Delving into the topic of Chaplaincy in Medical Services, the first Tzu Chi Global Symposium for Common Goodness this year was held at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital on January 12, 2024. With over 130 people joining online and offline, this symposium facilitated an open dialogue between special guests from the Union Theological Seminary, New York, and the chaplaincy work done in Taiwan, exploring the critical role played by chaplains in healthcare settings. The event featured insightful keynote addresses and presentations, providing a comprehensive examination of the challenges and nuances in integrating spiritual care into healthcare.
CEO of Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chin-Lon Lin, and Superintendent of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, You-Chen Chao, both extended a warm welcome to all attendees, especially the special guests Dr. Pak, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean at Union Theological Seminary and Rev. Kosen Gregory Snyder, Senior Director and Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies at Union Theological Seminary.
The symposium commenced with an enlightening keynote address by Dr. Pak, emphasizing the increasing diversity of chaplains in the U.S., serving in various contexts beyond hospitals to airports, colleges, fire and police departments, prisons, and even online platforms. Dr. Pak's reflections, drawn from her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, set the stage for discussions on the integral role of chaplaincy in medical services.
She emphasized the profound impact chaplains can have in crisis situations, providing spiritual support not only to patients but also to healthcare professionals navigating unprecedented challenges. Aptly describing the role of chaplains, Dr. Pak shared an excerpt from an opinion piece in the New York Times by Bari Weiss, dated April 3, 2020. It states, “Few run toward the dying. Even fewer run toward the contagious. But chaplains do…Doctors and nurses focus on healing the physical; chaplains are there for everything else. They are men and women from every religious background and none.”
Chaplains engage careseekers in their spiritual need during crises or liminal life events to provide care. They help those seeking help alleviate suffering through meaning-making capacity. Chaplains assess and provide deep listening and presence, offering rituals, both private and public, to help make meaning. In pluralistic settings, they require multi-religious, multi-worldview competencies, providing spiritual care by stepping respectfully and compassionately into another’s narrative world.
Following Dr. Pak's insights, Professor Snyder highlighted two broad aspects of chaplaincy training – cultivating an undivided, compassionate presence and taking responsibility for the karmic conditioning that hinders it. Practical training in mature affective orientations toward others, like the Brahamavihara – metta (loving friendship), karuna (compassionate action), mudita (empathetic joy), and upekkha (equanimity), not only trains the heart in caring but also provides a space where any limiting karmic orientations can be illuminated. However, developing thorough methods for interrogating karma is necessary so that chaplains are fully supported in making conscious any unconscious embodied views, intentions, and actions that might limit providing skillful care for as many beings as possible in as many circumstances as possible.
Subsequent speakers, including Dr. Heng-Chia Chang, Vice Superintendent of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, and Tzung-Jeng Hwang, Chairperson of Buddhist Lotus Hospice Care Foundation. Dr. Hwang provided practical perspectives on holistic healing and clinical Buddhist chaplaincy in medical service, while Dr. Chang shared experiences from Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, emphasizing the hospital's commitment to spiritual practice alongside medical care, especially during the pandemic.
Ming-Nan Lin, Vice Superintendent of Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, outlined a comprehensive training program for Clinical Buddhist Chaplains (CBCs) that includes basic courses, clinical clerkships, exams, and ongoing advanced training. This training not only equips chaplains with the necessary skills but also fosters a compassionate companionship approach to patient care.
Ying-Wei Wang, Director of Palliative Care Center at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, contributed insights into the integration of spiritual care in palliative care services. Dr. Wang emphasized the need for a holistic approach, addressing physical, social, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of patients in palliative care. He underlined the importance of training for all healthcare staff in spiritual care, aligning with international trends in palliative care education.
The symposium delved into the challenges faced by chaplains and healthcare professionals, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Chin-Lon Lin emphasized the commitment of medical personnel to their duty and how spiritual caretakers maintained a sense of commitment during challenging times.
One of the thought-provoking aspects discussed was the vulnerability of healthcare providers, particularly in the face of a pandemic. Dr. Tzung-Jeng Hwang highlighted the need for chaplaincy training for professionals to help them cope with the emotional toll of dealing with death and suffering. The vulnerability of healthcare providers, coupled with the importance of a social support system, was acknowledged as an integral part of maintaining well-being in the medical field.
The symposium concluded with a panel discussion addressing various aspects of chaplaincy, including its effectiveness in crisis care, the role of chaplains in alleviating suffering, and the importance of being open-minded and respectful of diverse beliefs. The consensus among the speakers was that chaplaincy requires a delicate balance between grounding in one's tradition and being open to diverse perspectives, especially in crisis situations.
As the symposium closed, it left attendees with a profound appreciation for the multifaceted role of chaplains in medical services, underscoring the need for ongoing dialogue, training, and support systems to ensure chaplains continue fostering compassionate and holistic care within the medical community.
Click here to listen to the symposium.
