Chaplaincy Council

How Can We Help?

As SIM evolves as a community, we wish to provide our sangha members a supportive presence as they experience life’s transitions. Life transitions are classically defined as birth, sickness, aging, and ultimately death. These transitions will visit all of us as well as the people and animals we care about. Sangha members might also contend with the stress of contemporary society, which may include: job loss, addiction, divorce, incarceration/post release, and other aspects of living in this human realm.

Buddhist chaplains are not therapists, and do not provide therapeutic counseling. What chaplains provide is a compassionate presence. Well-meaning friends and family are frequently overwhelmed when those dear to them experience a crisis. Often, due to fear or one’s own anguish, the tendency is to shy away from the emotional upheaval until “a more appropriate time.” As chaplains, we are trained to provide a calm, caring presence to sangha members during the difficult, often messy vicissitudes of life’s challenges. If appropriate, we may also provide advise as found in Buddhist teachings, as he offered when his own community contended with life’s ever-changing events.

The Sacramento Insight Meditation community currently has three graduates of the Buddhist Chaplaincy Program at Sati Center in Redwood City. Graduates are Diane Wilde, Candace McGahan and Dave Sanders. As sangha chaplains, we’d like our community to be aware of the support we gratefully offer our fellow sangha members.

Rituals

We are available to perform ritual services such as weddings, memorial services, graduations and births and the formal ritual of “Taking Refuge” in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Comfort

We want to provide comfort during life’s transitions such as sickness, loss of a loved one, and end of life challenges.

Support

We will provide support to those who are experiencing fear, pain, loneliness and/or confusion in their lives. Please feel free to contact us as the need arises, for yourself or a community member.

You can contact SIM chaplains at chaplains@sactoinsight.org.