< Issue No. 1 (2005)Article
The Installation of the First Buddhist Chaplain at Dalhousie University
Woo, Terry, Dalhousie University
Abstract
“Buddhism in Nova Scotia” describes the current Buddhist landscape in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Buddhist ‘community’ in Nova Scotia is, not surprisingly, made up of distinct communities. This became apparent in 2003 when the Chaplaincy Office at Dalhousie University, in the interest of nurturing diversity on campus, tried to recruit a Buddhist Chaplain for the students. After a lengthy meeting, no agreement could be reached among the various groups on how to proceed with the chaplaincy appointment. The difficulty may be illustrated by the following example. Whereas the Shambhala Centre is managed by predominantly lay Euro-Canadians who offer free weekly hour-long Open House introductions to the Centre and a host of programs for young and old, Yunfeng of the Chan Temple, who speaks Putonghua, Cantonese and Vietnamese, is away from Halifax for at least nine months out of the year. When he was invited to speak to students in class at Dalhousie University, he declined and invited the students to visit the temple instead. He noted that his primary work was to practice and not to build a large sangha. This paper explores the diversity in the understanding of mission and its practical implementation in the Buddhist community of Dalhousie University and the city of Halifax.