Welcome to Kutumba, Volume 3
Namaste,
We are very happy to present the third issue of Kutumba, the journal of the Hindu Spiritual Care Institute (HSCI).
HSCI trains professionals from all fields for community service and for further studies towards Hindu Chaplaincy. Our objective is to provide spiritual care and compassionate services to the broader community, regardless of race, religion, ethnic background.
In this issue esteemed HSCI board members, Punit Mahendru and Mangala Kumar, discuss the significance of incorporating the words "Spiritual Care" into our name. Our new name accurately reflects our vision to develop trained chaplains and dedicated CHTs (Counselors of Hindu Tradition) to provide spiritual services for our community.
We include an article from Zachary Ginder, current scholar at both HSCI and GTU, who provides essential insights into addressing feelings of inadequacy that may plague care providers.
We are also excited to feature a comprehensive overview of the role of Hindu chaplains in different settings. Sanmay Mukhopadhyay (CHT 2021) illustrates the value that Dharmic scholars bring to the study and practice of chaplaincy. Deepali Kulkarni discusses how Hindu chaplains have a unique role in our society which is separate from the more traditional positions of guru or pujari. Our distinguished faculty members, Mukund Acharya and Dilip Amin, share their valuable experiences as Hindu chaplains and discuss how our readers can get involved in similarly serving the community.
We conclude this issue with Sreemala Setty's reflections on the cherished phrase "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" and how it can inspire us to live harmoniously.
We hope you enjoy reading the third issue of Kutumba, and we welcome your feedback.
Lakshmi Srinivasan, M.D.
Srinivasan is a practicing physician. She lives in Northern California with her husband and children. She is a 2022 graduate of the CHT course and enjoys serving as the chair of the Kutumba Editorial Board.