Photo By Chief Petty Officer Spencer Fling | Lt. Piyaratana Hingulwala, a Buddhist chaplain at Recruit Training Command, leads a...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Backlit by a stained-glass window at the chapel entrance, Chaplain Piyaratana Hingulwala invites Navy recruits to meditate, reflect and refresh.
While similar scenes play out weekly at Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy’s only boot camp, this celebration is special. It is Day of Vesak, a sacred occasion for more than a half billion Buddhists around the world. The Vesak holiday marks the birth of Gautama Buddha – the father of Buddhism, who is responsible for its core teachings.
Hingulwala, from Sri Lanka, practices Theravada Buddhism, which is the oldest school for Buddhist traditions. He is the only active duty Navy Buddhist Chaplain. The ceremony, which was limited to 48 recruits to ensure proper social distancing due to COVID-19, included a PowerPoint presentation with information regarding Vesak.
“I think this is a very traditional service, but with this traditional ceremony or celebration, it allows us to be in the present moment and helps us to refresh,” Hingulwala said. “It is like reflection time. I am sure of recourse, and when I was doing the first service and at the end of the service, a lot of recourse. It is very peaceful and so calmed down because they are very stressed about this virus and stuff. They said they gained more peace and they need this more. I think peace and happiness; we try to get inner peace and happiness.”
The Vesak celebration is one the approximately 55 chapel services held each weekend, according to RTC Command Chaplain Commander Brian Jacobson. Chapel staff have taken a proactive approach to protecting the RTC mission and limit the potential spread of COVID-19.
“We went from four chaplain-led services and transitioned into an operational footprint,” Jacobson said. “The majority of our chapel services are taking place in the ships. The only ones that don't are like the Buddhist services we hold here in the chapel, because we need to be able to provide services to that faith group, which are spread throughout all the ships, but have smaller numbers overall.”
Jacobson noted the significance and uniqueness of the Vesak celebration held at RTC.
“We believe it's the only the (U.S. Navy) Vesak service that took place in the entire United States due to COVID-19,” Jacobson said. “Vesak is the celebration of Buddha's birthday, which is of historical significance, all the way back to the founding of Buddhism. Inside that, when you start thinking about the fact that this is the only Vesak celebration service inside the United States Navy that took place and you look at having the only active duty Buddhist [chaplain] in the chaplain corps uniquely here at RTC, it offers the significance that even though we're under COVID-19, we still celebrated this event in America. In that, we uplifted a freedom of religion service that is truly unique, and it speaks to the whole country during the hard time of our nation's pandemic.”
RTC Deputy Command Chaplain, Lt. Eric Brown spoke to the importance of the Vesak ceremony and the observing of all faiths.
“There are half a billion Buddhists in the world and so by celebrating the service we are joining in solidarity with all those who celebrate that faith and hold that faith and again providing religious freedom and rights to all those in the nation, which is why we wear the cloth of the nation,” Brown said.
Hingulwala received his Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training at a Veterans Administration hospital.
“When I was there, I was so interested about the veterans and service members,” Hingulwala said. “I thought these people are doing a great job for the country and to serve the world, so I wanted to give something back. That is the only purpose as to why I became a Chaplain.”
While attendance at this year’s Vesak celebration was limited, his usual weekly services drew more than 150 attendees, many of whom are not Buddhists.
“About 10-15 weekly are Buddhist,” Hingulwala said. “Most are from some other religion, or atheist, or people who are seeking spirituality or something. I always encourage them and always explain that Buddhism is not a religion. It is a philosophy and way of life. It doesn’t matter. Anybody can practice. I think all the religions have meditation-like traditions and in Buddhism we have our own traditions. We practice with Buddha and they practice with God or their higher power.”
This was the second Vesak ceremony at RTC for Hingulwala, who expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to share the celebration with others.
“This year, I think it is very successful because the staff helped me a lot,” Hingulwala said. “I really appreciate the [command leadership] and the head of our department, Chaplain Jacobson. All the chapel staff did a great job.”
Boot camp is approximately eight weeks and all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness, seamanship, firearms, firefighting and shipboard damage control along with lessons in Navy heritage and core values, teamwork and discipline. More than 35,000 recruits are trained annually at RTC and begin their Navy careers.
For more news from Recruit Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/rtc
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2020 19:53 |
| Story ID: | 370613 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 257 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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