Ji Hyang Padma

Core Candidate Associate Professor

EDUCATION:

Doctor of Philosophy, Psychology, Institute for Transpersonal Psychology/Sofia University

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS:

Master of Divinity

COURSES TAUGHT:

Introduction to Spiritual Care / Contemplative Communication in Spiritual Caregiving / Ethics in Spiritual Caregiving / Zen Buddhism

Dr. Ji Hyang Padma has done intensive Zen training and teaching for over twenty-five years as a scholar- practitioner, fourteen years in monastic training. She has received Lay Entrustment Transmission in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. She has served Tufts University, Northeastern University, Wellesley College, Brandeis University, and Babson University as a chaplain. She has served as Meditation Teacher in Residence at Omega Institute for seventeen years. Ji Hyang Padma directed the Comparative Religion and Philosophy Program at California Institute for Human Science. She has written two books, Living the Season: Zen practice for transformative times, and Field of Blessing: Ritual and consciousness in the work of Buddhist healers. She holds a B.A. degree from Wellesley College and a PhD degree from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. She is also an MBSR teacher and reiki practitioner and enjoys facilitating restorative justice circles on issues of race and gender.

During the pandemic, Ji Hyang Padma served as chaplain resident at UCSF Medical Center. Ji Hyang’s recent writing has been published in Our Neighbor’s Faith: Stories of Interfaith Encounters and Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work. Her book, Zen Practices for Transformative Times, was published by Quest. Her next book, Sourcebook of Buddhist College Chaplaincy, will be published by Sumeru in 2025.

PUBLICATIONS:

Books

  • Padma, J. Field of Blessings: Ritual and Consciousness in the Work of Buddhist Healers. March 2021: Mantra Books.
  • Padma, J. Living the Season: Zen Practices for Transformative Times. October 2013. Quest Books.

Articles & Essays

  • “The Growing Edges of Community: Crossing the Race Line” in Four Winds Journal, Orenda Healing International. New York: Fall, 2018.
  • “Meditations on the Heart Sutra.” In From Text to Life: Religious Resources for Interreligious Engagement, ed. Orr Rose and Soren Hesslet. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, Fall 2017.
  • “College Chaplaincy.” In Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work ed. Cheryl A. Giles and Willa B. Miller. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2012.
  • “Practicing in the Temples of Human Experience.” In My Neighbor’s Faith, ed. Jennifer Howe Peace, Orr Rose and Gregory Mobley. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2012.
  • “Buddhism as a Pluralistic Tradition.” In Education as Transformation, ed. Victor Kazanjian and Peter Laurence. New York: Peter Lang, 2000.

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

“*” indicates required fields

Search Naropa University

Search

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Naropa Logo

Naropa Campuses Closed on Friday, March 15, 2024

Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024.  All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.

Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.

As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.  

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.  Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.