Following the abrupt closure of Indigo Blue and departure of former Buddhist Chaplain Bruce Blair ’81, University Chaplain Sharon Kugler sent an email Tuesday to the University’s Buddhist community stating that her office will continue to offer support for Buddhist life at Yale.
Kugler said she has formed a “steering committee” comprised of Buddhist students to help develop new Buddhist programs at Yale during the transition period. The student steering committee will hold weekly meetings from Nov. 4 to Nov. 28.
The Branford Memorial Room will soon be restored as a Buddhist chapel, Kugler said, adding that the Chaplain’s Office is currently working to set up programs to replace those offered by Indigo Blue. Starting Wednesday, the Chaplain’s Office will offer Zen Buddhist meditation sessions led by Anne Duton, a staff member of the Yale Stress Center.
“We are deeply committed to creating a new and expansive program for Buddhist life at Yale and are dedicating significant resources to it,” Kugler said in the email. “This change may feel sudden, but it was carefully thought out. “
The email did not specify reasons for why the University terminated its relationship with Indigo Blue.
Friends of Indigo Blue, an organization formed to request more information about Indigo Blue’s closure, now has 100-150 members on its panlist, said Heshika Deegahawathura ’14, president of the Buddhist Advisory Board: Undergraduate at Yale.