you for having me.

Listen to the NPR interview here.

Memphis Buddhists Prepare for Deployment

2009-09-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ms. Naomi Bourne of Memphis, Tennessee, forwarded me her article and photo about several soldiers from her Sangha, who are preparing to deploy to Iraq. They are members of the Pema Karpo Meditation Center, which belongs to the Tibetan tradition.This group includes recently commissioned US Army Chaplain Thomas Dyer. Many blessings to them as they deploy!
Namo Amida Butsu

Memphis Buddhists Prepare for Deployment
by Naomi Bourne

Memphis, Tenn. 9/6/09

Three Tibetan Buddhists from Memphis will be heading off to military assignments with the Army later this month. John Hixson will be stationed in Afghanistan . Michael Boundy and Thomas Dyer, the first Buddhist chaplain in the Army, will be going to Iraq .
The soldiers practice at Pema Karpo Meditation Center (pemakarpo.org), located in an area of the city known as Raleigh . Khenpo Gawang Rinpoche, a graduate of Namdroling in India , is the teacher-in-residence. Sunday's session was lengthened and modified to include a Chod practice, which Khenpo chanted in Tibetan, accompanied by damaru and bell. After the dedication of merit, Khenpo gave each of the soldiers a spiral-bound practice text, with a thangka image of Shakyamuni on the cover.
After the session, Thomas Dyer spoke briefly to the civilian group, striving to convey a deeper understanding of what daily life will be like for John Hixson and Michael Boundy.
“These men will be carrying M-16s, and they will be locked and loaded,” Dyer said. “I will be in a comfortable office, but they will be walking around, and they will see things. Also, for the next year or so, they will be away from their wives.”
At that point, Candia Ludy, director of the center, stopped him to interject:
“Thomas may not carry a weapon, but there will be a soldier right next to him who will have one.”
The practice text that was given to the three soldiers was arranged by Khenpo and designed specifically for soldiers. It includes a blessing for protection, and for their safe return home. An introductory message examines the challenge of performing combat duties with mindfulness.
The group at Pema Karpo has grown in recent months. Around 30 individuals in this Bible Belt city call themselves Tibetan Buddhists. They spent several hours together Sunday afternoon taking photographs, enjoying a potluck meal, and deepening their friendships. The sangha will be practicing for the benefit of the soldiers they know – and those they don't know – for many weeks to come.

Another Article on Chaplain Dyer and Religious Diversity

2009-09-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here's an article from The Tennessean on Chaplain Dyer; although the focus is mostly on religious diversity in the Armed Forces. I am puzzled by the author's remark a few paragraphs down that "Buddhism...doesn't have seminaries" (???) We have lots of seminaries! However, there is only a lack of Buddhist seminaries in the U.S. that offer what is known as "accredited" degrees, meaning they are vetted by an organization typically composed of higher-education schools and seminaries.
The article can be found here: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090908/NEWS01/909080348/1001/NEWS

Meditation for Warriors

2009-09-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

Time magazine recently ran this article on the Warrior Mind Training form of mediation; based out of San Diego, California and now available throughout the U.S., this organization purports to teach a warrior mindset as a mental strengthening for military members. I am personally not familiar with this program, but would like to know if anyone reading this has attended their meditation classes and what they have learned. I am all for meditation to discipline the mind - I believe it is much better than playing violent video games, which I know for many young people is an accepted way of blowing of steam - however I am also curious as to how (originally) ancient and medieval systems may be taught in a 21st-century context, and also in a very different cultural and religious context as well. (I should note that on their web site, WMT does not state that they teach any kind of religion-based meditation, such as vipassana or Zen meditation, and that religion or spirituality does not appear to be mentioned, as far as I've looked).

