14th IASBS: Shin Buddhism in the World of the 21st Century

14th Biennial Conference of the
International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies

Shin Buddhism in the World of the 21st Century
Challenges and Potentials

Ryukoku University, Kyoto, Japan
June 12-14, 2009

JSRI Panel: From Cure to Care: The Role of Doctors and Priests in Critical Care and Grief Care

One of the major problems Japan is facing now is how to care for its rapidly aging population from the basis of its dwindling tax base due to a plunge in the birth rate. It is clear that neither the government nor major hospitals will have the resources to care for the increasing numbers of elderly and terminally ill. On top of this, within the hospitals, there is currently little psychological care and no spiritual care, such as in the form of chaplains as is common in other countries. This situation will thus require a shift in how medicine is practiced for many, a shift from cure to care. Doctors will have to learn new skills in caring for their patients’ diverse needs, many of which are non-medical. This situation will also present opportunities for people who have been previously uninvolved in such care work, specifically Buddhist priests and religious professionals. Recovering their traditional roles as comprehensive caretakers, Buddhist priests can take advantage of the opportunity to redefine their roles in Japanese society. The four speakers on this panel all come from Pure Land backgrounds and will offer their insights on these issues with specific reference to Pure Land thought and practice.

Speakers:

From Cure to Care: Teaching Doctors How to Deal with Bad News - Rev. Yoshiharu Tomatsu, Senior Research Fellow at the Jodo Shu Research Institute & Lecturer at the Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo See an excerpt of the final version of this paper in our upcoming book The Vihara of Compassion

All Doctors Should Also Be Priests すべての医者は坊主でもあれ - Dr. Yukie Miyazaki, President of Miyazaki Hospital, Inashiki City, Ibaraki & Leader of local Jodo Shin Vihara Lecture Series. See an excerpt from her lecture.

Critical Path: The Potential Role of the Priest in Critical Care - Rev./Dr. Shinsho Yoshiba, Doctor of Internal Medicine at Showa University Hospital (Fujigaoka) & Abbot of Shokoji Temple (Jodo Shu), Tokyo

Beyond Funeral Buddhism: The Potentials of Japanese Buddhism for Contemporary Grief Care - Prof. Carl Becker, Kyoto University Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies & co-founder of the International Association for Near-Death Studies See an excerpt of the final version of this paper in our upcoming book The Vihara of Compassion

Moderator:

Jonathan Watts, Research Fellow, Jodo Shu Research Institute, Tokyo