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Elmhurst Hospital’s Spiritual Care Week: FGS NY Engages in Community Care Initiatives
Venerable Youren introduces FGS to the Chief Experience Officer.
Father Gabriel plays and sings in the Nigerian language.
On October 26, Elmhurst Hospital hosted a “Spiritual Care” symposium in their auditorium. This heartwarming event saw the participation of over 30 individuals, including medical staff, spiritual counselors, and religious figures from various faiths such as Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, Christianity, and Buddhism. Fo Guang Shan New York Temple represented the Buddhist community exclusively. The hospital aimed for the event to bring warmth and support to the spirits of healthcare workers and patients, expressing hopes for future collaborations with Fo Guang Shan to provide spiritual comfort to Buddhist patients at the hospital. At the event, Venerable Youren was invited to recite in English the “Prayer for those Suffering from Illnesses” by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, and to invoke the compassion of Guanyin Bodhisattva for the speedy recovery of the patients. This was followed by the chanting of “Blia Four-Line Verse.” Subsequently, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders shared a common message: the spirit of faith is embodied in compassion and mutual aid, with the power of religion encouraging people to care for and assist each other, fostering a harmonious and integrated society. After the session, Venerable Youren engaged in exchanges with attendees, sharing Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s English book “Buddhism and Healing” and auspicious charms to form good connections. 12
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