A Lasting Ripple Effect
With longtime support from The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Global, the Buddhist Ministry Initiative at HDS has already had ripple effects on education in Buddhist ministry and Buddhist studies that will continue to be felt in the field for years to come.
In 2022, Harvard Divinity School celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Buddhist Ministry Initiative—and 10 years of building robust connections to Buddhist ministerial movements throughout Asia with the support of international fellows. Early on, the initiative legitimized courses on Buddhist chaplaincy and Buddhist approaches to trauma, resilience, and care for the dying. And with each year, the initiative cultivates a growing network of faculty and other leaders engaged in ministerial and educational initiatives relating to Buddhism in the modern world. As more fellows and students participate, the network of Buddhist field education sites continues to grow. Last year, the Buddhist Ministry Initiative inspired separate funding for the development of public-facing professional development workshops for college mental health and wellness staff. In its first decade of existence, the initiative has greatly extended the local, national, and global reach of Buddhist ministry studies.
A transformative part of that impact has been inspiring multireligious ministry programs in other traditions—including the Visiting Hindu Monastics program and interest in expanding into Islamic approaches to chaplaincy. In a recent conversation, Phillip Henderson, CEO of The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Global, shared his thoughts on the Foundation’s legacy through the Buddhist Ministry Initiative.
HDS: Could you tell us about the legacy that the Foundation aims to build through its philanthropic support?
Phillip Henderson: Philanthropic support to a variety of endeavors around the world is part of what the Ho family does now, as they have done for four generations. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the original giving was local to the community of Hong Kong. As the family and their geographic presence has changed and evolved, the philanthropy has changed and evolved as well.
The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation as we know it today is about 25 years old. Robert H.N. Ho, after whom the Foundation is named, is the third generation of the family’s philanthropy legacy. Robert Y.C., his eldest son, and Kevin Y.K., his youngest, currently lead the organization. The Foundation’s focus is to make a difference in the world—both serving the immediate needs of their local community while also thinking more broadly about the values that the family carries. These values are guided by the Buddhist orientation of the Ho family.
HDS: Could you share a bit about those values and what inspires this giving?
Henderson: The Foundation especially draws inspiration from, and is largely concerned with, the interconnectedness of beings—as well as the interconnectedness of many shared issues, which span everything from helping children who are stuck in challenging circumstances due to conflict and war, to animal welfare, to giving in the arts, and long-standing giving in support of Buddhist studies. With respect to HDS, this includes Buddhist ministry.
“It’s pretty evident to me the ripple effect of the recipients of the fellowship, those who encounter them, and the places that are later impacted by these individuals.”—CEO Phillip Henderson
These areas are all born of the family’s deeper Buddhist values and deeper sense of interconnectedness. When we think about the Foundation’s impact, we always keep in mind that we’re small compared to the challenges of the world. So, we’re always looking for places where we can invest over time and create some important change. And often, that is through investing in leadership—investing in people who themselves take on that mantle of leadership. The Buddhist Ministry Initiative is an example of pursuing that goal.
HDS: This year, with the support of the Foundation, HDS students visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the course “The Museum as a Buddhist Institution” taught by Professor Charles Hallisey. The students saw a major show of Indian Buddhist art, which also happened to be funded through the Foundation. Can you talk a bit about the Foundation’s interest in art and religion?
Henderson: Historically, we have had two pillars of our giving: 1) Buddhism and Buddhist studies and 2) contemporary and traditional Chinese art. Those were the two areas of principal giving for the Foundation over its first decade or more. In the most recent decade, we have been seeing opportunities to connect the Buddhism world and the art world through Buddhist art. And, so, we’ve given a number of gifts, particularly to major museums, to help them show, expand, display, and research their Buddhist art collections. The show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one example of that—Tree & Serpent, which was an examination of early Buddhist art in India. It was a beautiful thing that we were able to bring Professor Hallisey’s class to the exhibition and connect those two worlds.
HDS: With the support of the Foundation, the Buddhist Ministry Initiative has revolutionized and expanded the teaching and learning of Buddhist ministry at Harvard and across the globe. What about this work is the Foundation most proud of?
Henderson: One is the people who have been influenced directly by the Buddhist Ministry Initiative—the international fellows and the students who meet them. It’s pretty evident to me the ripple effect of the recipients of the fellowship, those who encounter them, and the places that are later impacted by these individuals. Having this occur in a layered way over the past 12 years enhances the scope of this impact. It’s also exciting to hear how the initiative has contributed to shifts in thinking about non-Christian religions at HDS. The presence of the initiative has shaped both the relationship between Buddhism and Christianity, but also Buddhism and other religions—including acting as a model for ministry education programs for other religious traditions like Islam and Hinduism. That’s exciting because that’s hard to do, and it requires patience and persistence. Finally, a part of the reason to invest in HDS is the influence that the School has among divinity schools and beyond in North America and around the world. That’s not something you can always get from funding for a year or two. You really have to invest over time to see that impact, which we have been grateful to see with the Foundation’s support.
Creating New Pathways: the Buddhist Ministry Initiative at HDS
Since the start of the Buddhist Ministry Initiative, the field of Buddhist studies at HDS has expanded exponentially. Prior to 2013, news stories and publications about Buddhism from the HDS community were few and far between. In recent years, a number of influential publications have made their way into the world, including Poems of the First Buddhist Women, translated by Charles Hallisey, Black and Buddhist, a series of essays co-edited by Cheryl Giles, and an expansive e-book, Mapping Buddhist Chaplains in North America, co-authored by Cheryl Giles and Monica Sanford.
Of the 23 visiting fellows who have come to Cambridge, roughly 50 percent have applied to full degree programs at HDS, strengthening the field of Buddhist studies by way of student and alumni communities. One such scholar is Ven. Mahayaye Vineetha, a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka, who participated in the Buddhist Ministry Initiative program in 2018. The following year, he began a master’s program in Buddhist studies at the University of Hong Kong, and later returned to Cambridge to complete his MDiv degree at HDS in 2019. Trained in the Theravada tradition, Vineetha wanted to study other Buddhist traditions and religious beliefs to inform his own practices.
“Studying at Harvard Divinity School would have been just a dream without the Buddhist Ministry fellowship opportunity,” he reflects. “In Pali Canon, it says ‘Sabba danam dhamma danam jinati,’ which means ‘the gift of Dhamma (teachings) excels all other gifts.’ Support for this program is to give the gift of Dhamma to Buddhist monks like me so that I can share Dhamma with the world. That is the highest gift that one can offer, according to my understanding.”
Excerpt from “On Containing Multitudes: Multifaith Ministry at HDS” (2023)
HDS welcomes the opportunity to talk about ways to support ministry studies, including how gifts can be made over time. Please connect with Associate Dean for Development and External Relations Lori Stevens to learn more about how to make an impact.
—By Suzannah Lutz, ALM ’21