What is Anukampa?

Anukampa is the profound Buddhist word for the “care” motivating both ordinary and spiritual caregiving. It is the sentiment which inspired the Buddha to teach. In Buddhist practice, it is a form of spiritual care that can be directed to oneself and to others. Anukampa is expressed in each of the four Brahmaviharas or ‘sublime attitudes’ of loving-kindness (metta), sympathetic joy (mudita), compassion (karuna), and equanimity (upekkha). It has its fulfillment in the heart’s full liberation.

What is a Practice Program?

A Practice Program is a container for practice intended to help establish, broaden and deepen personal practice, supported by an unfolding series of spiritual themes. It is suitable for all stages of practice. Beginning in August and running until July of the following year, the Anukampa Practice Program offers a variety of optional components to support personal practice – from reading, writing and practice assignments to recommended movies, small group meetings and ‘buddy’ pairings.

Central to the Anukampa Practice Program are ten core human needs or spiritual themes (meaning, purpose, autonomy, agency, identity, dignity, community, kinship, healing and reconciliation) that are contained in five broader human emotional categories that can inform the way that we care for ourselves, and others. They are:

• Inspiration
• Freedom
• Confidence
• Love
• Wholeness

Over the course of the program, the ten spiritual themes are paired with the ten Buddhist perfections, or paramis, that give strength, resiliency, and wisdom to care-giving efforts. Together they form a path rooted in relational practice and the values of spiritual care, complemented by practices in communication based in deep, reflective, empathetic listening.

The practices offered in the Anukampa Practice Program can serve to prepare the ground for many of the caregiving skills taught in the Sati Center’s Introduction to Chaplaincy Training, and can serve as a beneficial foundation for this program.

Ordinarily, the course will be on Zoom on Thursdays from 9:00am to 12:30pm West Coast time starting August 27th. Essays by Gil and Vanessa make up the “class lectures” so the Thursday session can focus on deeper exploration and discussion of the themes of the course, as well as interpersonal learning.

We will consider these as follows:

Components of the Anukampa Practice Program:

• One Thursday class each month on Zoom (9:00am – 12:30pm Pacific). Classes are recorded and available to all participants for the duration of the year.
• A one-hour group Q&A session with one of the faculty once a month.
• Participants will be assigned an optional Reading/Writing Buddy to meet with monthly.
• Participants will also optionally be assigned a small group of 4-5 other program participants to meet with monthly through the course of the training.
• Optional monthly 1-2 page written reflections.
• Optional monthly practice assignments.
• 7-10 articles related to the themes of each month will also be offered, including poetry and a suggested movie.
• Completion of written assignments and 90% Zoom attendance will qualify participants for a Certificate of Completion of this program.

What is the difference between Anukampa Practice and Buddhist Chaplaincy Training?

The Anukampa Practice Program is a personal practice program centered around an introduction to the values of caregiving and our individual spiritual needs. It is based on the relational aspects of Dharma teachings. While it can be particularly valuable to people in private or familial caregiving positions, it is equally suitable as a broader container for practice for new and experienced practitioners alike. The Anukampa Practice program can be taken standalone, or as an initial exploration and discernment for Sati Center’s Introduction to Buddhist Chaplaincy Training. The program’s structure is flexible and allows for varying levels of participation.

The Sati Center’s Introduction to Buddhist Chaplaincy Training is a more immersive learning experience for those wishing to deepen and broaden their practice through service and spiritual care, grounded in Buddhist teaching. Included in this learning is the practice of different chaplaincy skills, a developing intimacy with one’s own process of spiritual formation, a postgraduate-level of study during the monthly workshops and reading and writing assignments and 100 hours of service work in a spiritual care environment. The learning outcomes offered by BCT are equally applicable to those wishing to expand their leadership / facilitative skills, and who would like to be actively providing spiritual care within their communities.

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