Seva: Volunteer & Service-Learning Opportunities in the Himalayas & at Home
‘All the suffering in the world comes from seeking happiness for oneself.
All the joy in the world comes from seeking happiness for others.’
~ Shantideva, Nalanda University, 8th century CE
Dharmalaya provides many opportunities for meaningful service for mutual benefit, some of which include an experiential education component (‘service-learning’ or ‘learning by doing’). Would you like to learn about a new culture or language while doing volunteer work with kindred spirits from other places for a project that benefits the community and the environment? Or, if you’re unable to visit the Himalayas, would you like to support Dharamalaya’s work from the comfort of your own home (or online from wherever you may be)? Read on…
Karma Yoga
Dharmalaya’s volunteer and service-learning programs are somewhat unusual in that we encourage and support the practise of approaching service work as karma yoga, the practise of integration through action. Of the various yogas, karma yoga is the most socially engaged: you’re in the world, interacting with others and making a practical contribution. In karma yoga, one cultivates generosity, humility, unselfishness and loving kindness while performing mindful service work with a meditative awareness and altruistic intentionality. Dharmalaya’s programs encourage participants to integrate the qualities of energy and awareness generated in one’s sitting meditation/yoga/prayer practises with one’s service work. One need not follow a religion to practise karma yoga; it is a system that can help anyone integrate her/his own contemplative practises into daily life while making a contribution to others.
Duration of Volunteer Commitment
Volunteer and service-learning opportunities range from very short-term experiences helping to tutor Tibetan refugees or working on environmental projects to intensive cultural immersion and service-learning experiences of several months, a year, or longer. You may want to consider that the longer you can commit to volunteering, a greater variety of opportunities may be available to you. Also, longer-term volunteers tend to learn more and have more deeply transformational experiences and, naturally, can make more significant contributions. We strongly recommend volunteering for at the very least one month, and if possible try to stay for at least three to six months so you can have enough time to begin to learn the ropes and make a greater contribution with your time and enthusiasm. (If you’re volunteering from home, the minimum recommended duration depends on the type of work, but generally is at least six months.)
Locations of Volunteer & Service-Learning Opportunities
Currently most volunteer opportunities we offer are in the state of Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayas of northern India, primarily in two areas:- Dharmalaya Institute: In the remote and serene Bir area (about 2 or 3.5 hours east of Dharamshala by car or bus, respectively), there are volunteer and service-learning opportunities in green building (eco-friendly earthen architecture), organic farming, permaculture landscaping, and other fields related to sustainable living at the Dharmalaya Institute. There are also volunteer opportunities for English teachers, computer skills teachers, and experienced video producers who are able to commit to volunteer for a minimum of four months. For details, see the Dharmalaya Institute.
- Dharamshala/DEVI: In the Dharamshala area (exile home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama), there is a constant need for English teachers and also periodic need for longer-term volunteers with other specialisations. See the DEVI page for details.