Zen Buddhist chaplains offer something to modern healthcare

On my other blog, Live a Beautiful Story, I recently posted an entry about the Zen chaplaincy at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. In light of the current national discussion on healthcare reform, perhaps everyone at the table should keep in mind the spiritual dimension as well.

"Good morning, Laser Monks, greetings and peace"

This story in the New York Times shows the overlap of ancient and modern in a religious setting of current-day Wisconsin. The Cistercian monks maintain practices of monastic life--simple work, daily prayer (much in Latin, even) several times a day, and quiet self-dedication.

On the other hand, the monks support themselves in a completely modern way. They (along with two lay women who run the day-to-day operations) sell computer printer ink jet and toner cartridges over the internet.

This past weekend, my aunt and I were discussing the entrepreneurial endeavors of some in the Amish communities of Minnesota. Similar to the monks, some Amish workers have taken up more value-added enterprises to support themselves. Even without computer-based businesses, the Amish enterprises can stretch their simple lifestyles by incorporating electricity, motor vehicles, and telephones to produce high-end furniture or specialty cheeses, for example.