Task Force Addresses Well-Being of Sangha

Members Invited to Take Anonymous Survey

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I have been following the Buddhist path for nearly 50 years. My Pure Land journey started at Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Virginia while studying the Dharma with the late Rev. Kenryu Tsuji.  

One of the key elements that has kept me on this path all these years is the importance of making a connection between the Buddha-Dharma and my daily life. 

The Dharma can be a source of support and wisdom regardless of what challenges I may be facing. So the question of my well-being includes my spiritual practice, my state of mind, my personal health, my relationships,  and the practical tasks of life. These elements of life are completely intertwined like a net. I’ve never seen them as separate compartments.

Last year, Bishop Rev. Marvin Harada invited me to serve on a task force focused on “Buddhism and Spiritual and Psychological Well-Being.” 

Specifically, Rev. Harada and BCA leaders had perceived a growing need to support the overall well-being of Sangha members. Perhaps this is of particular importance in the wake of COVID-19 along with concerns about climate change, an increasingly divisive political environment, and countless other factors.

Whatever the cause, many more people today need mental health care and spiritual support than have access to it. In light of this, our task force discussed how Buddhist organizations like BCA might help meet this need. 

We realized the first step is to assess the needs of the Buddhist community. We have designed a short survey intended to help identify what the members of our sanghas need most, and then consider how we can best support them. I hope that you will help with this important project by sharing your thoughts through this survey.

The survey should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. It is completely anonymous, so your identity and answers are protected. You can access the survey via the QR Code or through this link. https://forms.microsoft.com/r/nTMmakcQ2U

This is the first time such a survey has been done and I think it will provide a great deal of insight and understanding into the needs and concerns of Buddhists throughout the country. 

So please take a few minutes and share your experience and ideas with us in order to shape this innovative project.

Thank you for your help and I hope to keep you apprised as we move forward with our plans to provide support to the members of our community.

The members of the Buddhism and Spiritual and Psychological Well-Being Task Force are:

• Nancy Clifton Hawkins (Orange County Buddhist Church)

• DJ Ida (Tri-State Buddhist Temple)

• Dee Dee Just (Vista Buddhist Temple)

• Lewis Shaw (Longmont Buddhist Temple)

• Rev. Candice Shibata (Buddhist Church of Stockton)

• Sydney Shiroyama (Palo Alto Buddhist Temple)

• Morris Sullivan (Bright Dawn Dharma Center)
  

For questions and more information, email: wellbeing@bcahq.org

Gregg Krech is Chairperson of the BCA Task Force on Buddhist Spiritual and Psychological Well-Being.