BUDDHIST HEALING IN PRISON
Alleviating Suffering from Addiction & Incarceration
A Day of Learning and Sharing
Saturday October 5, 2024
10:15 am to 5:00 pm (in-person and on-line)
Emmanuel College, Chapel, 3rd Floor
75 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto
REGISTRATION FORM: https://forms.gle/tKqYY4vULvngLLv27
Morning Program: 10:15 am
Buddhist Perspectives on Addiction and Addiction Recovery*
Speaker: Venerable Thich nu Tinh Quang
Resident Buddhist Teacher at the Little Heron Zen Hermitage. Formerly
Executive Director of Mary Ellis House, Residential Addiction Treatment Centre, and
Gestalt Psychotherapist in private practice
Discussant: Julieta Cordero, PhD
Psychoanalyst and Addictions Counsellor at Salvation Army at Vancouver Downtown Eastside
Afternoon Program: 1:30 pm
The Body is Jailed, But the Mind is Free: Tibetan Buddhist Mind Training in Ontario Prisons Speaker: Venerable Khenpo Kunga Sherab, PhD
Buddhist Studies Scholar/Tibetan Meditation Teacher and Ontario Buddhist Prison Chaplain
Prison Chaplaincy - a Buddhist Book Study Correspondence Program
Sharing by Buddhism In Prisons Canada volunteers
Venerable Thich nu Tinh Quang
A Zen teacher devoted to encouraging self-responsibility and awareness through the teaching and practice of Buddha-Dharma, leading to a better understanding of the true nature of reality. Thich nu Tinh Quang was born in Canada. She acquired a B.A. in Philosophy, a Diploma in Human Services, majoring in Addictions and Mental Health, and did post-graduate training at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto. She has lived in the U.K. and periodically spends time at her monastery (Chua Buu Tich) in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Vietnam. Su Co became interested in Zen Buddhism at the age of 6 years. Although experiencing the sacredness of everything as a child, it wasn't until her early 20's that she became serious about developing spiritually, beginning with the study of Advaita Vedanta. Her training has been in Korean and Vietnamese Zen. Su Co was ordained as Bhikkhuni in Vietnam by her Master, Most Venerable Thich Nhat Lien. She teaches at Little Heron Zen Hermitage, in Hamilton, Ontario, at Wat Khmer Krom Buddhist Temple, and by request leads retreats at other locations. She is former Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Sakyadhita Canada and is now Member at Large.
Venerable Khenpo Kunga
Khenpo Kunga Sherab was born in Lhoka, Tibet. He studied for many years at Dzongsar Buddhist College in India, where he received his Khenpo degree. Khenpo is a scholar, teacher, and translator, and he is the author of several studies on Abhidharma and Middle Way philosophy. He has extensive experience teaching Buddhist meditation and philosophy in various settings, including traditional Tibetan monastic colleges, interfaith institutes, Dharma centers across North America and Asia, and university classrooms. He earned both his Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Khenpo has been involved in several research projects sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Since 2017, he has served as a Buddhist chaplain in four major prisons in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
In-person fees: General admission is $35. $15 for U of T students.
Online fees: General admission is $15. Free for U of T students.
Includes Light Refreshments and Lunch
Reception/Registration 9:45 am
REGISTRATION FORM: https://forms.gle/tKqYY4vULvngLLv27
* The talk by Sister Tinh Quang will be pre-recorded as she will be in retreat at that time. Julieta is a student of Sister Tinh Quang and will be assisting her with the talk. Julieta will be present at the event to share her experiences on the topic and discuss Sister's talk with the audience.
