Buddhist Council of New South Wales supports a Yes vote
Later this year we will have to vote in a referendum on recognising First Nations people in the constitution and giving them a Voice to advise the government on issues that affect them. Here are some resources to help you and your community understand the referendum. Please share them!
Resources –
Buddhist Council of NSW Supports a Yes Vote
https://www.buddhistcouncil.org/uluru-project/
Healthcare Chaplaincy Resources
In January 2011 the Health Care Chaplaincy Council of Victoria (HCCVi) approached the Buddhist Council of Victoria (BCV) to undertake the development of chaplaincy and spiritual care services for hospitals and other major healthcare facilities. The BCV accepted an annual grant of $15,000 from HCCVi as contribution towards the project and appointed a project
manager to begin the work.
The outcome of this project was Report on Buddhist Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care Project – Stage 1, launched on 24 April 2012 by The Hon. Nicholas Kotsiras MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, is available below.
Report_on_the_buddhist_chaplaincy_spiritual_care_project_stage_1_-_part_1
Report_on_the_buddhist_chaplaincy_spiritual_care_project_stage_1_-_part_2
Buddhist Care for they Dying
The BCV has contributed to the improvement of palliative care in the state of Victoria through the preparation of the booklet, Buddhist Care for the Dying.
The booklet is based on a simple questionnaire that was sent to all temples in Victoria. We asked questions like – what are good things to do around or for a dying person and what things should you avoid doing around a dying person? Buddhism itself is not monolithic. There are substantial variations in ideas of what is good and what is not good between Buddhists of Sri Lanka, Vietnam, China, Japan and Tibet.
The printing of the booklet was principally sponsored by the Yun Yang Temple of Narre Warren as well as the Victorian Multicultural Commission. The Victorian Multicultural Commission also funded the distribution of the booklet to all hospitals, prisons, nursing homes and medical teaching establishments in the state. It was edited by Di Cousens who has subsequently given many talks on the subject of Buddhist palliative care to health providers and seminars.
Download the following:
Buddhist_care_for_dying_booklet
Palliative Care and Buddhist Cultural Sensitivity (talk by Di Cousens – PDF format)
Buddhist Protocol On Organ Donation
Passed at the Annual General Meeting of the Buddhist Council of Victoria in November 2020
With agreement from Ven. Thich Phuoc Tan
Abbot of the Quang Minh Temple, Braybrook
President of the Buddhist Council of Victoria
Former President of the Australian Sangha Association
- Buddhists may elect to have their organs and/or tissues donated after death is medically determined.
- A potential donor must have identified themselves during their lifetime, or advised their family that they wished to donate.
- Some Buddhists require a period of at least eight hours chanting near to the body prior to the organs being removed. This requirement must be respected.
- The doctor who is taking the organs should say out loud to the deceased person that they are fulfilling their vow made in their lifetime to donate the organs.
- A deceased person must be handled gently and with respect.
- It is recognised that living donors may be subject to exploitation and that this is unethical.
- Living donors must have a bill of rights and an advocate to determine that they are not being exploited.
- Living donors must receive the same standard of medical care as recipients so as to minimise harm.
Buddhist Protocol on Organ Donation
Find out more about the Australian Organ Donor Register
As we build our Healthcare Chaplaincy capacity additional content will be made available incrementally on this page and other sections of the BCV website.
Contact :
Healthcare Chaplaincy Coordinator
Hōjun Futen (Haydn Halse)
Senior Chaplain
Buddhist Council of Victoria
Email: hojun.futen@bcv.org.au