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Help a Struggling Dharma Student

Namaste!!

Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California now has a full time live in Dharma program for lay people (Non Monastics). It is a 3 month minimum program and costs approximately $250 a month. Contact Brother Phap Tree at Deer Park Monastery. Phone: 760-291-1003 for more information. Keep in mind that in this program you will be living, working and eating with the monks, and expected to participate in all meditations and community work assignments PLUS Dharma study programs.

As of July 2008, Southern Dharma Retreat Center in Hot Springs, North Carolina, near Asheville, 828-622-7112 was looking to fill a full time PAID cook, retreat manager, and grounds manager positions, for immediate employment. Includes generous salary PLUS room and board. This is THE opportunity of a life time. Check them out and contact the manager there.

The following links will take you to centers that have work study programs.

Karme Choling Tibetan Shambhala Buddhist Meditation Center - Barnet, Vermont

Expanding Light Yoga Retreat Center - Grass Valley, California

Yogaville Retreat Center - Buckingham, Virginia

Mount Madonna Yoga Center - Santa Cruz, California

Yoga Oasis - Hawaii, Big Island

Most of these centers charge $200 - $250 a month and offer you Meditation and/or Yoga daily PLUS room and Board - all for only a couple hundred dollars per month. They also ask you to volunteer/work 3-5 hours a day, but the whole idea of living at a center is COMMUNITY.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact these centers or ME. I will gladly advise you regarding the programs at these centers. Please post a link to this page on any chat groups or any other internet locations. The following locations have PAID intern and Staff positions open every year.

Southern Dharma Spiritual Retreat Center - Hot Springs, North Carolina

Cloud Mountain Buddhist Retreat Center - Castle Rock, Washington

Insight Meditation Society - Barre, MA

Please keep in mind that though a center may tell you the position is filled, SOME people do not stay at a remote mountain retreat, as these centers are. They leave before the year is up and the center will need an IMMEDIATE fill-in. Therefore I advise you to apply to these centers and keep in touch often. I find more centers all time, please contact me for updates. Some very good publications to help you find communities and centers are:

Care Taker Gazette This online and print Magazine has hundreds of Caretaker AND other live-in positions. many are paid and I have found some Great new centers to go to from Gary's publication. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Communities Magazine This is another good link. They have ALL the communities listed. You can search for type's of Communities, Location's, etc.

FindtheDivine Web Site This is a good list of Retreat centers AND positions. Check it out.

Don't forget all the Buddhist, Yoga and Spiritual magazines at your local book store. Go to the back of the magazine and look for centers. You do NOT have to wait for them to post an opening, contact them NOW. Ask if they have an opening. I did just that and was offered a job in COSTA RICA!! Go for it!

Good luck!
Jim