Southern Dharma welcomes committed practitioners to join us on site as Residents, for periods of 6-8 weeks throughout the year. Residents engage in practice, community building, personal time, and service to the Center.
Each Resident is expected to complete one or more personal projects designed to benefit the Center and/or the Dharma, in addition to supporting ongoing residential community activities (cleaning, cooking, facilities maintenance, groundskeeping) in line with their physical capacities and skills.
Applicants must have completed at least one multi-day meditation retreat, in any practice tradition. Experience in self-guided meditation practice and community living are also required. Exposure to Buddhist teachings and teachers is strongly recommended.
There is no set fee for participation in this program, though dana will be gratefully accepted. Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
Ideal candidates for this opportunity will:
* Be committed meditation practitioners
* Be available to live on site at Southern Dharma for a minimum of 6 weeks (longer stays preferred)
* Be offered free room and board for the duration of the residency
* Choose one or more specific projects of interest (either from the sample list or of one’s own creation) that benefit the Center or the Dharma to work on for the duration of the residency
* Plan to offer an average of ~10 hours per week focused on the selected project (though weekly hours may vary and cumulative hours will be considered)
* Plan to offer an additional ~10 hours per week on community support, e.g. cooking, cleaning, mowing and weed eating, etc. depending on their ability & interest
Sample project list:
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- Researching up-and-coming dharma teachers for future retreat teachers
- Facilities/grounds projects - carpentry, grounds tending, etc.
- Kitchen projects - food preservation, improving meal prep and serving systems, etc.
- Evaluating available racial justice-based curricula for sanghas and retreat centers
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Interested in becoming one of Southern Dharma’s Residents? Fill out the interest form here.
Finalists will be invited to interview with the staff. Southern Dharma is committed to creating an inclusive community of individuals of different backgrounds, gender identities, races, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages.
If you'd like to live and work at Southern Dharma for a shorter period of time, we also offer a volunteer opportunity to those who are able to commit at least 3 weeks of time on site.