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Tara Mandala Retreat Center

Tara Mandala - gain a new yet ancient perspective!

Tara Mandala is an international Buddhist retreat center located in Pagosa Springs Colorado.

CURRENT UPDATE - Searching for two lead cooks - check out all our 2013 opportunities!

Aerial View of Tara Mandala Retreat Center

Tara mandala is guided by Lama Tsultrim Allione, author of Women of Wisdom and Feeding Your Demons. Lama Tsultrim has studied Tibetan Buddhism under traditional teachers for more than 45 years.

At Tara Mandala we strive to create a work and community environment that reflects the Buddha’s teachings. We see our work as an essential aspect of our spiritual practice and as such, we seek community members who have a sincere interest in and commitment to the exploration of bringing the practice of mindfulness to all activities of daily life.

Opportunities for quiet contemplation are rare today and places dedicated to long-term retreat are even scarcer. In a chaotic and stressful world, Tara Mandala retreat center offers space for refuge, renewal, and traditional Buddhist training through our residential Living Dharma Volunteer program as well as group and solo retreats.

Our season runs from May to October.

Our Jobs

Work areas include the Kitchen, Temple, Lama Service, Garden, Land Crew, Retreat Setup/Breakdown, Housekeeping, Dakini Store, and the Office.

Bookstore at Tara Mandala Room at Tara Mandala Gardener at Tara Mandala

Our Ideal Candidate

Our ideal candidate would be someone who can commit to work 35 hours per week at an assigned job for a minimum of three months with possible extensions and the desire to participate in community practices. There is a 2 week trial period to make sure there is a good fit for both Tara Mandala and the volunteer.

Prayer Flags Volunteers at Tara Mandala

Room and Board

Housing is in gendered dormitory yurts or camping on the land (you provide camping gear) including three vegetarian meals per day.

Perks

Daily all-community practice.
Weekly group with Dharma teachers for learning, study, and discussion.
Live in a Buddhist community, where Dharma and practice permeate all aspects of life and work.
Partial participation in the Three Yana Retreat, offered in June (for commitments of 3 months or longer). For more detailed information and the Living Dharma application please visit our Living Dharma Volunteer Program page

Statue at Tara Mandala

Getting Here and Getting Around

The nearest airport and bus station is in Durango, 1.5 hours away. We can arrange for a shuttle to pick you up at the airport/bus station for your arrival and departure. Owning a personal vehicle is not necessary. However, there is limited public transportation in Pagosa and Durango, so it is convenient to come with your own car. People without cars often carpool. Pagosa Springs is a 30 minute drive from Tara Mandala down dirt roads. Durango is a 1.5 hour drive. We’re 3 hours from Santa Fe and 6 hours from Denver.

For Fun

Take a personal practice day/vision quest.
Reflect, write, draw, read…
Visit Pagosa Springs or Durango: coffee shops, movie theaters, book stores, hot springs, restaurants.
If you have a car and a long weekend, Santa Fe, Taos, Crestone, and Telluride are all interesting towns within a few hours drive.
Hike! Tara Mandala is 700 acres of easily accessible land, and we’re surrounded by three wilderness areas with numerous trailheads a car-drive away.
Tubing, swimming, and kayaking in the San Juan River during summer and ski/snowboarding at Wolf Creek in the winter.

Temple at Tara Mandala

How to Apply

Apply Now

Simply click on the link below and read about the Living Dharma Volunteer program. If you think that it might be a good fit for you then fill out the application, attach a resume and letter of reccomendation. If we feel you are a good candidate for the Living Dharma Program we will then call you to schedule a phone interview.

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