Kusala Bhikshu
Kusala Ratana Karuna (Birth name, Carl H. Kohlhoff; born April 3, 1949) is an American-born Buddhist monk. He was ordained a novice monk in 1994 and given the name, Kusala Ratana Karuna. On November 16, 1996 Kusala was given his full ordination in the Vietnamese Zen tradition at the I.B.M.C. and given the name of Thich Tam Thien.[1]
Biography[edit]
Born in Iowa City, Iowa, Kusala lived in Phoenix, Arizona and Milwaukee, Wisconsin before moving to Los Angeles, California in 1969. Kusala began his exploration of Buddhism in the Sri Lankan tradition with Ahangama Dhammarama at Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara in Hollywood. There, in 1979, he met Shinzen Young, then Vice Abbot of the International Buddhist Meditation Center, who invited him to come study at the center in Koreatown. Kusala learned samatha meditation and attended retreats conducted by Shinzen. After reading the Dhammapada, he became interested in Theravada and began studying with Dr. Havanpola Ratanasara at Dharma Vijaya Buddhist Vihara. Kusala received a B.A. in Buddhist Studies in 1996 at the College of Buddhist Studies–Los Angeles (1983-2003) under the tutelage of Dr. Ratanasara.
Kusala lives at the International Buddhist Mediation Center in Koreatown, where he was offered a staff position in 1994 by Karuna Dharma, (Abbess, 1980-2012). As Head Monk, Kusala cares for the grounds along with Abbot, Havanpola Shanti, and facilitates meditation, discussion groups, and Sunday services. He also cares for lost and homeless cats.
Kusala’s full biography is archived at the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Oral History Research (UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library, Special Collections).
Community Service[edit]
Kusala's community service spans more than two decades.
He was the first Buddhist police chaplain in California, the second of only two in the U.S. in 2001. He served with the Garden Grove Police Department for seven years.[2]
Beginning in 2000, Kusala provided patient spiritual care at Los Angeles hospitals and lectured at national medical conferences about end-of-life care. He served on the Cedar Sinai Hospital Spiritual Care Committee and, until 2012, Kusala was a member of the UCLA Medical Center Spiritual Care Committee.[3]
In addition to his many lectures at local elementary and high schools, Kusala is known for his music, and has taught blues harmonica to youth on probation through the auspices of Los Angeles County Central Juvenile Hall.[4] Kusala has taught the English-speaking children of Vietnamese immigrants, as director of the UCLA University Buddhist Association, and at Southern California temples.[5][6]
Kusala Bhikshu is a member of the Buddhist-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Los Angeles and the Monastic Inter-religious Dialogue.[7]
External Links[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Monastics, Dharma Teachers, and Staff". International Buddhist Meditation Center. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- ↑ Lobdell, William (Jan 16, 2001). "Police Chaplain Program is Keeping Many Faiths". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ↑ Karpf; Ferguson; Swift; Lazarus (2008). Restoring Hope:Decent Care in the Midst of HIV/AIDS. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0230223389.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) Search this book on
- ↑ Stern, Gary (2007). Can God Intervene? How Religion Explains Natural Disasters. Praeger. pp. 192–94. ISBN 0275989585. Search this book on
- ↑ Tsai, Peijean (Jan 14, 2003). ""Students Resurrect campus Buddhism"". The Daily Bruin. Retrieved Nov 7, 2017.
- ↑ Napoli, Lisa (Aug 9, 2010). ""American Buddhist Monk for Vietnamese Immigrants",". Public Radio International. Retrieved Nov 7, 2017.
- ↑ Ryan, Thomas (2007). "Buddhist and Catholic Monks Talk about Celibacy". Buddhist-Christian Studies. 27: 143–45.
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