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1920753,00.html
Samurai Mind Training for Modern American Warriors
By Bonnie Rochman
Not long ago at Fort Bragg, N.C., the country's largest military base, seven soldiers sat in a semi-circle, lights dimmed, eyes closed, two fingertips lightly pressed beneath their belly buttons to activate their "core." Electronic music thumped as the soldiers tried to silence their thoughts, the key to Warrior Mind Training, a form of meditation slowly making inroads on military bases across the country. "This is mental push-ups," Sarah Ernst told the weekly class she leads for soldiers at Fort Bragg. "There's a certain burn. It's a workout."

Think military and you think macho, not meditation, but that's about to change now that the Army intends to train its 1.1 million soldiers in the art of mental toughness. The Defense Department hopes that giving soldiers tools to fend off mental stress will toughen its troops at war and at home. It's the first time mental combat is being mandated on a large scale, but a few thousand soldiers who have participated in a voluntary program called Warrior Mind Training have already gotten a taste of how strengthening the mind is way different — dare we say harder? — than pounding out the push-ups.

Warrior Mind Training is the brainchild of Ernst and two friends, who were teaching meditation and mind-training in California. In 2005, a Marine attended a class in San Diego and suggested expanding onto military bases. Ernst and her colleagues researched the military mindset, consulting with veterans who had practiced meditation on the battlefield and back home. She also delved into the science behind mind training to analyze how meditation tactics could help treat — and maybe even help prevent — post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rooted in the ancient Samurai code of self-discipline, Warrior Mind Training draws on the image of the mythic Japanese fighter, an elite swordsman who honed his battle skills along with his mental precision. The premise? Razor-sharp attention plus razor-sharp marksmanship equals fearsome warrior.

The Samurai image was selected after careful deliberation; it was certifiably anti-sissy. "We took a long time to decide how we were going to package this," says Ernst, who moved to North Carolina in 2006 and teaches classes at Fort Bragg as well as Camp Lejeune, a Marine base near the coast. "There are a lot of ways you could describe the benefits of doing mind training and meditation. Maybe from a civilian approach we would emphasize cultivating happiness or peace. But that's not generally what a young soldier is interested in. They want to become the best warrior they can be."

The benefits of Warrior Mind Training, students have told instructors, are impressive: better aim on the shooting range, higher test scores, enhanced ability to handle combat stress and slip back into life at home. No comprehensive studies have been done, though a poll of 25 participants showed 70% said they felt better able to handle stressful situations and 65% had improved self-control.

The results were intriguing enough that Warrior Mind Training has been selected to participate in a University of Pittsburgh study on sleep disruption and fatigue in service members that will kick off early next year.

For now, success is measured anecdotally.

On patrol in Iraq two years ago, John Way would notice his mind straying. "Maybe I should be watching some guy over there and instead I'm thinking, 'I'm hungry. Where's my next Twinkie?'"

With privacy at a premium, he'd often retreat to a Port-A-Potty to practice the focusing skills he'd learned from Ernst at Fort Bragg. "To have a way to shut all this off is invaluable," says Way.

The importance of the mind-body connection is being acknowledged at the highest levels of the military. The West Point-based Army Center for Enhanced Performance (ACEP), which draws on performance psychology to teach soldiers how to build confidence, set goals and channel their energy, has expanded to nine army bases in the past three years since the Army's chief-of-staff praised the program.

"The Army has always believed if we just train 'em harder, the mental toughness will come," says Lorene Petta, a psychologist at Fort Bragg who works for ACEP. "A lot of times with this population, because they're so rough and tough, they tend to say, 'This is too touchy-feely for me. No thanks.' But we talk about the importance of being a good mental warrior too."

Free to members of the military and their relatives, Warrior Mind Training classes are offered at 11 U.S. military installations and veterans centers across the country; an online option opened up this spring. At Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California, for example, Warrior Mind instructors prep elite Navy SEALS candidates for Hell Week, when potential newbies are vetted in a 5 ½-day sleepless trial of physical and mental endurance.

Beefing up the brain for combat is one aspect of the training; another is decompression. If one day you're dodging snipers in Iraq and the next you're strolling the aisles at Wal-Mart, Warrior Mind Training techniques can ease the transition.

