Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Dear friends,
We at http://www.mahapajapati.com are taking applications for female lay stewards. Please visit our web site for an application located on the contact page. We are located in the Mojave Desert but are within ten minutes drive of Yucca Valley, CA. So it is not as remote as it sounds. The main duties of a lay steward are to shop for groceries using the monastery funds, to prepare and offer a simple breakfast, prepare and offer the main meal of the day before mid-day. Ideally we would like to have two lay stewards so that each can have more time for practice. Still since we don't eat after mid-day there is ample time for meditation.

Please visit our web site to see pictures of this beautiful high desert location. For more questions you may reply to this thread or give us a call at 760-369-0460.

with friendliness,
Ayya Dipa

Hello Venerable Dippa

I am a man, so obviously this isn't for me. But I have a question for you:

Is the situation with the steward one where they would have the opportunity to take ordination later after a successful stint as a steward, or are you just looking for a long term lay practitioner to help with the monastery's up keep.

I hope everything is going well for you and your nuns, it is wonderful that there is a nunnery out in the desert - I have visions of a Canticle for Lebowitz. We would love it if you would choose to stick around here on the boards and discuss the Dhamma with us

with metta
Jack

Hi Jack,
There is the potential for ordination at our monastery but we would also happily accept a lay woman who is content with the eight precepts.
If she is set on pursuing ordination the process is a gradual one with one year as a lay steward and then if
the abbess agrees there can be a samaneri ten precept ordination. If the samaneri wishes to pursue bhikkhuni ordination
and the abbess agrees then that would require two years as a samaneri and then the agreement of a sangha of ten bhikkhunis
and ten bhikkhus. My ordination was held in Los Angeles at Dharma Vijaya and done in this way (dual ordination).

Our abbess is Ayya Gunasari.

with friendliness,
Ayya Dipa

Thank you Venerable.
I think I will put this thread in our announcements section.
kind regards,

Ben

Thank you Ben.

with friendliness,
Ayya Dipa