• Berkeley, CA: our urban program based at Nyingma Institute in Berkeley

• Ratna Ling: our rural program in Sonoma County, CA .

What do you contribute?

• Round trip travel expenses to our locations.
  
• Whatever professional or experiential skills you have towards the meaningful work of our projects.
  
• Your commitment of time and energy.

What is the commitment?

Short-term program for 2 weeks to 3 months:   Only at our country center, Ratna Ling, This is a good option for students or those with limited time they can be away from work, home or family. Email shortterm@ratnaling.org or call 707-847-3777 ext.119 for more details and an applictation.

Long-term program for 6 months or more: Includes the living allowance stipend. Offers the possibility of job training in skills that can be taken to the outside market place and  a lasting mutually beneficial relationship with a community of like-minded people. See program detials and download application for each location below:

Program Details: Berkeley, CA

Program Details: Ratna Ling, CA

How to Apply: Download the application here or email our Volunteer Office for an application. We are now accepting applications for 2009.

Part-time volunteering: We welcome part-time non-residential volunteering at both our locations. If you live in the San Francisco Bay area, please call 510-981-1987 for more details.  For those in the west Sonoma/Mendocino county area,  please call  707-847-3777 ext.119.

11/13/08 PLEASE NOTE: Image Gallery is currently not fucntional. We are working to correct the problem.

• Housing: Shared, usually two to a room

• Meals: Delicious & healthy vegetarian meals. Many volunteers rave about our food!

• Classes: Evening classes 5 nights a week covering a range of Buddhist topics from meditation, philosophy and Buddhist psychology to mantra, Tibetan Yoga and more.

• For 6 months or more: Living allowance stipend of $150 per month, occasional free Saturday workshops, donation of books from Dharma Publishing.

What are the Benefits?

• Opportunity for giving: Your volunteer work contributes to the preservation and transmission of the precious knowledge of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition both in the West and in Asia.

• Work training: With our wide variety of projects, volunteers gain training in both general and specific skills that can be taken to the workplace at large.

• Tibetan Buddhist tradition: Volunteers experience exposure to aspects of Tibetan Buddhist sacred culture through the art, sculpture and other attributes of our grounds and buildings, as well as through the classes, ceremonies and traditional events observed during the year.

Who Should Apply ?
You do not need to be Buddhist or have specific skills to apply. An appreciation for work and a sincere interest in the Buddhist teachings are the basic requirements.

We are seeking people of all ages and backgrounds who like working hard and enjoy a vigorous and challenging life- style. You must be flexible and positive in attitude with a willingness to develop yourself in new ways. Our primary criteria are that applicants are in good physical and mental/emotional health, have compatible interests, are capable of living and working in harmony with others and can demonstrate through the application process the stability needed to follow through with commitments.

The minimum age is 21 years. Couples are welcome to apply. We cannot accommodate children or pets.