Presented by: Buddhism In Prisons Canada
Saturday October 5, 2024
10:15 am to 5:00 pm (in-person and on-line)
Emmanuel College, Chapel, 3rd Floor
75 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto
REGISTRATION FORM: https://forms.gle/tKqYY4vULvngLLv27
Morning Program: 10:15 am
Buddhist Perspectives on Addiction and Addiction Recovery*
Speaker: Venerable Thich nu Tinh Quang
Resident Buddhist Teacher at the Little Heron Zen Hermitage. Formerly
Executive Director of Mary Ellis House, Residential Addiction Treatment Centre, and
Gestalt Psychotherapist in private practice
Discussant: Julieta Cordero, PhD
Psychoanalyst and Addictions Counsellor at Salvation Army at Vancouver Downtown Eastside
Afternoon Program: 1:30 pm
The Body is Jailed, But the Mind is Free: Tibetan Buddhist Mind Training in Ontario Prisons Speaker: Venerable Khenpo Kunga Sherab, PhD
Buddhist Studies Scholar/Tibetan Meditation Teacher and Ontario Buddhist Prison Chaplain
Prison Chaplaincy - a Buddhist Book Study Correspondence Program
Sharing by Buddhism In Prisons Canada volunteers
Venerable Thich nu Tinh Quang
A Zen teacher devoted to encouraging self-responsibility and awareness through the teaching and practice of Buddha-Dharma, leading to a better understanding of the true nature of reality. Thich nu Tinh Quang was born in Canada. She acquired a B.A. in Philosophy, a Diploma in Human Services, majoring in Addictions and Mental Health, and did post-graduate training at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto. She has lived in the U.K. and periodically spends time at her monastery (Chua Buu Tich) in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Vietnam. Su Co became interested in Zen Buddhism at the age of 6 years. Although experiencing the sacredness of everything as a child, it wasn't until her early 20's that she became serious about developing spiritually, beginning with the study of Advaita Vedanta. Her training has been in Korean and Vietnamese Zen. Su Co was ordained as Bhikkhuni in Vietnam by her Master, Most Venerable Thich Nhat Lien. She teaches at Little Heron Zen Hermitage, in Hamilton, Ontario, at Wat Khmer Krom Buddhist Temple, and by request leads retreats at other locations. She is former Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Sakyadhita Canada and is now Member at Large.
Venerable Khenpo Kunga
Khenpo Kunga Sherab was born in Lhoka, Tibet. He studied for many years at Dzongsar Buddhist College in India, where he received his Khenpo degree. Khenpo is a scholar, teacher, and translator, and he is the author of several studies on Abhidharma and Middle Way philosophy. He has extensive experience teaching Buddhist meditation and philosophy in various settings, including traditional Tibetan monastic colleges, interfaith institutes, Dharma centers across North America and Asia, and university classrooms. He earned both his Master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Khenpo has been involved in several research projects sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Since 2017, he has served as a Buddhist chaplain in four major prisons in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
In-person fees: General admission is $35. $15 for U of T students.
Online fees: General admission is $15. Free for U of T students.
Includes Light Refreshments and Lunch
Reception/Registration 9:45 am
REGISTRATION FORM: https://forms.gle/tKqYY4vULvngLLv27
* The talk by Sister Tinh Quang will be pre-recorded as she will be in retreat at that time. Julieta is a student of Sister Tinh Quang and will be assisting her with the talk. Julieta will be present at the event to share her experiences on the topic and discuss Sister's talk with the audience.
Presented by: Buddhism In Prisons Canada
Venerable Thich nu Tinh Quang |
Venerable Khenpo Kunga |
Sponsors:
Buddhist Education Foundation of Canada
Buddhism and Psychology Student Union at the University of Toronto
Emmanuel College
Buddhist Education Foundation of Canada
Buddhism and Psychology Student Union at the University of Toronto
Emmanuel College
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PAST EVENTS: On-line Speakers’ Series: Buddhist Healing in Prisons
4 Saturdays, April and May, 2024, 2:00 to 3:30 pm (Toronto time)
Free admission. All welcome!
To Register: Please complete registration form here https://forms.gle/Piqc58Gs9AfY6GmW9
1. Bearing witness to the suffering in Canadian prison setting and sowing the seeds for forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, joy, and change
April 20, 2024
Speaker: Acharya Samaneti, Site Chaplain, Regional Reception Centre, Ste-Anne des Plaines, Quebec
Acharya Samaneti is a prison chaplain, philosopher, a lover of the written word, and truth seeker. The contemplative life called him early in his life; an only child, Samanetti found comfort in silence, reflection, and personal inquiry. Samaneti is interested in bearing witness to the oneness of suffering and the loving actions that awaken hearts; this mission draws him to work with the incarcerated and other marginalized populations. A student of Venerable Pannavati and a graduate of the Dharmacharya Program at Heartwood Refuge in Hendersonville North Carolina, USA.
