A Buddhist Approach to HIV Prevention and AIDS Care: A Training Manual for Monks, Nuns and Other Buddhist Leaders

In many countries of East Asia and the Pacific the ‘heart of the community’ is the place of worship, be it a mosque, temple, church or other sacred site. This is certainly true of Buddhist communities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and of Yunnan, the southernmost province of China. It is equally true that in the countries most affected by HIV and AIDS to date, religious leaders have taken a leading role in providing services to those affected, in caring for the ill, for those orphaned and widowed and in reducing community stigma and discrimination.

This manual has been designed to help facilitators to conduct workshops with Buddhist monks, nuns, novices, lay teachers and other leaders on the issues of HIV and AIDS. The workshop sessions apply Buddhist teachings to understand the suffering and challenges of communities facing the crisis of HIV and AIDS. It is based on the experience of working with and training Buddhist leaders in countries throughout South and South-East Asia.