"It's kind of like a reset button," says Erick Burgos, a military paramedic who takes classes at Coronado. "It's a time-out for you to take a break from the chaos in your life."

If the Army's new mental-toughness initiative, set to kick off in October, is to be successful, it needs buy-in from the people it plans to train. It can be a tough sell. At Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in N.C., Adam Credle, who teaches military, law enforcement and Coast Guard personnel how to drive boats equipped with machine guns really fast, has encouraged his students to try out the meditative techniques. So far, he's been rebuffed, though he continues to try to persuade them to give the discipline's central exercise a chance. The mental focusing technique is called deep listening and it sounds super-simple but — unless you're accustomed to meditation — it requires exquisite concentration.

To help develop this skill, Warrior Mind, relies upon music. The idea is to listen, really listen, to the wail of the guitar or the staccato tap of the drums instead of letting your mind wander. In athletics, this concept is called being in "the zone."

As with anything, practice makes perfect, which is reassuring for rookies — like me — who find it next to impossible to rein in their thoughts at first. During the course of one five-minute song, I thought repeatedly about whether I'd remembered to lock my car and turn my cell phone to vibrate. And, because I'm a reporter, I thought about what everyone else might be thinking about, which, if they were doing it right, should have been nothing at all.

Buddhist Military Chaplains for Russian Armed Forces?

2009-08-27T09:41:00.001-07:00

Although there are currently no Buddhist chaplains in the Russian military, this may change, according to this article. The Russian area of Buryatia has been traditionally Buddhist for many centuries, and there are possibly many other Buddhist traditions recently established there. Countries that currently have active Buddhist military chaplains are the USA, UK, South Korea, and Thailand. If anyone knows of other nations that do, please let us know!
From Shambhala SunSpace:http://www.shambhalasun.com/sunspace/?p=11823

Russia’s Medvedev pledges strong support to Buddhists:
Is Russian president Dmitry Medvedev a manifestation of White Tara, the Buddhist goddess?
Depends who you ask. If you ask a Russian Buddhist, the answer might well be yes.
Via the Moscow Times:
Medvedev promised financial support to the Buddhist community and to place Buddhist chaplains in the military during a visit Monday to the monastery in Ivolginsky Datsan, 30 kilometers from Buryatia’s capital, Ulan-Ude.
“Russia is a special state, the only one in Europe where Buddhism is recognized as an official religion,” Medvedev said, adding that 203 Buddhist organizations are registered in the country.
He also said army units where at least 10 percent of servicemen were Buddhists would receive Buddhist clergy.
For this kind of support, Medvedev is considered by many of Russia’s Buddhists to be a manifestation of the goddess White Tara.
At pains to explain this attitude toward the president, Russia’s Buddhist leader, Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheyev, said, “The leader of this country is a man who bears a very serious responsibility for others. The Buddhists must support him, identifying him as a deity.”

Also from the Buddhist Channel:

Russian President vows to support Russian Buddhists
Zee News, August 24, 2009
Moscow, Russia -- President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday vowed to support the Russian Buddhists in reviving their traditions and spreading the preaching of Lord Buddha among its followers.

Medvedev, who became the second head of state in the country's history to visit the main Buddhist Ivolga Monastery in Siberian republic of Buryatia, was warmly welcomed by the spiritual leader of the Russian Buddhists Pandito Hambo Lama Damba Ayushev and his disciples.

A Christian by birth, Medvedev said, "All the traditional religions of Russia will be supported by the authorities in spite of financial difficulties."

Earlier, Medvedev had visited Moscow's Jama Masjid to meet with the Islamic leaders of the country.

"My visit to you is one more proof that the development of relations between the state and traditional faiths is on the right track," Medvedev said in his televised statement.

He said that his decision to introduce basic religious education in the schools and creation of posts of priests into the armed forces has been backed by all the religious communities.

