Property:Offeredservicesdetails
From Tsadra Foundation Advanced Contemplative Scholarships
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London: Since the last retreat I have spent over a year working full time to renovate a very large Victorian library that has become the long-term centre here. We had the open day for phase I last month and work continues for phase II.
Dublin: For two years prior to the last retreat I took joint responsibility for leading all of the practices held at the centre there. I also undertook about 9 months of unpaid work (mostly carpentry) toward the renovation of a large building that had become the new centre. +
Yes, for the last 13 years I have been living and working at the various sites of the Samye Ling centre +
1995-1996 I worked as a full time volunteer at Johannesburg Samye Dzong.
1997-2000 I worked at and then managed Holy Isle, From 2002-2005 I Assisted in the building of both women's and men's retreat centres. +
Ran meditation group locally, put on teachings and held group events, 3 years. Taught music at Sherab Ling school, one month. Transcription of Holy Island Teachings several months.
Help to organise Buddhist Society at Bristol University 1 year. +
When not in retreat I have given all my time to building and maintaining the retreat centre, in preparation for the next retreat. +
2009-20010: work as cabinet maker for Kagyu Samye Dzong Brussels
2007-2011 : several days and weekends of work as builder and carpenter in Kagyu Samye Dzong Dri l'Ak
2015 : 6 month work as builder and carpenter to built ashes and butter lamp house in KSB +
One Year in the kitchen, one year in charity fund raising department, two years as Accounts and Administrative Manager, four seasons as a manager on Holy Isle, 1 year as tour guide for school groups +
2010 - 2011 Volunteer work at KSDJ: Weekly soup kitchen, shop inventory, attempt to get the vegetable garden going, initiated and helped build pizza oven, assistance with teaching preparations and during teachings, served on management committee, assisted with some membership administration duties for just under 2 years
2012 - 2015 Four Months of volunteer work in TRC office. Annual general volunteer weekends at TRC. Provided pro bono counselling as and when needed at Tara Rokpa Centre (TRC) to retreatants Provided transport for Tara Rokpa Therapists from Johannesburg International airport to TRC and back. Volunteer work in the Samye Ling library for a few hours daily for 4 weeks in 2014 whilst attending final teachings of Shedra course. +
I helped build the retreat centre on Arran for a period of 2 years from 2001.
I was based at the London Samye Dzong Centre for 10 years, from 2005, and managed a centre there for the final 6 years. While there I also taught levels 1 & 2 beginners' meditation, as well as ngondro and basic courses in Buddhism. +
Since 2005. when the late Akong Rinpoche accepted me to be his student I have been serving him and followed his advice. I travelled with him to Tibet to oversee and prepare reports on Rokpa Charity projects as well as helping his work with administrative jobs and book keeping for the charity(U.K.branch).Since I have moved to Samye Ling monastery (in 2006) I have been helping the community with whatever tasks I was asked to do.I have several daily jobs over the years namely:book keeping, helping in the kitchen,administration jobs, maintenance jobs,cleaning jobs, taking care of elder member of the community, teaching sangha members for torma making and playing instruments. Because of my experience in Samye Ling with the rituals I was helping the other retreatants during my long retreat with teaching to lead pujas as chant master, play the various ritual instruments and making tormas. +
I was president of KCC of Portland, Oregon for four years from 1997 to 2001 when we re-wrote the bylaws and began the campaign to and eventually bought retreat land. I then moved to the land to be the caretaker for a year. After retreat in Mirik, I have stayed there for 18 of the past 24 months doing what I can to help including translation work, writing copy for their website, writing letters, etc. I have translated material for HE Gyaltsab Rinpcohe's last two seminars (2009 and 2010) and did the oral translation for this year's program. I have agreed to be available to help Lama Michael with preparation for and review of the ritual elements of the pending Shangpa retreat at Ser Cho Osel Ling. +
I've volunteered with many dharma communities, as outlined in my C.V., but most especially with KCC. Since 2010, I've devoted nearly 100% of my time to KCC's long-retreat center as its manager. +
I have volunteered as a land steward at Ser Cho Osel Ling between the years 2011 and 2014 preparing the new property with ground cover (trees, shrubs, native flowers and riparian buffers throughout the over 250 acre property (My career has been with the USDA Farm Service Agency and the Soil and Water Conservation District). After planting, this involves hours of watering and weed-control in the semi-arid climate.
I have also spent many hours in this same time frame cleaning and preparing the facility for retreats and clean up post retreats.
