Dr. Nancy Lin: Nurturing Buddhist Chaplains at IBS

She Is the Hanyu Chair, Carrying Forward Legacy of Compassion, Service

On Jan. 26, 2011, Mr. Noboru Hanyu pledged $500,000 to establish an endowed professorial chair in honor of his late wife, Yaeko. The funds were gifted through the Hanyu’s living trust as part of the BCA’s 21st Century Campaign. 

An endowment is a financial structure which generates a revenue stream from the earnings of the invested principal. Because only the earnings are used, the principal is kept permanently intact. An endowed professorial chair is a faculty position supported by the endowment created for that purpose.  

Mr. Hanyu envisioned the chair as a way for the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) to "share the Buddha's compassionate teaching to all students, Buddhist and non-Buddhist, through the work of chaplaincy." 

He saw chaplaincy as a means for IBS and the Buddhist Churches of America to "participate and contribute to society" by addressing the needs of all people.”

Dr. Nancy Lin was appointed to the Noboru and Yaeko Hanyu Buddhist Chaplaincy Professorial Chair in 2023, and is carrying forward the important legacy of compassion and service.

Dr. Lin has embraced Mr. Hanyu’s vision, working with IBS students to equip them with both academic and embodied knowledge of spiritual care. Under Dr. Lin’s leadership, the chaplaincy program at IBS has grown to include eight current students, with more incoming. Most are pursuing Master of Divinity degrees, and some are in the Buddhist chaplaincy certificate program. 

Dr. Lin teaches core courses such as Buddhist spiritual care, which is a requirement for all Master of Divinity students. 

"The point of that class is to integrate spiritual care principles and literature with Buddhist principles and teachings," Dr. Lin said. Students read texts on pastoral care alongside Buddhist sutras and writings by Buddhist chaplains. 

For example, students might read primary texts such as the Avatamsaka sutra, exploring the concept of “Indra’s Net” and how interdependence is a core principle of Buddhist chaplaincy, while also reading articles by contemporary Zen and Tibetan Buddhist teachers on the art of listening. In addition to reading academic and spiritual texts, students engage in hands-on exercises like practicing active listening with their fellow students. 

As part of her commitment to our chaplaincy program, Dr. Lin volunteers weekly at Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco through the Zen Caregiving Project, offering her presence and listening to residents. She encourages her students to pursue similar volunteer opportunities as part of their training.

"What we do (as chaplains) is offer our presence and offer to listen and see what comes out of that," Dr. Lin said of her volunteer work. "Sometimes that means watching TV with them, their favorite shows. And sometimes … they're telling you their life story."

Although chaplaincy is serious work, Dr. Lin acknowledges that it’s not always sitting in silence listening. Bingo night is an important event at Laguna Honda Hospital. 

“What is religion and what is religious?” Dr. Lin said. “We could make a case that bingo serves a spiritual need. You look at church bingo, it's a whole thing. It's part of community —the joy of it, the joy of winning, the providence or luck of winning.” 

Dr. Lin's work ensures that the legacy of compassion and service envisioned by the Hanyus will continue to flourish.