News Article on Chaplain Thomas Dyer

2009-08-27T09:29:00.001-07:00

Here's an article on US Army National Guard Chaplain Thomas Dyer from Commercialappeal.com, a Memphis website: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/aug/23/awakening-peace/
There are 2 other military chaplain candidates, Revs. Somya Malasri (US Army) and Christopher Mohr (US Army National Guard), currently still in training. All were endorsed by the Buddhist Churches of America.

Raleigh man looks to help end soldiers' suffering as Army's 1st Buddhist chaplain

By Michael Lollar (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Sunday, August 23, 2009

For Thomas Dyer, there was fire and brimstone. "There was the idea that there's an angry God and somehow you could really make Him mad."

Dyer grew up fearing God. He was a Cumberland Presbyterian, then a Baptist. He had hoped religious conviction would lead to contentment. He attended seminary and preached as a Southern Baptist minister.

That seems like a lifetime ago as Dyer, 43, sits on a cushion in the shrine room of the Pema Karpo Meditation Center in Raleigh. Six statues of various Buddhas are positioned against the walls. His teacher, a Tibetan monk who founded the temple, listens as Dyer explains his exodus from the pulpit in search of nirvana.

"The question that arose in my mind is, 'Why is there so much suffering?' Christianity did not have a satisfactory answer. I wanted to be happy. The idea that we have to live with suffering until we die just did not make sense to me -- the idea that God wants you to suffer so you can then enjoy heaven." Dyer kept asking, "Is this all there is to life?" As a Christian, he had been interested in mysticism. That led to meditation. Dyer studied Buddhism, then visited the temple near his home in Raleigh. Right away, he says, "It was like, 'Whoa, I'm home.'"

His conversion would also mean trading the pulpit for the battlefield. To support his family after leaving the ministry, Dyer joined the Chaplain Corps of the U.S. Army as what the Army calls its first Buddhist chaplain. "There is a profound amount of suffering for soldiers, civilians and for people who are enemies now but won't always be enemies," said Dyer, who was commissioned as a chaplain in 2008 and will be deployed to Iraq as part of the Army National Guard in January.

He has left his boots at the door of the temple, but in the temple room he wears a standard Army camouflage uniform. Instead of a cross or crucifix on the right chest his uniform bears the "dharma wheel" insignia as a symbol of the Buddhist faith. Army Chaplain Carleton Birch, spokesman for the Office of Chief of Army Chaplains in Washington, says there are at least 3,300 Buddhists in the U.S. Army. "In the Middle East, our Army is stretched and stressed more than ever. We're seeing the need more than ever in keeping the soldiers going." He said two more Buddhist chaplain candidates now are in training in South Carolina.

The military as an outlet for Dyer's beliefs is not coincidence. After high school, he thought he wanted to be in the military special forces, maybe as a sniper. He joined the Marine Reserves and was soon being trained as a "killer." Part of the training was aimed at smoothing the edges of conscience. "Some Marines found little birds' nests and would step on them," said Dyer, who declined that opportunity.

It was on a shooting range in Hawaii when Dyer knew he had had enough. As another Marine reset pop-up targets, Dyer looked through his rifle site. "I put him in the crosshairs, and I thought, 'I could kill him.' I turned away right then. I kept it quiet. I didn't want anyone to know this kind of mind was developing in me."

Dyer left the Marines and enrolled in Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. After seminary, he became minister of churches in Senatobia, Miss., and Brownsville, Tenn.

In and out of church, Dyer says unhappiness and dissatisfaction seemed pervasive. Wealth and success made no difference. "Everybody is basically suffering about the same. The average Joes you can see happiness in their lives, but it doesn't take long that you will see confusion and dissatisfaction. I wanted to explore the idea that you could find a solution to suffering."

Converting to Buddhism wasn't painless. "When you grow up in the Bible Belt, that teaching is very strong. It's almost better to be a drug addict, an adulterer or a scalawag than to say, 'I'm a Buddhist.'"

