Namaste from HSCI: We Are Well on Our Way!
I would like to begin with a hearty welcome to our guest of honor, Acharya Arumuganathan Swami ji and the HSCI 2024 Karma Yoga honorees, Drs Mihir Meghani ji and Mukund Acharya ji.
Next I am delighted to congratulate the 2024 HSCI graduates of the Hindu Chaplaincy Pathway (HCP) and Counselor of Hindu Tradition (CHT) courses and GTU's Interreligious Chaplaincy Pathway (ICP) course. I also take this opportunity to express deep gratitude to the HSCI Board, faculty, functional leaders, and donors. I convey my deepest gratitude to the 300-participants worldwide who constitute the HSCI Sangha today.
It all started about 10-years ago with a constructive dialog among a small Silicon Valley group of Hindus about sustainable ways forward for the Hindu tradition to thrive outside India. We concluded that the introduction of spiritual care and chaplaincy is much needed and must be started at a modest level. In 2018, HSCI (then HCI) started the foundational CHT course in Hindu spiritual care, with world class faculty, LMS system, facilities and graduation requirements. The first cohort attracted and successfully graduated over 25 in 2019. The program then went global and has attracted top professionals to become Hindu counselors and helped many to pursue Hindu chaplaincy.
We are well on our way to creating a global network of 108 Hindu chaplains and 1008 Hindu counselors by 2027, supported by the HCRC knowledge and guidance center.
In 2024, we celebrate the graduation of the 6th cohort of HSCI, taking us to 200 Hindu counselors in 6-countries. We also celebrate:
- Recognition of 8-pioneers who have completed the requirements to become Hindu chaplains. These are the trail blazers in our quest to build a global network of spiritual care providers.
- The HSCI-GTU cooperation in advancing inter religious chaplaincy and excellence in training.
- Launch of the Hindu Chaplaincy Resource Center (HCRC) with its services of knowledge assets, Kutumba Journal and Traya, the tele-chaplaincy platform of HSCI.
I conclude by restating our aspiration of creating a global network of 108 Hindu chaplains and 1008 Hindu counselors by 2027, supported by the HCRC knowledge and guidance center.
We are well on our way!
Kailash Joshi, PhD, DSc(Hon)
Kailash Joshi, PhD, retired IBM division GM, is the President and co-founder of HSCI. He takes great pride in the team work behind the growth and success of HSCI, world's first institution for Hindu spiritual care. He is a co-founder of TiE (www.TiE.org) and AIF (www.aifoundation.org) and has helped build half a dozen other public service and educational institutions. Kailash holds a BE degree from IISC, Bangalore, MS degree from Washington State University, PhD degree from Cornell University and DSc (Hon.) from Garhwal University, India.