Volunteer
Service is a key component in our lives as Shambhala members and practitioners. Each of us can consider how we might be of benefit to Shambhala, to our community, and to all beings. Whether we offer our time, financial support, or special skills and expertise, we can all extend ourselves with generosity. Working together is also a wonderful way to get acquainted and bond with each other.
An Introduction to Shambhala Culture
Volunteers
There are many different ways to help at the Austin Shambhala Meditation Center, including landscaping, ongoing center maintenance, technical assistance, and hospitality. Please contact the Center Manager to come up with a volunteer position that coordinates with your schedule and inspiration to contribute.
Prison Volunteer Program
Volunteers from the Austin Shambhala Meditation Center and the Dharmata Sangha of Austin offer meditation instruction for women and men at three State prisons and one Federal prison in Texas. We meet with women at both the Crain Unit in Gatesville and the Lockhart Unit and with men at the Stevenson Unit in Cuero and the FCI at Bastrop.
We give meditation instruction, do shamatha and guided meditations, and listen a lot. Mindful body practices such as yoga are often part of the session as well. We don’t do much in the way of dharma talks, but we talk dharma constantly, bringing what we understand about the teachings and the Buddhist or Shambhalian perspectives to the situations these men and women face every day.
This is a wonderfully rewarding volunteer service. To be a volunteer, you should have a year or more experience with your own meditation practice. If you would like more information about volunteering, please check out the web page at http://www.austindharmata.org/
