I have felt deeply moved by the care that some volunteers give to the development of our community. Witnessing their willingness to serve and to give the very precious gift of time, commitment, and love, inspired me to host a volunteer appreciation event. In preparation, I have been contemplating the blessings of community.
Dhamma practice is not just happening when our eyes are closed and our attention is on the breath. Volunteering is an important practice that helps sustain our dedication to inner development by counteracting tendencies toward greed, hatred, and delusion. Getting involved helps prevent the habitual withdrawal into distraction and personal opinion that causes meditators so much suffering. Volunteering confronts selfishness, greed, and fear—it encourages us to connect, listen, and learn. Volunteering prevents both greed and isolation from festering because we give to, rather than take from, the work of our friends and community members. We build our community together, and every contribution matters, whether large or small.
We create the space for our wisdom to develop and for our community to meet—on line and in person. A meditation group is not a fixed entity; it is the event that occurs when we come together to explore our minds, reactions, assumptions, and ways of perceiving life. We practice being mindful in activity and interaction.
It is beautiful to give ones time, skills, and care—to volunteer—and be actively engaged in the dhamma community. Every event that IMSB offers is built by the caring attention and thoughtful efforts of volunteers. I am deeply grateful for each and every person who is involved in this work. Copious thanks to all our volunteers!
We welcome your involvement with IMSB. Please consider filling out our volunteer form to share your skills, interests, and availability.