The IMC Karuna Council (formerly the Chaplaincy Council) is comprised of senior IMC members who, as volunteers, provide pastoral Dharma support to individuals in the wider IMC community in times of major life transitions.
The Council provides support for individuals and family during times of serious illness and dying. Also, whenever possible, Council members are available to officiate weddings, funerals and memorial services.
The Karuna Council is not intended to respond to urgent medical or psychiatric needs and is not a substitute for appropriate professional assistance.
Members
Karuna Council coordinator: Shelley Gault
Vanessa Able, Jim Bronson, David Cohn, Rebecca Dixon, Susan Ezequelle, Andrea Fella, Ines Freedman, Gil Fronsdal, Berget Jelane, Ronna Kabatznick, Jennifer Lemas, Judy Long, Dawn Neal, Judith Randall, Maria Straatmann, and Tanya Wiser.
To Request Support
Send an email to Karuna Council (preferred), or leave a voicemail message at (650) 599-3456.
Other Resources
- Dharma Questions: Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella receive many email requests for advice from people far away who have heard their talks on Audio Dharma. They are not able to respond personally to all of these. For this kind of question, email dharmaquestions@insightmeditationcenter.org. IMC Dharma Leaders and long-time practitioners will respond.
- Listen: Dying in the Dharma: A 3-part series of talks by Gil Fronsdal on the practical aspects of dying as a Buddhist: preparing for death, practices for dying, Buddhist understanding of death, handling of the body after death, death rituals and funerals.
- Read: Theravada Approach to Spiritual Care of the Dying and the Dead (PDF)