Summary of Talk: As spiritual care providers we witness suffering and oppression on a scale that is hard to explain, we walk in the shadows with the forgotten and witness their hardships, their tears, their feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, their remorse, their isolation, and we remind them that they are still human in a world that does all it can to dehumanise them every day. We see people take their own lives out of the complete hopelessness of what laid ahead of them. We do, however, also witness: forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, joy, and most importantly change.
Our work happens away from the limelight. We bring a value that is not easily measured. We are a safe haven: someone to confide in, and someone to help the incarcerated through their difficult times. The benefits that we bring to the offender's lives is not measured through statistics and percentages. There are no indicators to determine how effective spiritual care is in the process of rehabilitation. And yet as anyone witnesses, they discover that we are an essential part of the healing process of the broken lives of the inmates. We are a ray of hope in an otherwise hopeless world... The dhamma has never been more alive than it is behind these fences and barbed wire..."
2. Innovative Buddhist prison chaplaincy Programs and Services in the Springhill Penitentiary in Nova Scotia
April 27, 2024
Speaker: Bhante Sirinanda, Site Chaplain, Springhill Penitentiary, Nova Scotia
For the recording of talk, please click drive.google.com/file/d/14Fl3Cob2RF92afpdj5H7GKQXk6Qzx1Jp/view?usp=share_link.
Bhante Sirinanda is a Sri Lankan born Buddhist monk who has dedicated his life to spread the teachings of Buddhism in Canada. While studying in the master's program at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax in early 2015, Bhante Sirinanda co-founded the Atlantic Theravada Buddhist Society where he is currently Abbot and President. He subsequently joined the Correctional Service Canada as a chaplain and spiritual care counsellor, and currently works at Springhill Penitentiary. He is also pursuing clinical psycho-spiritual education courses with Ottawa hospital and Wilfrid Laurier University.
He began his monastic life as a novice at the age of nine in Sri Lanka. After completing his primary monastic education at Nalanda Dharmayatana Pirivena and Saddharmakara Pirivena, Bhante Sirinanda pursued his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Sri Jayawardanapura University, graduating with honors in 2009. He went on to obtain a Psychology Counsellor Diploma from The Sri Lanka Mental Health Foundation in 2009 and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychology in 2011. Additionally, he holds an M.A. degree in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Buddhism and Pali, Sri Lanka.
Summary of Talk: In his presentation, Bhante Sirinanda will delve into the transformative potential of Buddhist chaplaincy within the Correctional Service Canada (CSC), highlighting innovative programs such as mindful eating and communication, along with the comprehensive "Buddhism in a Year" initiative. His vision for a mindfulness-based halfway house is a testament to his dedication to holistic rehabilitation, incorporating practices that promote mental wellness and reduce recidivism through personal growth and skill development. Leveraging insights from the Mindful Eating program launched at Springhill Penitentiary, he will demonstrate how these programs significantly improve psychological well-being and foster a mindful relationship with food, as outlined in the Mindful Eating Course and supported by findings from recent evaluations. These initiatives contribute to inmate rehabilitation and also enhance broader community safety and wellness, highlighting the need for adaptable and culturally enriched educational methods in correctional environments. He will conclude his talk by discussing the wider implications of these programs and the future of chaplaincy in prisons, advocating for the ongoing support and growth of these compassionate and innovative approaches to correctional education and rehabilitation.
3. The Challenges and rewards in volunteering for Buddhist prison chaplaincy
May 18, 2024
Venerable Sik Yin Kit, Head Nun of Po Lam Buddhist Association, Chilliwack, BC
You may access the recording of the talk via the link below:
drive.google.com/file/d/1VnOuQiqci8CTI6UQ4Pzm2gRuPFtWPWU8/view?usp=share_link
Speaker: Venerable Sik Yin Kit is ordained in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. She is also a Mindfulness Meditation teacher, who works with penitentiaries in British Columbia. Whether we are inside or outside of a physical prison or not, she cautions that we can be prisoners of our own minds. Through meditation, she believes that all people have the ability to transform and correct their minds.
