Treetop Residential Training Opportunity
Treetop Zen Center of Maine is excited to offer a residential training program based in personal and communal meditation, liturgy, and study, as well as right livelihood activities geared to helping others both within and beyond our Zen community. We strongly encourage anyone interested in residential Zen training to apply.
To do so, please email us a brief statement about why you wish to apply for residency, what (if any) background you have in Buddhist practice, and your contact information. Please be sure to include your full name, address, phone, and email address. Residencies will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. Interested applicants are advised to apply early, as space is limited.
The Life of the Residential Community
Daily life at the Treetop Zen Center of Maine will incorporate:Zen Practice — In addition to attendance at weekly zen services and dharma talks, all residents will engage in daily zen practice and regular sessions of daisan (one-to-one meeting between teacher and student). Most residents will also engage in rigorous zen koan study, challenging them to move into deeper understanding of themselves and the world.
Simplicity — The residential living facilities, the zendo, the grounds, and the meals will reflect simplicity. This might be described as the attempt to find elegance without ornamentation, adequacy without waste or excess and contemplative focus and profound satisfaction in the ordinary and essential tasks of everyday life.
Ecological Responsibility — Residents at Treetop are mindful of environmental concerns. They will be attentive to usage of electricity and fossil fuels and minimize them. Recycling, composting, using non-fossil fuel-based energy sources and purchasing responsibly grown and manufactured materials will be part of this effort. Food at Treetop will be organic whenever possible, and purchased from local Community Supported Agriculture farms. In the future, residents may also be involved in growing food on the premises.
Study — Whether Buddhist, Interfaith, or in the Arts, deep and sincere study in the contemplative atmosphere will take place every day in the Treetop community, creating a rich tapestry of dialogue through which residents will develop a deeper understanding of their spiritual tradition and/or their work in the arts.
Getting a Job — Because Zen practice is not isolated from everyday life, we expect our residents, as part of their zen practice, to work part time both in the community—ten to twenty hours a week—and at Treetop—at least fifteen hours.
Those participating in this residency will be expected to:
- Work part-time in the surrounding community. This will be determined jointly by the applicant and the teacher.
- Engage in a minimum of 15 hours per week working on the grounds, and cleaning and preparing the zendo for zazen and other activities.
- Do a minimum of two hours daily zazen.
- Engage in Buddhist or Interfaith study including times for community reading and discussion of key texts in the zendo.
- Be trained in service and zendo positions.
- Engage in wilderness experience(s) at times deemed appropriate by the teacher.
- Develop a specific Zen Study Training program together with the teacher.
- Meet once or twice a week with the teacher for study.
- Receive daisan, usually twice weekly, but may be more during study training periods.
- Participate in all activities at Treetop, including Wednesday and Saturday liturgy and zazen, and all weekend and week-long retreats.
- Breakfast with Margaret—Monday through Friday.
All residents will need to have health insurance, or sign a document stating that Treetop is not responsible for resident’s medical care at Treetop. Residents will provide the name, phone number, and address of at least two contact persons in case of medical or other emergencies.
The fee for the first month of the residency is $300. This month is a mutual trial period during which the resident embarks on the program of practice, study, training, while also searching for part time employment in the greater Waterville area.
After the first month, and after employment is obtained by the resident, the fee is $200 per month.
Weekly Schedule
Sunday: Personal time to study, play and relax.Typical Daily Schedule (Mon. thru Sat.)
While schedules will vary based on the specific program an individual is participating in, the following represents a typical day:
| 5:00 | Wake up | ||
| 6:00 | — | 7:00 | Zazen |
| 7:00 | — | 8:00 | Breakfast with Margaret (Monday through Friday) |
| 9:00 | — | 12:00 | Work on-grounds period |
| 12:00 | — | 1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00 | — | 6:00 | Rest, personal study, work in community. |
| 6:00 | — | 7:00 | Dinner |
| 7:00 | — | 8:00 | Zazen (Wednesday: 7-9 pm with Sangha) |
| 8:00 | — | 8:30 | Tea/Daily Community Wrap-Up |
Saturday
| 7:00 | — | 7:30 | Wake up |
| 8:00 | — | 9:00 | Clean and prepare zendo for use |
| 9:30 | — | 12:00 | Liturgy, zazen, dharma talk |
Saturday Afternoon: Personal time to study, play and relax.