Title:New Dharmic Life director makes space for all

Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya joined Georgetown as the director of Dharmic Life last August following her time as Hindu chaplain at Emory University. She sat down with Georgetown Magazine to share her impression of the student community so far, her perspective as one of Georgetown’s three woman chaplains, and what she hopes to do with her role.

What drew you to Georgetown?

Georgetown was on my radar because as Dharmic Life grew, it didn’t form a monolithic entity; it continued to maintain the plurality of the different communities it represents. I was curious to experience it.

What’s your impression of the community so far?

Dharmic Life includes, but is not limited to, the Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist communities as well as our Queer Dharma student group. It’s wonderful to see how the students operate on a day-to-day basis, what they’re looking for in their gatherings, and what’s meaningful to them. But it’s also been a lot because there are five different student groups representing a variety of traditions.

It’s a welcome challenge for me to navigate the fact that I too represent one tiny little branch in this garden of different traditions. So I try to offer space for people to lean into their own traditions in an authentic way.

What is it like being a woman Dharmic chaplain?

It’s always a good sign when an institution is not just open to hiring a woman in a religious space, but actually does it. As I was interviewing, it was reassuring to see other women chaplains at Georgetown.

But it comes with challenges because some are not used to seeing a woman in a Dharmic leadership position, especially in traditions where only men have held such positions. But now that I’m in the space, I hope my presence and work will contribute toward efforts to normalize this role for women.

Have you been to any events that were especially inspiring or enlightening? The Queer Dharma group hosted a panel with a few Campus Ministry chaplains where they asked us how our traditions understand and make space for the queer community. I love that this kind of conversation can take place at Georgetown.

Do you have a favorite sacred space on campus? The Dharmic Meditation Center. It’s a space I’ve inherited and the previous director did such an incredible job. When you walk in, you really feel transported back to something very familiar—it feels like home.

What’s your goal for the future?

My goal really is to continue to get to know our students, to make room for their spiritual exploration, and uplift what it is that they’re bringing to this space.