Service Study Program
The service-study program is intended for people who desire access to the Spiritual Program at Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) and wish to live with and offer service to our community. The service-study program was created to ensure access to the Buddhist teachings and to aid in the livelihood of the center during our busy seasons. Our service-study positions are offered in three-month increments, with an initial two-week provisional period.
The Service
Service-study participants are generally scheduled in the following departments at the Center:
– Kitchen
– Housekeeping
– Event set-up/breakdown
– Grounds/Gardening
– Maintenance
Service-study participants contribute 25 hours per week, generally broken up into five 5-hour days.
Room and Board
Service-study participants are offered room and board. Most housing consists of a simple single, private room in the staff quarters with a shared bathroom. Meals include breakfast and lunch every day; dinner is prepared when we have groups and/or events taking place. When there is not a scheduled facility rental group, dinner ingredients are available for you to prepare your own meal. Land of Medicine Buddha serves only vegetarian meals consisting of mainly organic ingredients.
The Study
In exchange for the service, participants are offered free access to Spiritual Program classes. (This does not include yoga, chi-gong, facility rental retreats, or any other externally-commissioned classes.) In addition to the Spiritual Program classes, there is a short staff only practice every day and some staff only workshops and classes.
FAQs
1. What kind of community is Land of Medicine Buddha
Land of Medicine Buddha is a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center that is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). We host our own Spiritual Program of classes and retreats, as well as renting out our facility to other organizations and groups. We host many yoga and body movement groups, as well as retreats for other spiritual traditions. Some staff members live at the center, but many live off-site and are here mainly during work hours and for classes. We are a diverse group of people from many faith traditions and with many different motivations for offering service at Land of Medicine Buddha. We seek open-minded and diverse applicants for our program.
2. Is LMB a restful or relaxing environment?
The demands of our community keep us very busy and enthusiasm and hard work are required from our staff. Restful and relaxing on a work shift, maybe not. However, your off time is your own and there are many places nearby to hike, swim, and relax. Past participants of the service-study program remark that it is a rewarding and enriching place to spend three months.
3. Can I stay for longer than three months in the service-study program?
Participants in the service-study program are welcome to apply for a second three-month period with a limit of six-months total. Some past service-study participants have applied for and been hired as full-time, paid staff!
Have questions? Please contact our Operations Coordinator, Sam Backer, via email at or by phone at 831-476-1423.