A two-day residential training program on “Waking Down into this World: An Introduction to Buddhist Chaplaincy and Counseling” was held from 25–26 September 2025 at the Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning (SIHL) Main Campus, Bandaragama.

The program was organized by the INEB Institute for Buddhist Counseling and Chaplaincy (IBCC) in collaboration with the Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya, with facilitation by SIHL. It was conducted by Mr. Jonathan S. Watts, Director of IBCC, and attended by 27 monks from around 20 districts, along with nuns representing the Sarvodaya National Bhikku Congress, coordinated by the Sarvodaya Shanthi Sena Sansadaya. while Rev. Kuppiawatte Bodananda Thero also took part as a participant throughout the program.

The training combined lectures, meditation, group reflections, and workshops. Key sessions included:

• Introduction to Buddhist Chaplaincy and end-of-life care.
• Buddhist approaches to psycho-spiritual counseling and suicide prevention in Japan.
• Guided practices in Zen meditation with “posture” and vedana (feeling-based) meditation.
• Application of the Four Noble Truths for social analysis, healing, and community action.

Key Highlights

• Hands-on application of meditation, reflection, and group learning.
• Practical use of Buddhist principles in counseling, end-of-life care, and social healing.
• Exchange of experiences among monks and nuns from diverse districts.
• Strengthening the foundation for Buddhist Chaplaincy in Sri Lanka.

The program created a unique platform for monks and nuns to explore the role of Buddhist chaplaincy and counseling in addressing social suffering and promoting compassionate community leadership in Sri Lanka.

At the conclusion of the program, participants were awarded certificates of participation — both as a recognition of their engagement and as a reminder of their responsibility to carry these learnings into their communities in the spirit of social service.