He questioned whether he was "denying Christ or endangering my eternal position. But as I continued my meditation, these types of fear just dissolved."

His marriage and two children also were issues. Dyer's wife, Sidney, and the children are Christians, members of First Evangelical Church. "It challenged us to the point that it made us wonder if we could make it," she said.

Sidney's belief that "God plans it all" helped. "I actually thank God in a way because I wouldn't have gone as deep in my own faith if I hadn't been challenged," she said. Instead of rejecting the suffering that her husband questioned, she embraced it: "I think each individual's suffering is personally designed for that individual to lead him to God."

She describes her husband as "a deeply spiritual person" and holds out hope that his spiritual journey will lead him back to Christianity.

At Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, president Michael Spradlin says a minister's conversion from fundamentalist Southern Baptist tradition to Buddhism seems "unfathomable." Spradlin says most suffering in this country is no more than "inconvenience" compared with the real suffering of those in Sudan and other war and famine-ravaged countries.

Spradlin suggests that if Dyer really was a born-again Christian that Southern Baptists and a "forgiving God" might consider his exploration of Buddhism as a "wrong step or a wrong path" and that he could be welcomed back to Christianity.

Dyer, who says he still appreciates the teachings of the Bible, says he doesn't think of Buddhism as a rejection of Christianity. But the happiness he once sought as a Christian no longer seems beyond his grasp. "Without a doubt, without equivocation, there has been a continuous, constant diminishment of suffering and awakening of peace and happiness," he said.

New Blog!: Becoming A Buddhist Chaplain

2009-08-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Our friend, US Air Force SSGT Henry Sims, has just begun a new blog chronicling his attempt to become a military chaplain of Buddhist faith. Check it out!
http://buddhistchaplain.blogspot.com/

Chaps' Dharma Talk: Buddhists Coming Home

2009-08-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

As a chaplain, I often field inquiries about Buddhism, which range from basic general questions ("what do Buddhists believe?") to more specific ones about how Buddhists put their beliefs into a physical practice, what's needed in a Buddhist ritual or worship service, or even just basic sitting meditation. These questions come from all types of individuals: other chaplains, RPs (Navy enlisted personnel who work with the chaplains) who are required as part of their job to know about different religions, persons curious about Buddhism and what it is, and also from Buddhists themselves. A number Buddhists in uniform that I've met come from recently immigrated families, so are about 2nd to 3rd-generation US Citizens. This has led me to think about my own family experience in being Buddhist.

Imagine as a child you arrive in America or are born here the US as part of an ethnic Asian family: Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, or such. From an early age your parents begin to bring you (or make you go!) to a place with statues, strange-smelling smoke, and the sounds of monks or nuns chanting in a language unfamiliar to you. Also at certain times of the year there are colorful fairs and festivals with familiar foods, music, games and kids your own age. This is all great fun, even if you may not really understand what it's all for, or why this place, called a wat or a temple or a church, is there in the first place. As you grow older, you start drifting away, as it no longer seems interesting or relevant to your more busy and complicated life and you can't understand what is being said or taught, and anyway there's more fun things to do! Not to mention there's school and extracurricular activities and sports, and then college, and then jobs, or you join the armed forces and you move out of the area. You don't think too much about "religion." However, something happens once you get a little older and settled, or get married and have kids yourself: you remember that old temple and the people there, the friendly fellowship, the familiar smells and sights and sounds. You would like your kids to have this same good experience, and develop those kinds of memories for themselves, and maybe their kids in the future. But what was it all about really? What was, and is, this Buddhism religion?