I have helped build and repair a stone wall on the perimeter of the property and have helped dig a lengthy diversion ditch.
I helped fight a nearby forest fire in the summer of 2012. +
Service to the Sangha and Lama
Ò 2001- Present
Associate Teacher, KCC. Conduct Sunday services; lead retreats and classes; meet with an average of a dozen students for practice advice each month, on average. Represent KCC at local Dharma gatherings. Provide several hours help to Lama Michael each week. Collaborate with other KCC teachers and volunteers on projects. Play a leadership role in KCCХs 3.2 million dollar Capital Campaign to build its long retreat center, Ser Cho Osel Ling. Conduct by request weddings, funerals, visitations to the sick and dying. Advising to the ChildrenХs Program. Active role in KCC leadership.
Ò 1995 - 1997
Member, Board of Directors, KCC
Ò 2000 - 2003
President, Board of Directors, KCC. As President, I implemented KCCÐ¥s first center-wide volunteer committee model, based on a Quaker model of service-as-practice, which helped spread the work of KCC to a larger group of people, thereby enabling growth and increasing financial stability.
Ò 1995 - 2000
KCC ChildrenХs Program Teacher. During this time I led a team of volunteers to found a weekly childrenХs dharma program for KCC. In the year I was re-assigned to teach adults, I wrote a year-long curriculum, with 52 lessons, which is still in use today at KCC and elsewhere. I was invited by Kagyu Sukha Choling, in Ashland, Oregon, to help establish their childrenХs program and train their first childrenХs program teachers.
Ò 2001 - Present
Facilitator. I also have done several years of work facilitating meetings, planning sessions and conflict resolution/dialogue sessions for dharma centers of all traditions in Portland, at the request of their teachers and boards; and have planned and co-facilitated KCCÐ¥s annual leadership meeting on several occasions.
Ò In 1995 - 2001
Teacher. I co-taught Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, with a focus on chronic pain and stress management, through Portland Community College, with Lama Michael Conklin. This course was based on Jon Kabat ZinnХs 6 week program.
BUDDHIST RETREATS and CLASSES TAUGHT
Multiple sessions of these retreats and classes:
Buddhism
Ò The Seven Points of Mind Training (class)
Ò Tonglen (3-day retreat)
Ò Four Immeasurables (3-day retreat)
Ò The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (3-day retreat)
Ò The Role of Silence in Practice (3-day retreat)
Ò Next Steps: taking your practice forward (3-day retreat)
Ò Parenting as Spiritual Practice (class)
Ò Teaching Children Mindfulness (class)
Pro-bono public classes in Portland for churches of all denominations
Ò The Role of Social Media in Churches (class for a national Zen teachersÐ¥ meeting and a version open to all churches)
Ò Marketing and Media Planning for Dharma Centers
Ò IMAGO Communication Training for Volunteers in Spiritual Communities
Ò Facilitating Productive Meetings in Spiritual Communities
Ò Several short classes to help parents learn to integrate spirituality into their childrenÐ¥s lives
KCC Board of Directors 1997-2001 & 2006-2014
Treasurer 1997-2000, President 2012-2014
Finance Committee, Volunteer Support Committee, Children's Program teacher +
I volunteered with the Retreat Committee at Kagyu Changchub Chuling from May 2014 until December 2014. I assisted with the organization and running of weekend and 10-day retreats at Ser Cho Osel Ling, and with the running of the Retreat Committee in general. +
at Kagyu Droden Kunchab (KDK) resident from 1976-1978
at Kagyu Changchub Chuling (KCC) resident from 1999-2014, Resident Caretaker +
Since 2001, whenever I attend weekend retreats or Sangha gatherings I help in various ways. One year I took the lead, coordinating a planning committee to bring Lama Tara to Corvallis for a weekend retreat. Other years, I coordinated food for events or helped to set up the room for monthly Sangha meetings. For two years I handled communications for our Tranquility Practice Group in Eugene. Living far from the Sangha groups limits my involvement, but whenever I travel, I help in anyway possible. +
Since 2016: Administrator +
I have been living at PTC for the past 11 years and have offered my services to both my Lama and to my Dharma community in a variety of ways. I have attended to my Lama whenever needed, and have contributed to my community by umzing the daily tsokpas, choponing, being a kitchen manager including weekly grocery shopping, and helping with retreat preparation, filling and emptying water bowls, and helping with butter lamps. +