Summary of Talk (Compassion always heals): In this one-hour talk, Venerable Yin Kit beautifully summarizes over two decades of volunteering inside federal and provincial correctional centres. Beginning in 2003, upon the invitation of a psychiatric nurse, “Sister Jessie” as she is known to her inmate buddies, assisted in the training of peer-to-peer support groups in four federal prisons. From there, she was requested to come back and teach meditation once a month, then twice a month, then eventually every week. By 2011, a small team of dedicated volunteers formed, and the variety of activities grew as well. One day silent retreats, 9-week programs, one-to-one counseling sessions, refuge ceremonies, calligraphy, and welcoming fellows on temporary passes from their institutions, have all formed a part of the offerings. Although the Venerable and the team have faced challenges, from within the institutions, and from within themselves, they have persevered, converting difficulties into opportunities for learning and growth. Venerable Yin Kit and the team are continuously inspired by the dedication they see in the fellows. They witness determination and faith generate positive and life-changing transformations within the students on the inside. Compassion always heals.
4. The role of Multi-faith Chaplaincy and Buddhist Chaplaincy in the Provincial Correctional System in Ontario
May 25, 2024
Speaker: Rev. Frank Loo, Provincial Chaplaincy Coordinator, Ministry of the Solicitor General, Executive Director’s Office
– Ontario Corrections – Institutional Services
For inquiry, please email [email protected]
Our Sponsors:
PAST EVENTS: On-line Speakers’ Series: Buddhist Healing in Prisons
4 Saturdays, April and May, 2024, 2:00 to 3:30 pm (Toronto time)
Free admission. All welcome!
To Register: Please complete registration form here https://forms.gle/Piqc58Gs9AfY6GmW9
1. Bearing witness to the suffering in Canadian prison setting and sowing the seeds for forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, joy, and change
April 20, 2024
Speaker: Acharya Samaneti, Site Chaplain, Regional Reception Centre, Ste-Anne des Plaines, Quebec
Acharya Samaneti is a prison chaplain, philosopher, a lover of the written word, and truth seeker. The contemplative life called him early in his life; an only child, Samanetti found comfort in silence, reflection, and personal inquiry. Samaneti is interested in bearing witness to the oneness of suffering and the loving actions that awaken hearts; this mission draws him to work with the incarcerated and other marginalized populations. A student of Venerable Pannavati and a graduate of the Dharmacharya Program at Heartwood Refuge in Hendersonville North Carolina, USA.
Summary of Talk: As spiritual care providers we witness suffering and oppression on a scale that is hard to explain, we walk in the shadows with the forgotten and witness their hardships, their tears, their feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, their remorse, their isolation, and we remind them that they are still human in a world that does all it can to dehumanise them every day. We see people take their own lives out of the complete hopelessness of what laid ahead of them. We do, however, also witness: forgiveness, wisdom, compassion, joy, and most importantly change.
Our work happens away from the limelight. We bring a value that is not easily measured. We are a safe haven: someone to confide in, and someone to help the incarcerated through their difficult times. The benefits that we bring to the offender's lives is not measured through statistics and percentages. There are no indicators to determine how effective spiritual care is in the process of rehabilitation. And yet as anyone witnesses, they discover that we are an essential part of the healing process of the broken lives of the inmates. We are a ray of hope in an otherwise hopeless world... The dhamma has never been more alive than it is behind these fences and barbed wire..."
2. Innovative Buddhist prison chaplaincy Programs and Services in the Springhill Penitentiary in Nova Scotia
April 27, 2024
Speaker: Bhante Sirinanda, Site Chaplain, Springhill Penitentiary, Nova Scotia
For the recording of talk, please click drive.google.com/file/d/14Fl3Cob2RF92afpdj5H7GKQXk6Qzx1Jp/view?usp=share_link.