This is a phenomenon familiar to many 2nd or 3rd-generation Asian-Americans. They know they were "born Buddhist" that is, born to a family that is traditionally Buddhist, and that their families identified themselves as Buddhist, visited Buddhist places of worship and did things that were "Buddhist", but as they grew older or assimilated to American lifestyles and culture, drifted away from regular temple attendence or the religion itself. Sometimes they experimented with being Christian or another faith, or dropped any religious identity altogether. Sometimes it is also an issue of language, if the monastics or priests did not speak English fluently, which of course is not the older generation's first language. Even if the younger generations do speak the mother tongue, the doctrine of Buddha-dharma may not have been clearly presented, or even comprehensible in any language! They may have only been taught a child's understanding of Dharma: "Be good. Obey your parents. Do not steal, kill, or lie." (Teachings familiar to people everywhere!) But everything else can be confusing. Why all the statues, why the incense and offerings, and is there anything else to it? What else does Buddhism teach?

Coming home to Buddhism is a journey that can be both joyful and confusing, even scary, for the Buddhist who has been away for a long time. You want to go back for various personal reasons as well as religious reasons. Maybe Christianity or agnosticism didn't work out, but you're not exactly sure what it is you're going back to or whether it would be worth it. Can it just be for the social atmosphere? Like that well-worn saying, "you can't go home again," you're bound to be disappointed if you expect things to be exactly the same when you left. New faces and new furniture, maybe even white and black faces! They weren't there before! So it can't just be about re-affirming an "ethnic identity." So, would it all be worth going back to and getting involved in temple life again when so much may have changed? However, does not mean that things are changed beyond recognition, only that some things in the interval. Even that can be a lesson in Buddha-dharma itself, the proof of truth of Buddha-dharma, that all things are impermanent and changing. Coming home is not just returning to revive pleasant the childhood and teenage years, but also to hear the Buddha-dharma afresh, with the experience of adulthood, to test the Buddha-dharma itself to see if it gives you what you need to grow and develop as a mature adult, in adult situations. What does Buddhism offer you at different stages in your life? It's currently a trend to have Buddha-statues in your home or garden - you can even find them at Target! But Buddhism is not a static set-piece, it is a living tradition followed by real people - there is something that Buddhism offers people more than a transient "identity." Buddha-dharma speaks to people in all situations; it is the task of those who are knowledgeable in the Dharma to bring the teachings to life in ways applicable for people living today! The one who wants to know what Buddhism is also has the task to seriously explore what it is, what do the teachings say, and would it help you and your family not just to be calm and contented in the good times, but in bad times as well - when there is a crisis in the family, when someone dies or is terminally ill. It's not necessary to have an advanced degree or know about abhidhamma or madhyamaka theory, just to know...that Buddha is there for you, and that his Great Compassion embraces all. It has never really left you and is there for you at the good and bad times of your life.

Although I have described this as an Asian-American and Buddhist experience, it is very likely that in the future non ethnic-Asian Buddhists will have this experience too (if not already!) having had one or more parents practicing Buddha-dharma of various traditions, and who now want to pick it up for themselves. Also others of different faith-traditions can also experience absence from their faith, and later on return to being Catholic or Jewish or such. Children should experience the religious life, as children; it does not mean to force "dogma" on them or give them Dharma teachings even adults find complicated. Temple life can be very enriching for children, and it is a place to learn good values and social values. Whether or not they will continue on to be Buddhists in adulthood is certainly up to them - some move away permanently, but many others return because of what they experienced as kids. Temples and their sanghas should welcome back these former members with open arms, just as they would welcome newcomers to the Dharma.

In The Lotus Sutra, the Buddha told the parable of the good friend who sewed a jewel into the lining of his friend's clothes. The friend, unknowing of the treasure he held, went out into the world encountering all manners of hardship and working hard for a living. Later, he encountered his good friend again, who told him of what he had within him all this time. We can make a comparison between the jewel, the real jewel hidden within us, the seed of Buddha-dharma planted within us by our parents and teachers, but like the unaware person we go out into the world forgetful of what we had and never thinking about it. Only later, we realize we had something with us all along, the guidance of Dharma which we can still access and pass on to the future generations. Let's make use of this gift!

Welcome Home.

