Bodhiyana Buddhist Chaplain Fellowship (BBCF) conducted its second lay ordination ceremony at the Banya Temple in LA on March 9th, enabling three American Buddhists to become Buddhist chaplains. The Banya Temple in LA plans to continue conducting these ceremonies to facilitate more American Buddhists in their practice.

BBCF, Venerable Mugu as CEO, was established in 2022 as a nonprofit organization blending Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese Buddhist traditions together. Each year, BBCF holds a lay ordination ceremony for American Buddhists and provides guidance for them to sustain their Buddhist practice and become chaplains. There are a of total seven American Buddhists ordained from the ceremonies of last year as well as this year. At monthly sangha meetings, members are taught meditation and Buddhist scriptures. As well, in addition to the annual lay ordination ceremony, temple stay programs are organized.

Ven. Mugwu serves as a chaplain at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH) in LA, counseling patients to make their hospital stays more comfortable. He works towards globalizing Korean Buddhism by conducting lay ordination ceremonies for American Buddhists, encouraging them to continue their Buddhist practice and become chaplains.