Treetop Residential Training Opportunity
Treetop Zen Center of Maine is now taking applications for anyone interested in residential Zen training. Treetop is excited to begin a residential training program based in personal and communal meditation, liturgy, and study, as well as right livelihood activities geared to helping others both within and beyond our Zen community.
The Life of the Residential Community
Daily life at the Treetop Zen Center of Maine will incorporate:
Zen Practice — All residents will engage in daily zen practice. During that time there will be opportunities for daisan (personal face to face teaching with the teachers). In this teaching process most residents will engage in rigorous zen koan study, challenging them to move into deeper understanding of themselves and the world. There will also be zen services and dharma talks given by the teachers on a regular weekly schedule.
Simplicity — The residential living facilities, the zendo, the grounds, and the meals will reflect simplicity. This might be described as the attempt to find elegance without ornamentation, adequacy without waste or excess and contemplative focus and profound satisfaction in the ordinary and essential tasks of everyday life.
Ecological Responsibility — Residents at Treetop are mindful of environmental concerns. That is, to reduce their carbon footprint to the extent possible on the present site. They will be attentive to usage of electricity and fossil fuels and minimizing them. Recycling, composting, using non-fossil fuel based energy sources and purchasing responsibly grown and manufactured materials will be part of this effort. Food at Treetop will be organic whenever possible, and purchased from local Community Supported Agriculture farms. In future it may also include growing food on the premises.
Study — Whether Buddhist, Inter-faith, or in the Arts, deep and sincere study in the contemplative atmosphere will take place every day in the Treetop community, creating a rich tapestry of dialogue through which residents will develop a deeper understanding of their spiritual tradition and/or their work in the arts.
Getting a Job — Because Zen practice is not isolated from everyday life, we expect our residents, as part of their zen practice, to work part time both in the community—ten to twenty hours a week—and at Treetop—at least fifteen hours.
Those participating in this residency will be expected to:
- Work part-time in the surrounding community. This will be determined jointly by the applicant and the teachers.
- Engage in a minimum of 15 hours per week working on the grounds, and cleaning and preparing the zendo for zazen and other activities.
- Do a minimum of two hours daily zazen.
- Engage in Buddhist or Interfaith study including times for community reading and discussion of key texts in the zendo.
- Be trained in service and zendo positions.
- Engage in Wilderness experience(s) at times deemed appropriate by the teachers.
- Develop a specific Zen Study Training program together with one of the teachers.
- Meet once or twice a week with teacher for study.
- Receive daisan, usually twice weekly, but may be more during study training periods.
- Participate in all activities of Treetop, including Wednesday and Saturday liturgy and zazen, and all weekend and week-long retreats.
- Breakfast with Margaret and Stef—Monday through
Friday.
All one month residents will need to have health insurance, or sign a document stating that Treetop is not responsible for resident’s medical care at Treetop. Residents will provide the name, phone number, and address of at least two contact persons in case of medical or other emergencies.
The fee for the first month of the residency is $300. This month is a mutual trial period during which the resident embarks on the program of practice, study, training, while also searching for part time employment in the greater Waterville area.
After the first month, and after employment is obtained by the resident, the fee is $200 per month.
Weekly Schedule
Sunday — Personal time to study, play and relax.Typical Daily Schedule
While schedules will vary based on the specific program an individual is participating in, the following represents a typical day:
| 5:00 | Wake up | ||
| 6:00 | — | 7:00 | Zazen |
| 7:00 | — | 8:00 | Breakfast with Margaret and Stef (Monday—Friday) |
| 9:00 | — | 12:00 | Work on-grounds period |
| 12:00 | — | 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 | — | 6:00 | Rest, personal study, work in community. |
| 6:00 | — | 7:00 | Dinner |
| 7:00 | — | 8:00 | Zazen (Wednesday: 7—9 pm with the Sangha) |
| 8:00 | — | 8:30 | Tea/Community Daily Wrap Up |
Saturday
| 7:00 | — | 7:30 | Wake up |
| 8:00 | — | 9:00 | Clean and prepare zendo for use |
| 9:00 | — | 12:00 | Zazen, liturgy, dharma talk. |
Saturday Afternoon: personal time