Reverend Beth Kanji Goldring

USA

Reverend Beth Kanji Goldring was born in the United States. Prior to her ordination she worked as a university teacher of humanities (1973-82) and in human rights both in the United States and in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (1986-93). She was also a Bunting Fellow at Radcliffe University (1993-4). Beth came to Asia in 1995 and has been working in Cambodia since 1996. She founded Brahmavihara/ Cambodia AIDS Project in 2000.

Beth's root tradition is Japanese Zen. Her primary teacher was Maurine Stuart Roshi, who died in 1990. Beth's Dharma Sister, Susan Jion Postal, ordained Beth on Maurine's behalf in 1995, just before Beth came to Asia. Beth studied Reiki with Glynn DeBrocky and Tibetan Lojong with B. Alan Wallace. She currently studies Mahasi Vipassana with Gil Fronsdal, who is also a transmitted teacher in the San Francisco Zen Center lineage. Many of Gil's dharma talks, and some of Beth's, may be found on the Insight Meditation Center Redwood City website, in their audio Dharma section.

Beth founded Brahmavihara/ Cambodia AIDS Project in 2000 to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of destitute AIDS patients in Cambodia, those unable to access more traditional spiritual care. Since then the project has grown to include not only spiritual and emotional support (meditation, chanting, Reiki, Healing Touch, and counseling), but also social services and some material needs. The staff of nine persons, including Beth, work with some 200 patients in their homes, in hospices and in hospitals. Their website is www.brahmavihara.cambodiaaidsproject.org.