Namo Amida Butsu

Army Chaplain Corps Celebrates 234th Birthday at Arlington National Cemetery

2009-07-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice article about the USA Chaplain Corps. Currently, I believe there are 2 Army chaplain candidates of Buddhist faith.
Happy Birthday!

Jul 30, 2009

By J.D. Leipold
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 30, 2009) – Army Chaplains, their assistants, families, friends and wounded warriors gathered at Arlington National Cemetery, July 26, to celebrate the 234th birthday of the Army Chaplain Corps and the centennial of the chaplain assistant.

Following a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Douglas Carver, Army chief of chaplains, led the crowd through the tree-lined streets of the cemetery to Chaplain's Hill.

At Chaplain's Hill, Carver introduced guest of honor George Weidensall, a former Army corporal who had served as a chaplain assistant in during the Korean War. Following the invocation and scripture reading, Carver gave a memorial address thanking the chaplains and chaplain assistants for their spiritual leadership, moral example and sacrificial service and love to Soldiers.

Carver said that for the last 100 years chaplain assistants had set the conditions for worship by setting up services for chaplains and by providing security while chaplains conducted those services. He said during the 100 year history of the Chaplain Corps, Army chaplains have received 27 Distinguished Service Crosses, and an array of Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars for Valor, and Combat Action Badges.

"It's humbling to stand here among these graves of our forefathers of military ministry," he said. "Each one of these chaplains and chaplain assistants had something in common: they walked in faith, they found courage in their calling and they encouraged others to greatness. Most of all, our chaplains and chaplain assistants have loved their fellow Soldiers and their fellow ministry teams more than their own lives."

Since the corps was created on July 29, 1775, more than 25,000 chaplains have served as religious and spiritual leaders for 25 million Soldiers and their families. Presently, the Army has 2,700 chaplains and an equal number of assistants across the active Army, Reserve and National Guard. More than 1,000 chaplains have been mobilized or deployed in support of contingency operations worldwide since 2003.

Present in more than 270 major combat engagements, 400 chaplains have died in combat going back to the Revolutionary War battles at Lexington, Concord Bridge and Bunker Hill. Gen. George Washington pushed for chaplains to be assigned to individual regiments and even ordered religious services to be performed at 11 a.m. every Sunday.

While three chaplains are known to have fought with muskets alongside the Soldiers they ministered to during the Revolutionary War, they have long since become noncombatants who depend upon their armed assistants for protection. In combat zones, chaplains handle the driving from unit to unit to perform services while their assistants serve as bodyguards.

Six chaplains have received the Medal of Honor, four from the Civil War and two from the Vietnam War. Calvin P. Titus, an Army musician who spent much time helping his unit's chaplain during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion in China could be considered the Army's first chaplain assistant. He received the country's highest military decoration, though the chaplain assistant program was not established until Dec. 28, 1909.
(Photo Credit: J.D. Leipold.
Dressed in 1909 vintage uniform, Pfc. Brandon Robb tells chaplains and their guests the story behind the 234-year history of the Army Chaplain Corps and how the chaplain assistant program began. George Weidensall (in wheelchair) a Korean War veteran and chaplain assistant was the guest of honor at the celebration. To his left is Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Douglas Carver, Army chief of chaplains and to Weidensall's right is Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Donald L. Rutherford, deputy chief of chaplains.)
[Link: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/07/30/25173-army-chaplain-corps-celebrates-234th-birthday-at-arlington-national-cemetery/?ref=home-headline-title4]

Institute of Buddhist Studies Podcast

2009-07-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California, has a podcast page offering audio/visual podcasts of academic lectures and Dharma talks on a variety of topics. The most recent presentations are highlights from the IBS chaplaincy program's Open House, so anyone who missed it can see clips from that presentation, and Professor Steve Jenkin's (Humboldt State University) three-part lecture entitled "Compassionate Violence, Torture and Warfare in the Bodhisattva Ideal."
The podcast page may be found here: http://podcast.shin-ibs.edu/