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WORK AS PRACTICE | MORE VOLUNTEER INFORMATION | VOLUNTEER INQUIRY FORM |
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Fill out the Volunteer Inquiry Form for more information. Or download a Volunteer Application. |
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Odiyan is founded in the Nyingma school, or lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma lineage is known as the “old school”, the first transmission of the Buddha’s teachings brought from India to Tibet by the great teacher Padmasamhava. Anecdotally, the Nyingma school has been called the ones “always making something”. While some of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism maintain a great emphasis on academic knowledge and ceremonial practices, the Nyingma school is perhaps the most hands-on oriented of the lineages. Here at Odiyan, the work is offered to each volunteer as a “path of action”. Our path is based on developing concentration, awareness and positive energy. The huge work projects come with tight timelines and ambitious goals, to encourage each volunteer to open to his or her own human potential and discover an tapped reservoir of positive energy while transforming personal obstacles to success. On a day-to-day level the work done at Odiyan resembles that done with other building teams such as Habitat for Humanity: a group of willing participants getting together for construction projects and the learning that comes with working as a group. Within the powerful context of the Odiyan mandala, the work can take on a deeper level of intensity and provide tremendous opportunities for self-awareness.
The effort and energy each individual Odiyan volunteer adds to preserving the sacred Dharma, is compensated exponentially with the positive merit accumulated by self-less actions. If you want to be challenged, experience personal growth, learn new things, gain new skills and live as part of an intentional community, the process begins with an application. Here’s your chance to transform emotional habit patterns in a wholesome, healthy, rural environment while building a lasting monument to the Dharma.
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Odiyan is an intentional Buddhist community that offers volunteer positions to those who have an interest in helping to work towards preserving the Tibetan culture and also those who wish to learn about Buddhism.
The projects at Odiyan and the opportunity to live as a community are unique in that they are structured within the context of Tibetan Buddhism and preserving the Tibetan culture. While Odiyan does not function as a monastery, and there is little emphasis on traditional Buddhist training, many of daily events include mantra, prayer and chanting. About half of the longer-term resident volunteers are Buddhist practitioners.