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FEATURES | EASTERN HORIZON 45

“The fruit of those hours on the (meditation) cushion Laurence, the hospice chaplain at Portland’s Providence
really shows up in the ability to be present, to drop Home and Community Services, grew up in London
one’s own personal agenda and to have a kind and felt called to Buddhism after witnessing poverty,
of awareness of self and other that allows for an violence and racism as a caregiver in Mississippi.
interdependent relationship to arise,” Miller said.
She said that as more people become unchurched, many
Buddhist chaplaincy also faces challenges, including patients don’t have a language for their spirituality or
how to become more accessible to Buddhists of colour. it’s tied up with religious trauma.
The Mapping Buddhist Chaplains in North America
report found that most professional Buddhist chaplains Laurence supports them in whatever way they need,
today are white and have a Christian family background, be it through Christian prayer, the comfort of a cool
even though nearly two-thirds of the faith’s followers washcloth on a forehead or a Buddhist-inspired
in the US are Asian American, according to the Pew blessing.
Research Center.
“For some people the language of Buddhism is a
Traditional Buddhist communities tend to be small respite,” she said. “It doesn’t have the baggage, and it
and run by volunteers so they often lack the resources feels so soothing to them.”
to offer endorsements to chaplains – a necessary step
for board certification, which is often required for Freimann, her patient, said she has practised Eastern
employment. spiritual traditions and therefore was delighted to
receive Laurence.
And non-Christian chaplains can struggle with feelings
of isolation and a need to code-switch in Christian- “I don’t think of God the way traditionally religious
founded health care institutions where crosses hang on people do,” Freimann told her during the visit. “What
walls, prayers are offered at staff meetings and Jesus a joy you’re here. ... It would be so much harder to talk
and the Bible are regularly invoked. with a Christian chaplain.” – AP
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Providence Health & Services, a Catholic nonprofit
based in Washington state that runs hospitals in seven
Western states, is one Christian health care system
seeking to change that.

Mark Thomas, a chief mission officer in Oregon, said the
system employs 10 Buddhist chaplains not despite but
precisely because of its Catholic identity. The aim is to
ensure patients get good spiritual care however it best
suits them.

“Many patients resonate with some aspect or even just a
perception of Buddhism,” said Thomas, citing practices
like meditation and breathing that can help them cope
with suffering. “These tools have been enormously
valuable.”