Bhante Sirinanda is a Sri Lankan born Buddhist monk who has dedicated his life to spread the teachings of Buddhism in Canada. While studying in the master's program at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax in early 2015, Bhante Sirinanda co-founded the Atlantic Theravada Buddhist Society where he is currently Abbot and President. He subsequently joined the Correctional Service Canada as a chaplain and spiritual care counsellor, and currently works at Springhill Penitentiary. He is also pursuing clinical psycho-spiritual education courses with Ottawa hospital and Wilfrid Laurier University.
He began his monastic life as a novice at the age of nine in Sri Lanka. After completing his primary monastic education at Nalanda Dharmayatana Pirivena and Saddharmakara Pirivena, Bhante Sirinanda pursued his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Sri Jayawardanapura University, graduating with honors in 2009. He went on to obtain a Psychology Counsellor Diploma from The Sri Lanka Mental Health Foundation in 2009 and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychology in 2011. Additionally, he holds an M.A. degree in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Buddhism and Pali, Sri Lanka.
Summary of Talk: In his presentation, Bhante Sirinanda will delve into the transformative potential of Buddhist chaplaincy within the Correctional Service Canada (CSC), highlighting innovative programs such as mindful eating and communication, along with the comprehensive "Buddhism in a Year" initiative. His vision for a mindfulness-based halfway house is a testament to his dedication to holistic rehabilitation, incorporating practices that promote mental wellness and reduce recidivism through personal growth and skill development. Leveraging insights from the Mindful Eating program launched at Springhill Penitentiary, he will demonstrate how these programs significantly improve psychological well-being and foster a mindful relationship with food, as outlined in the Mindful Eating Course and supported by findings from recent evaluations. These initiatives contribute to inmate rehabilitation and also enhance broader community safety and wellness, highlighting the need for adaptable and culturally enriched educational methods in correctional environments. He will conclude his talk by discussing the wider implications of these programs and the future of chaplaincy in prisons, advocating for the ongoing support and growth of these compassionate and innovative approaches to correctional education and rehabilitation.
3. The Challenges and rewards in volunteering for Buddhist prison chaplaincy
May 18, 2024
Venerable Sik Yin Kit, Head Nun of Po Lam Buddhist Association, Chilliwack, BC
You may access the recording of the talk via the link below:
drive.google.com/file/d/1VnOuQiqci8CTI6UQ4Pzm2gRuPFtWPWU8/view?usp=share_link
Speaker: Venerable Sik Yin Kit is ordained in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. She is also a Mindfulness Meditation teacher, who works with penitentiaries in British Columbia. Whether we are inside or outside of a physical prison or not, she cautions that we can be prisoners of our own minds. Through meditation, she believes that all people have the ability to transform and correct their minds.
Summary of Talk (Compassion always heals): In this one-hour talk, Venerable Yin Kit beautifully summarizes over two decades of volunteering inside federal and provincial correctional centres. Beginning in 2003, upon the invitation of a psychiatric nurse, “Sister Jessie” as she is known to her inmate buddies, assisted in the training of peer-to-peer support groups in four federal prisons. From there, she was requested to come back and teach meditation once a month, then twice a month, then eventually every week. By 2011, a small team of dedicated volunteers formed, and the variety of activities grew as well. One day silent retreats, 9-week programs, one-to-one counseling sessions, refuge ceremonies, calligraphy, and welcoming fellows on temporary passes from their institutions, have all formed a part of the offerings. Although the Venerable and the team have faced challenges, from within the institutions, and from within themselves, they have persevered, converting difficulties into opportunities for learning and growth. Venerable Yin Kit and the team are continuously inspired by the dedication they see in the fellows. They witness determination and faith generate positive and life-changing transformations within the students on the inside. Compassion always heals.
4. The role of Multi-faith Chaplaincy and Buddhist Chaplaincy in the Provincial Correctional System in Ontario
May 25, 2024
Speaker: Rev. Frank Loo, Provincial Chaplaincy Coordinator, Ministry of the Solicitor General, Executive Director’s Office
– Ontario Corrections – Institutional Services
For inquiry, please email [email protected]
Our Sponsors:
Buddhist Education Foundation of Canada
BPSU (Buddhism and Psychology Student Union at the University of Toronto)