Stewardship & Practice Opportunity Inquiry

An Invitation into Sacred Service

Are you being called to live your practice more deeply?

Sangha House NOLA is welcoming inquiries for our Stewardship & Practice Opportunity (a 3-month immersive period of sacred service, spiritual companionship, and communal care).

The Ground We Tend
Rooted in the historic 7th Ward on the sacred land of Bulbancha (New Orleans), we live and serve in rhythm with the land, ancestors, and one another.

What You Will Offer

Stewards work, study, practice & live closely with Venerable Clear Grace Dayananda and core group members, offering 25 hours per week of service (not including Sangha activities, practice periods, or personal care of shared spaces) in areas such as administration, communications, temple care, meal preparation, gardening, and more, while engaging daily in practice, self-reflection, and shared community life.

Commitment & Reciprocity
Your Stewardship & Practice opportunity is a complete practice period with its own beginning and end. This is a mutual offering rooted in generosity, not a paid position. Your service is met with shared living space, nourishing meals, guidance in practice, and the wealth of teachings and community life we tend together.

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Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

This application form may be 20-minutes to an hour to complete, depending on pacing and depth shared. Please note this form is not guaranteed to auto-save, so you are encouraged to draft your responses in another page, doc, etc. if you do not plan on submitting after starting your application.

Name*

First Last

Email*

Phone*

Age*

Before continuing, we invite you to sit with our full Stewardship & Practice Guide, which holds the fuller picture of what this commitment looks like.

View the Stewardship & Practice Guide

I acknowledge that I have read and understand the Stewardship & Practice Guide.*

Yes

What is drawing you to this opportunity?*

What does sacred service mean to you?*

What are your accessibility needs ? Any medical or health issues you’d like to share with us ?*

Why Sangha House NOLA specifically? What about our vision and practice resonates with you?*

Describe your experience with meditation, spiritual practice, or contemplative living.*

Sangha House NOLA is a Buddhist temple and retreat center (you do not need to be Buddhist). During your stewardship, you will be practicing alongside us: sitting, participating in our daily rhythm, and engaging in Buddhist practice as part of communal life here.*

Have you practiced Buddhism or studied Buddhist teachings? If so, in what tradition(s), and for how long? If not, what has your own spiritual or contemplative practice looked like?

Have you lived in intentional community or shared living spaces before? If so, describe your experience. If not, what draws you to this way of living?*

Stewards make a sincere effort to participate in all weekly Sangha gatherings/events.*

Does this align with your availability and commitment to practice? Do you have any scheduling conflicts that would prevent you from participating fully during your stewardship?

This stewardship requires 25 hours per week of stewardship service (administration, cooking, garden care, temple maintenance, and similar tasks). This is separate from Sangha activities and practice periods (gatherings, meditation, monthly events, and other Sangha events), as well as your own responsibility for keeping shared spaces clean.*

What would a weekly commitment look like to you?

Daily life here moves at the pace of the practice and quiet rhythm. Noble Silence is held as a full sacred container from 9 PM to 8 AM daily. When necessary, mindful speech carries through the day. Phone and video calls are kept to a minimum in designated places.*

How do you feel about entering into this rhythm and way of being as a shared practice for three months?

Before reflecting on the Five Precepts below, we invite you to sit with our full guide to the precepts and trainings, the foundation of ethical practice held during your time with us.

View the Five Precepts guide

Sīla is not restraint for its own sake, but the ground from which clarity, freedom, and love can grow.

I acknowledge that I have read and understand the Five Precepts.*

Yes

As a steward, you are asked to follow the Five Precepts during your time here: to refrain from harming living beings, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct, from false speech, and from intoxicants that cloud the mind.*

Are you willing to hold these as your practice for the three months of your stewardship? Is there a precept you anticipate finding challenging, and if so, which one and why?

Conflict Resolution

Conflict is part of the work, and part of why we come together to practice in this way. We do not avoid it, smooth it over, or treat it as a sign that something has gone wrong. When approached with honesty and vulnerability, conflict deepens the trust needed to realize a shared vision, rather than something to be feared. As we practice together, we recognize that conflict and difficulties are part of our shared human experience. When concerns surface, we approach them directly and with mindfulness.

The process:

First, seek resolution directly. A one-on-one conversation will be held to address the matter with clarity and care, as soon as possible. Do not let concerns linger or accumulate; find the right time to have the conversation. This allows space for honest dialogue, accountability, and mutual understanding. You may also bring concerns to your weekly conversations with Venerable, where feedback and guidance are shared.

If it is discerned that a more intricate approach is needed, such as when a situation involves multiple people or impacts the collective rhythm of community life, a circle may be called to support deeper reflection, communication, and resolution. In such cases, Venerable Dayananda and at least one core group member (more when available) will be present to help guide the process in alignment with our shared practice and values.

Our intention is always to meet conflict with awareness, honesty, and care, creating conditions for understanding, reconciliation, and continued harmony within the Sangha.

How do you engage with feedback, especially when it's difficult to hear? What helps you look inward, and what actions do you take to keep conflict from happening again?*

This stewardship is essentially an invitation to practice to look deeply at your own mind, your habits, your attachments, and the wishes you carry. It is not a place to avoid boundaries, triggers, or vulnerability, but a place for transformation and healing.*

What are you currently working to see more clearly in yourself why is this important to you?

This stewardship is unpaid and held in the spirit of mutual generosity. We provide a temporary stay and food for you to prepare your own meals, and we share meals together on certain occasions. Your personal needs (such as medical care, transportation, and personal supplies) are yours to tend during your three months here.*

How do you plan to support yourself financially during your stay?

Anything else you'd like us to know*

What plans have you made to support your 3 month commitment?*

Preferred Start Date*

References

Please provide two references - people who can speak to your character, reliability, and ability to live in community.

Name*

First Last

Relationship

Phone*

Email*

Name*

First Last

Name*

First Last

Relationship

Phone*

Email*

If this feels aligned, we will follow up to schedule a virtual meeting with Venerable Clear Grace Dayananda and a core group member for mutual discernment. Following that conversation, core group members will discern whether this is the right fit. If so, you will be asked to complete a registration form.

Boundless Love in Action · Liberation in Practice