Mangalam Centers Learn - Nyingma Volunteer Program

Classes Resident volunteers living at Nyingma Institute attend evening classes which include an ongoing curriculum of Buddhist education in meditation, Buddhist studies, Tibetan Yoga, Buddhist Psychology and more. Volunteers may take advantage of one and two-year certificate programs which offer a deeper knowledge and experience of Buddhist practice in daily life. See the Nyingma Institute class schedule for descriptions and details of classes. Classes are held year-round in 4 ten week quarters.

Volunteers are not required to attend all classes but we do expect participation in at least 2 evening classes per week as part of your commitment.

We request that accepted volunteers plan their arrival dates near the beginning of the class quarters - January, mid-March, June, September and October.

Community Life Living in community asks that we are responsible not only to ourselves but to the whole. All residents are expected to be on time for work, classes and other activities and to complete community chores outside of work time. While Mangalam and Nyingma Institute do not function as a traditional monastic community, Buddhist principles such as appropriate behavior toward others, cleanliness, and not harming animals or insects are upheld. Residents are asked to respect simple practices such as observing essential speech while working, wearing modest clothing even in hot weather and removing outdoor shoes in certain indoor areas. The community setting coupled with challenging work and spiritual goals encourage the development of valuable qualities which can enrich one's life such as self-reliance, inner discipline, flexibility and willingness to work cooperatively with others.

We are seeking volunteers who wish to take advantage of the unique environment by participating in classes and utilizing free time for meditation practice, reading and study, participating in sacred art projects or developing new skills.

Sacred Art Projects Nyingma Institute actively engages Tibetan sacred art preservation projects such as tsa-tsas and stupas. Volunteers can develop new skills by participating in these traditional art forms through side-projects during off-work time and Sundays.

Suggested reading To become more familiar with our ways of working and practicing, we suggest two books authored by our community's founder, Tarthang Tulku, "Gesture of Balance" and "Skillful Means" Both are available at Dharma Publishing and at some public libraries.