Staff Life ~ Overview

"If we wish to progress more quickly, we can seek employment that nurtures our practice and propels us along more quickly."

 -- Bhante Gunaratana from 'Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness'

IMS presents a unique work environment. It provides right livelihood in an organization dedicated to cultivating non-harming and awakening. For those interested in work-as-practice, it is an opportunity to integrate meditation training into daily job activities and responsibilities.

Staff life offers a rich and intensive learning experience that demands a strong personal commitment. A willingness to embrace hard work and to meet challenges is key. Meditation, connecting with like-minded people, friendship and deepening wisdom are all benefits of life on staff.

We employ about 35 full-time staff to operate our two facilities - the Retreat Center and the Forest Refuge. About half live in comfortable on-site accommodations. Known as residential staff, their job functions directly support retreat life, and range from maintenance and housekeeping to cooking and office work.

The other half - the non-residential staff - live off-site and generally perform administrative or managerial functions.

IMS offers modest compensation and a variety of benefits for permanent, full-time staff including health insurance, paid time off and retirement contributions. There is also ample access to dharma offerings at both centers, as well as a special Staff Sangha Program, designed to enhance the staff experience.

While retreat life at IMS is quiet and serene, working behind-the-scenes can be another story! Staff life is quite different from being on silent retreat or living in a monastery. Jobs are often fast-paced, with pressures and deadlines as intense as many other workplaces.

Reflections from Staff

"This is a very rich place to be, to grow and to deepen the dharma in everyday life through practice...and at the same time to have a lot of fun!"

"If you want to integrate practice into daily life, this is a great place to do it. Reminders to be mindful come to you constantly - it feels really easy to let practice suffuse daily life."

"Staff life at IMS is a wonderful stopping point, no matter where you are in your practice. It's an honor to serve here; it's been one of the best experiences of my life!"

"What I love most about the IMS staff culture is the involvement with people of like mind. In a hard, cold world it is comforting to be surrounded by so many people who care. It is a rare and beautiful thing to love and (mostly!) agree with so many of your co-workers!"

"Since I arrived here, I have been touched by all the ways that staff give to one another, sharing their time, their energy and their talents to create a real sense of caring. This care, coupled with a deep commitment to the dharma, is to me the real fabric of the IMS community."

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