Dhanakosa retreat centre seeks Kitchen Manager

Nayaka writes from Dhanakosa Retreat Centre (www.dhanakosa.com) to say -

We have a vacancy on our full time residential team for a Kitchen Manager. As Kitchen Manager you will be responsible for managing all aspects of the kitchens, food store and food ordering. You will manage, develop and train a pool of volunteer cooks and be responsible of maintaining kitchen standards according to Cook Safe. You will maintain food quality standards in the kitchen, and of course cook! You will be expected to be confident cooking for up to about 30, for a week at a time. The Kitchen Manager is also expected to provide cover and support for the Housekeeper, particularly on changeover days (normally Fridays).

We are looking for someone who is:

• A confident cook
• Able to work within systems, and support others to do so
• Can build and maintain working relationships with volunteers
• Interested in living and working as part of a Buddhist team in a retreat centre setting

Dhanakosa is situated in the southern part of the Scottish Highlands on the banks of Loch Voil in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. It is one and a half hours by car from Glasgow and Edinburgh. See our web site www.dhanakosa.com for more information about us.

Dhanakosa offers a comprehensive support package, as well as the opportunity to live, work and practice in the outstandingly beautiful environment of Balquhidder Glen. You will also be living and working as part of a community with a clear commitment to making work an effective spiritual practice.

Applications are invited from both men and women. We are particularly interested in hearing from people with a clear commitment to developing their practice in the context of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order.

Closing date 8th Jan 2010 (for interviews mid January)

For further information and an application form please contact:
Nayaka on +44 (0) 1877 384 213 or nayaka@dhanakosa.org

Housekeeper for Rivendell Retreat Centre

The FWBO's Rivendell Retreat Centre, in the Sussex countryside, UK, requires a Housekeeper.

Tasks to include - General housekeeping, stock ordering, some administration, meeting and greeting retreatants, etc.  The job description may have some flexibility around the successful applicant's particular skills and abilities.

16 hours over two days per week. (Thursday and Friday). Salary approx. £100 per week. Applicants need to be reasonably physically fit and have their own transportation as this is a non-residential position.

Please send a letter of application by 15/3/09 to:

Nagasiddhi, Rivendell, Chillies Lane, High Hurstwood, East Sussex, TN22 4AB.
e-mail: info@rivendellretreatcentre.com
tel: 01825 732 594.

Padmaloka Job Opportunity

Padmaloka Retreat Centre in Norfolk, UK, is looking for a man to join the community and
to work as the chef.

This is a great opportunity to live as part of a thriving men's community helping to create an inspiring place for people to learn and practise the Dharma.

Padmaloka offers a full support package including 8 weeks per year annual leave.

Essential Requirements
----------------------
1. Ordained or have requested ordination into the Western Buddhist Order.
2. Good level of fitness.
3. Able to work well in a team.
4. Able to work patiently with people attending retreats.
5. Flexible, friendly, reliable, organised, hard-working, self-motivated.

Preferred Requirements
----------------------
1. Cheffing experience.
2. Kitchen Management Skills
3. Have attended retreats at Padmaloka in the past and are already on
friendly terms with members of the Padmaloka community.
4. Experience of FWBO community life.
5. Experience of FWBO team based work.

All enquiries please contact Samudradaka on chairman@padmaloka.org.uk or 07952 253170

Opportunities for women at Taraloka: Retreat Centre of the Year - again!

Taraloka has been voted ‘Retreat Place of the Year’ twice by The Good Retreat Guide – in 2006 and now again in 2008.

This didn’t happen by chance. It happened because of the inspiration, hard work and commitment of a team of Buddhist women living and working together: to create the very special conditions at Taraloka that enable women, from newcomers to Buddhism to members of the WBO, to explore Buddhism and meditation, and to deepen their practice.

We have opportunities for more women to join our team and help take our vision forward.

Who are we looking for?

We're looking for women who are -

* Committed to the ideals and practice of the FWBO.
* Able to work hard, have fun and co-operate well in a team.
* Willing to be friendly and helpful to retreatants.
* Flexible and self-motivated.
* Interested in living and working as part of a Buddhist team in a retreat centre setting

We need women with skills or experience in cooking and catering, gardening, site maintenance, computing, planning and admin, and to join to our retreat leading teams. We can offer training and mentoring in the skills needed for all these aspects of running Taraloka.

If you would like to further your practice of wholeheartedness, generosity and spiritual friendship in a beautiful and supportive environment, then write and let us know more about you.

Contact : Saddhanandi or Kulaprabha, Taraloka, Cornhill Farm, Bettisfield, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 2LD, UK.

Volunteers needed for FWBO International Retreat, May 2008

The FWBO’s first International Retreat is taking place in May, at Taraloka, in Shropshire, UK. Vajragupta is the overall organiser and is making this request for help.

"We'll need a team of volunteers to set-up, run, and set-down the event. They can obviously have a free place on the retreat and, although they will have some work duties, these won't be so heavy that they couldn't take part and enjoy it too. They will need to be available from Sunday 18th May and, after the event, until 28th May. They'd need to be willing to camp and work hard, including physical work!

"During the set-up period we plan to have some kind of retreat-like programme and teaching for them too. Again, it won't be all work!

"If you are interested please email me or phone (UK) 0121-447-7427. Please could you also advertise this to others you know who might be suitable, the best would be to personally invite them to think about it. It could be a great way for someone to contribute and also get more involved in the FWBO".

Working retreat in Spain

Suratna and Vidyasri live at AMITAVATI in the Spanish mountains not far from Valencia. They are developing it as a small rural retreat centre and are inviting people to join them for a Working Retreat. They say "There will be 4-5 hours of work a day; meditation; pujas and ritual
as we all want (or not). The work will be olive picking (or building work), outside
decorating, and gardening".

The dates are Saturday December 8th - Saturday December 15th 2007 and the cost UK 35/week.

Click the image for more details including contact details.