Are you looking for an opportunity to deepen your meditation and Dhamma practice by spending more time in a monastery or in quietude? If so, Santi Forest Monastery is seeking suitable, experienced Buddhist meditation practitioners with key practical skills who are willing to commit themselves to engaging in the work/life/study/practice of the monastery and its daily routine.
Santi Forest Monastery (SFM) is a Buddhist Nuns’ monastery of the Theravada Forest tradition. We are situated on 150 acres of forest bordering Morton National Park in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Accommodations are basic and rustic, but clean and adequate.
Ideally, you will be an experienced meditator, perhaps having lived in a retreat centre or monastery before – having completed at least one long meditation retreat (min 10 days or more). You’ll need to be fairly self-contained and self-sufficient in your practice, and able and willing to keep the 8 precepts for the time of your stay here.
We are seeking meditators with the following practical skills who are willing to take on a specific role and responsibility, while also being flexible with other needs arising within the monastery that might require your assistance:
Kitchen coordinator
Skills and abilities required:
- Ability to prepare healthy, nutritious, vegetarian meals
- Awareness of food hygiene and practices, including WHS in the kitchen setting
- Organisational skills in a kitchen setting – food/stock inventory, shelves and stacking
- Ability to coordinate small teams for clean-up and organisation in the kitchen area
- Ability to coordinate a kitchen environment in a calm, aware, and efficient manner
- Have good communication abilities to liaise with visitors bringing dana and kitchen helpers
- Ability to get on harmoniously with other community members, guests and visitors
- Ability to take direction from the Work Coordinator and senior monastics
- Flexibility with being asked to help in other areas
- A driver’s license would be an advantage, as you may be needed to help with driving on occasion
Grounds/Maintenance person
Skills and abilities required:
- Skills in maintaining and managing a large rural/forest property – incl. brush clearing, use of trimmer and ride-on mower, maintaining forest paths
- Ability (and preferably licence) to handle and use a chainsaw
- Some handy-person skills in carpentry, building or other related skills would be ideal
- Ability to get on harmoniously with other community members, guests and visitors
- Ability to take direction from the Work Coordinator and senior monastics
- Flexibility with being asked to help in other areas of the monastery
- A driver’s license would be an advantage, as you may be needed to help with driving on occasion
Other key points to consider:
This is a volunteer position only and does not attract remuneration. All food, lodgings, and use of other utilities are provided free of charge to the right person.
The daily monastic routine includes 3-4 hours of work for all long term residents, mostly in the mornings. There is plenty of time each day to practice meditation and study the Dhamma. The afternoons on most days are free time for individual meditation practice, study, or related contemplative activities. Currently the schedule includes group meditation practice and Dhamma teachings 2 or 3 evenings each week. Every Tuesday is a work free day for all long term residents.
You will need to be fit and healthy, both physically and mentally, to fulfil the above duties and to cope with the somewhat challenging environment here. It can get very cold in winter and occasionally quite hot in the peak of summer. Heating is limited to small wood fires in the kutis (meditation huts). Some of the terrain and the walking tracks are rough, rocky and hilly.
After an initial interview and meeting, a two-week trial period would be required for us to get to know you and for you to develop an understanding of the context here and consider whether it is suitable for you also. If we both agree to proceed after that there would be a 1-month and 3-month review period.
Please note: Santi Monastery cannot sponsor any visas for international visitors for this opportunity.
Personal access to the internet will be limited but somewhat negotiable.
Here is a link to our website for your preliminary considerations: http://santifm.org/santi/
Please provide a detailed overview of your background, skills/experience, and interest in this opportunity.
Please direct your enquiries to Jitindriya at Santi Forest Monastery via email: santioffice@gmail.com