By Leslie Shepherd
The inaugural Wutai Shan Venerable Dayi Professor in Buddhist Spiritual Care at Victoria University's Emmanuel College will be Dr. Jennifer Bright, an assistant professor of Buddhist spiritual care and counselling since 2023.
“I am feeling joyful and immensely grateful for this transformative and historic gift,” Bright said. “Venerable Dayi’s vision of Buddhist education in spiritual care and psychotherapy speaks to the values of wisdom and compassion in pragmatic and concrete ways that will benefit many people.”
The endowed professorship will allow Bright to enhance integrating Buddhist principles with therapeutic practices, to do more research and attract more students. She will also mentor students in the Master of Psychospiritual Studies program, preparing them to become chaplains, counsellors, and spiritual care leaders in hospitals, educational institutions, senior homes, prisons, other public institutions, and in Buddhist temples.
The Buddhist Association of Canada has pledged $3 million to endow the professorship, the first in Canada for Buddhist spiritual care. It was the largest gift Emmanuel College has ever received.
“The gift was particularly timely, as Emmanuel College is celebrating the 10th anniversary this academic year of the creation of the Buddhist focus for its Master of Psychospiritual Studies program, joining the Christian and Muslim foci,’ said Principal HyeRan Kim-Cragg. “Emmanuel is the only academic institution in Canada to offer a fully accredited program in Buddhist spiritual care.”
The professorship is named after the Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden, which officially opened to the public in April 2024. It also honours Venerable Dayi Shi for his contributions as president of the Buddhist Association of Canada and abbot of Wutai Shan Buddhist Garden.
Bright, who is also a licensed psychotherapist, will assume the professorship on July 1, 2025.
Venerable Dayi expressed his joy, noting that Bright also serves as an instructor at the Buddhist College of Canada.
“This appointment will undoubtedly strengthen the collaboration with Emmanuel College,” he said. “Professor Bright will continue to share the wisdom and compassion of Buddhism through spiritual care, benefiting people from all walks of life.”
Bright holds a PhD from U of T’s Department for the Study of Religion and the Collaborative Program in Women’s Health at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and a Master of Pastoral Studies from Emmanuel College. Her doctoral work focused on Tibetan Buddhism and medicine, and she made several trips to China, India, and Nepal. Bright’s current research involves Buddhist spiritual care and counselling, moral injury and Buddhist approaches to truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
With this gift, Emmanuel strengthens and deepens its partnership and collaboration with the Buddhist Association of Canada.
In February 2024, the Buddhist Association of Canada announced a $50,000 gift to create The Venerable Dayi Shi Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to two Emmanuel College students pursuing studies with a Buddhist focus.
Emmanuel and the Buddhist College of Canada, which is affiliated with the Buddhist Association of Canada, also kicked off a joint non-degree continuing education program this fall under the Centre for Religion and Its Contexts.