A Two-day Workshop on Suicide Prevention
with Rev. Jotetsu Nemoto
Rinzai Zen Monk
Abbot of Daizen-ji Temple, Gifu,Japan
In 1998, the suicide rate in Japan exploded with the Asia currency crisis that began the year before. For over thirteen consecutive years it remained more than 30,000 per year—in the space of a little more than a decade over 400,000 Japanese died of suicide, a silent war that did not make international headlines.
In the early years of this pandemic, a young Zen monk emerged from his 6-year hermitage to enter deeply into the work of supporting those who wanted to die. Using his own existential instincts and the insights gained from six years of intensive Zen practice, he began connecting with the lost, disconnected, and suicidal via social media. Eventually, his work expanded to gatherings of such persons at various locations including his temple where he developed a workshop called tabidachi or The Departure. Simulating the process of letting go of possessions, relationships, and identity during the stages of terminal cancer, he discovered a powerful therapeutic tool to not only work with the suicidal but for anyone concerned with examining the meaning of their lives and confronting the grief of loved ones who have passed away.
This two-day workshop will offer 3 main components
- suicide prevention counseling skills drawn from Rev. Nemoto’s two decades of experience working with the suicidal both as individuals and in group contexts.
- ritual healing for bereaved families through specially designed funeral and memorial services called tsuito-hoyo
- the experience of the tabidachi workshop for participants to explore their own relationship with death as well as learn the method of the workshop.
This is the first time Rev. Nemoto has taught outside of Japan in a language other than his native Japanese. It is a precious opportunity to examine the meaning of “this precious life”. For more on Rev. Nemoto, click here, and more on the movement of Japanese priests fighting suicide & self-death, click here.
Participants: Limited to 20-25 monastics, both male and female, from Thailand and Myanmar
Date: March 10-11, 2025
- Participants are expected to arrive the evening of the 9th and depart no earlier than the morning of the 12th to fully experience the contents of the workshop
Location: Wongsanit Ashram, Nakorn Nayok, Thailand
Tentative Schedule:
Day 1
5:00 Morning instruction in “seated Zen” (zazen) with chanting of the Heart Sutra
6:30 breakfast
8:30 Opening Session
- participants self introduction & expectation
- Rev. Nemoto discusses his life path and work, Q&A with participants
9:45 tea break
10:00 Workshop: Funerals and rituals for suicides and their bereaved families
11:30 lunch
14:00 Workshop: Ritual healing for bereaved families
17:00 finish
17:30 herbal sauna
19:00 Evening zazen followed by viewing of the movie The Departure (90 mins) Nemoto’s life and work with Q&A
21:30 finish
Day 2
5:00 Morning instruction in “seated Zen” (zazen) with chanting of the Heart Sutra
6:30 breakfast
8:30 Group work on future plans and activities
11:30 lunch
13:00 Tabidachi workshop
18:00 break
19:00 evening reflection
This is the first of an ongoing series in Buddhist chaplaincy for Theravadin monastics in the region. Upcoming workshops will feature:
- Gender violence and social inclusivity counseling with Ouyporn Khuankaew
- End of Life Care with Phra Phaisan Visalo
- Energetic regulation and healing to activate Buddha Dhamma with Ven. Zinai
JNEB 