What is a Buddhist Eco-Chaplain?

two eco-chaplains smiling and sitting at a table outside, with a sign between them saying "free eco-chaplaincy sessions", some reflection prompts and "let's talk". there are flowers, corn, pinecones, and a meditation bell on the table.

The emerging field of eco-chaplaincy can be defined in myriad ways. Towards the end of the Eco-Chaplaincy Training at the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, each student was asked to answer the question, “What is a Buddhist eco-chaplain?” in their own words. Here are some of their answers:

Nikayla Jefferson

Rooted in the traditions of Buddhism, we practice.

Reverence and gratitude for all life. Mindfulness and meditation. Compassion, equanimity, lovingkindness, and joy. Nonviolence in thoughts, words, and deeds. An appropriate response to suffering. Trust in the great mystery. Remembrance of our interbeing.

We offer ourselves. To ourselves, to each other, to the more-than-human, and to the Earth.

As care. As support. As a spiritual friend. As deep, nonjudgmental listening. As a compassionate, healing presence. As a reminder of one’s inherent, inner resilience. As a dignified time and place to belong. As ritual keepers at the threshold. As a conduit for reciprocal connection with the living Earth. As midwives for the birth of this beginning, as doulas for the death of this end.

All life is interconnected. All life is sacred. All life is impermanent. Living these truths, there is no greater one.

Reed Garber

Eco-chaplains bring spiritual care to others in transition, loss or difficult emotions and experiences. We support others in deepening and healing their relationships to themselves, each other, and the more-than-human world by offering compassionate presence, ritual and mindfulness. We also lean into the joy of interbeing, belonging and connection by listening deeply to and collaborating with the more-than-human world, and we bring support and opportunities for others to remember our connections to all life.

Shani Jayant

An eco-chaplain, spiritually interconnected with the land and all beings, cultivates a temple of the heart for people to safely and bravely navigate a path amongst the ecological suffering of our times.

Craig Rosa

An eco-chaplain is someone who brings spiritual care to those struggling with challenging emotions like climate grief and eco-anxiety, and helps people find healing and resilience by connecting with nature.
We often serve by creating a space for 1-1 compassionate listening, but we can facilitate important conversations, do workshops or advise organizations, bring ceremony and ritual when appropriate, and help celebrate wins or moments of joy when they arise.
We also support people, groups, communities and ecosystems that are impacted directly by climate change - such as those facing environmental or natural disasters, loss of livelihood, or ways of life. And many people apply what they’ve learned to their professional or creative work.
Although eco-chaplains can come from many religious or spiritual traditions - or a secular origin, my chaplaincy practice comes from a Buddhist root. That said, as chaplains we offer our service in an interfaith capacity, or non-religious capacity, or secular capacity as needed. We meet people where they are.

Diane Bloch

A confluence of many currents:
An awareness of life’s 10,000 joys and sorrows,
An understanding that all living organisms and elements of Earth’s ecosystem are interconnected and interdependent,
A desire to provide caring presence for others amidst the inherent suffering of life and particular suffering of this time of profound ecological change.
Our practice includes:
Deepening our capacity to be with things as they are, to hold our grieving hearts, as well as our hopes and vision for the future
Drawing upon our (often forgotten or neglected) connection with the larger than human world
Inviting ritual through which that connection can emerge, nourish and guide us
Reconnecting with what is most meaningful to us
Listening deeply to what is most meaningful to others
Honoring all that has brought us to where we are now–our traumas and loss, our resilience and courage.
Building trust in ourselves.
Building trust, community, interconnection with others through deep listening and honest sharing, as well as through ritual, music, play, co-creation.

Dakota Ashley Limón

A Buddhist eco-chaplain is a practitioner of spiritual care rooted in Buddhist practice who supports people navigating climate change, ecological loss, and profound existential questions of our time. Drawing on teachings of interdependence, impermanence, and compassion, they offer steady presence and reflective companionship for those moving through eco-grief and climate anxiety.
At its heart, this is a form of liminal care: tending to individuals and communities in periods of uncertainty, transition, and destabilization. Beyond activism or therapy alone, an eco-chaplain attends to the spiritual and relational dimensions of environmental crisis, including the cultural patterns of disconnections and denial that shape our response to it. Their work supports the restoration of relationships with the more-than-human world and cultivates resilience, ethical belonging, and meaningful ways of living within a changing earth.

Shin Yi

BEC draws upon millennia-old wisdom teachings to meet the contemporary challenges of climate change. Chaplains are trained in offering spiritual counseling, nature-based rituals and contemplative practices to help people cultivate a more intimate and meaningful relationship with themselves and Nature. The sacred space that chaplains facilitate supports people in remembering that they are an intrinsic part of Nature and deserve to be met with care, respect and compassion. Any experiences of awe, gratitude, purpose and belonging fuel a collective vision that is devoted to the welfare of all beings and the Earth.

Paru Desai

Buddhist Eco-Chaplains provide spiritual care to people experiencing challenges that are exacerbated by climate and ecological distress. A foundation in Buddhist principles and practices such as mindfulness and mediation, compassion, and justice combined with profound understanding of our interdependence with the natural world support Buddhist eco-chaplains in offering their caregiving. They work with individuals one-on-one or in groups and often integrate nature-based ceremonies and rituals and contemplative practices from different faith and Indigenous communities.