The Tufts University Chaplaincy has hired Ven. Vineetha Mahayaye as its new Buddhist Chaplain, a role focused on supporting Tufts’ Buddhist community and organizing educational programming around Buddhist teachings. A monk from Sri Lanka and a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, Mahayaye officially started his new role Monday.
“I am confident that Ven. Vineetha will have a transformative impact at Tufts and with the Buddhist Chaplaincy because of his experiences and his dedication to fostering a vibrant, inclusive spiritual community,” Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger, university chaplain, wrote in an email to the Daily.
Mahayaye, who began his monastic training at age 10, holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, a master’s degree in Buddhist studies from the University of Hong Kong and a master’s of divinity degree from the Harvard Divinity School. As a field education intern with the Tufts University Chaplaincy from 2021–22, he organized an installation featuring student artwork inspired by Buddha’s teachings.
“I really enjoyed the chaplaincy world. [It] felt very energetic, refreshing … I was very challenged by every moment,” Mahayaye said.
According to Winger, the search committee for the new Buddhist chaplain prioritized candidates with “a strong commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for the culturally diverse and pluralistic Tufts Buddhist community while also contributing to the Chaplaincy’s broader multi faith programming.”
“Our search committee selected Ven. Vineetha for this position because of his exceptional combination of experience, skills, and deep commitment to higher education chaplaincy,” Winger wrote. “His prior experience with the Tufts Chaplaincy during his field education year highlighted his ability to work effectively with students and chaplains from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.”
In his new role, Mahayaye is responsible for leading the Buddhist Chaplaincy, which officially started at Tufts in 2014. His position involves building on existing programs such as Monday mindfulness meditation sessions, weekly Dhamma discussions and special events including Buddha Day. Through this work, Mahayaye hopes to welcome students from a range of religious and spiritual backgrounds, regardless of their familiarity with Buddhism.
“My job is to help all these students, regardless of whether they are Buddhist or non-Buddhist,” he said. “Whoever wants to meditate, whoever wants to learn Buddhist practices, Buddhist traditions … my job is to help them in a way that this message is approachable to everyone.”
One of the most rewarding parts of this work is when the students are able to see themselves in Buddhist teachings, Mahayaye said.
“Through these stories, … [students] are finding Buddhism within themselves,” he said. “[These] are life stories. These stories are very, very [alive] and very, very interesting, and we can see ourselves through these stories.”
Mahayaye’s priorities include tailoring program schedules to student availability, fostering personal connections with students and understanding their individual backgrounds and needs. He also hopes to plan informal gatherings such as tea ceremonies for students to socialize and build a stronger sense of community.
“This position means so much to me because it is not just a job; it is journeys with other people. It is [the] lives of other people. It is … helping the students to find themselves. I think that is the most beautiful thing in this chaplaincy,” Mahayaye said. “So there are no right or wrong answers. But the right is humanity. Being human is the right.”
The University Chaplaincy will host a welcome dinner for Mahayaye at Goddard Chapel on Wednesday.
