Ten Thousand Hands
Ten Thousand HandsSeeking Location, Oregon, United States
Mission Statement
To establish an egalitarian community centered in meditation, simple and sustainable living, service and social action. A place where we honor each other as treasures, beholding each other and relating to each other with mutual appreciation and gratitude. A place where community is a practice and invitation to be companions of the way, friends who encourage, inspire and lovingly support each other in embodying a true and meaningful life, a free and liberated life, grounded in peace, kindness, compassion and great joy.
The community will also be headquarters for Ten Thousand Hands a 501(c)3 nonprofit motivated by an appreciation for the preciousness of all life, our relations with others and the world; our interconnectedness with all and boundless compassion. TTH is dedicated to the meditative life, to hearing the cries of all in need and responding with compassionate aid and together action for people, animals and the planet.
Community Description
Interested in Living in A Dharma House, Intentional Community-A Sangha, and a Non-Profit all in one/An Egalitarian Dharma Community That Is Family and Pet Friendly
Ten Thousand Hands is an unaffiliated and nonsectarian meditation organization. We are looking to establish an intentional community, urban and/or larger rural eco-village with an aim of living a simple meditative life, developing friendships with like-minded people, and supporting and encouraging each other in practicing and embodying the dharma. We will nurture our practice with sharing silence/group meditation, some shared meals and chores, monthly community meetings and organizational roles.
In addition to meditative work our work encompasses areas of food; shelter, hospitality and housing; clothing; outreach and care for incarcerated and formally incarcerated; the sick, elderly and dying; care for the dead; animal rescue, rehabilitation and sanctuary; sustainability (farm/food, housing, transportation), conservation and reclamation. Advocacy and activism for peace (opposing war and violence), justice, human and animal rights, sustainability and environmental care.
Group meditation which shall be open to the public, includes silent sittings interspersed with short walking periods followed by tea and occasionally a talk. One may meditate in whatever style they wish within the silent sitting and walking format. Private meetings with a teacher shall be made available throughout. All activities are optional though we ask that residence have a commitment to meditation and respect silence during designated silent times. There is no requirement to adopt any philosophy or beliefs to participate nor are there any rituals or ceremonies.
The living environment shall be both vegetarian/vegan friendly and ecologically friendly including preservation of nature and wildlife, as well as organic conservation farming. Food shall be mostly organic consisting of local produce. Meals offerings shall be vegan/vegetarian and sattvic/ayurvedic. Some shared meals shall be taken in silence and some in open fellowship (with talking).
Our structure is egalitarian with all major decisions made by the community as a whole in the manner of Friends (Quaker consensus).
Some of us may work outside jobs, others may work more around the house and on community projects, including outreach, community cottage industries/not for profit businesses and raising funds via donations.
Although all are welcome to apply, preference in available residential opportunities is given to those who consider their practice the center of their life and wish to deepen in it by contributing to a meditation community. We are also interested in those who hold knowledge/expertise in the areas of administration, public relations or development, fund raising, social media, and any area in which services are being offered.
All activities and services shall be offered as a gift, by free will donation basis.
We will purchase property to make it a permanent community, but for now we may rent one residence large enough for everyone.
VALUES AND CUSTOMS WE CHERISH AND SHARE
Repentance/penitence, atonement, kindness, compassion, honesty, humility, love of work and the arts, down to earthness, meditation, humor, simplicity/frugality, peace/non harming/nonviolence, freedom, self-reliance, selfless service, unpaid service to others, hospitality, holding goods in common, homelessness, charity, social justice, nonviolent resistance/direct action, wisdom and liberation. However, wisdom, compassion and liberation are given the highest emphasis, being the ground upon which all other customs arise.
Inspired by Ittoen (Japans oldest nonmonastic community), Zen and Forest Tradition Monasteries and Communities, Yoga Ashrams, Catholic Worker Houses, Intentional Egalitarian Communities/Ecovillages, The Society of Friends
Housing
Current Number of Residences: 5
Planned Residence Types: Room(s) in a house or building, Tiny house, Yurt, tee-pee, dome, treehouse, or tent, Mobile homes, RV’s, converted buses, Natural built structues
Housing Provided: Work-exchange, Included in Membership
Membership
Adult Members: 2
Child Members: 1
Percent Women: 51-60%
Percent Men: 1-10%
Visitors accepted: Yes
Open to new Members: Yes
Government
Decision Making: Consensus (everyone agrees)
Identified Leader: No
Leadership Core Group: No
Additional Comments:
Ten Thousand Hands is entirely egalitarian, without hierarchy or command. All important decisions are made by the community as a whole, in consensus. The community should appoint community officials to take care of various tasks, such as maintenance, farming, donations, and so on. Within each department, the respective official has authority, but there is no overruling authority for the organization or community as a whole, except for the bylaws themselves. There is no ‘abbot’, and there is no allowance for a power of command by seniors over juniors. The relationship to authority is based on respect, not obedience.
Economics
Dues, Fees, or Shared Expenses: No
Shared Income: All or close to all
Required Labor Contribution: Encouraged or suggested
Open to members with existing debt: Yes
Sustainability Practices
Planned renewable energy generation: 100%
Planned food produced: Almost All, around 90%
Food produced locally: From 50-75%
Lifestyle
Common Facilities: Common House, Garden(s), Library, Outdoor Kitchen
Shared meals: About once a week
Dietary Practice: Organic (no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers), GMO Free (only non-genetically modified organisms), Vegetarian Only (no animal meat; dairy and eggs okay) – Please check this only if you are 100% Vegetarian, Mostly Vegan
Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Somewhat – there are some dietary restrictions or customs.
Special Diets OK: Sometimes
Alcohol Use: No, this community does not permit alcohol use.
Additional Diet Comments:
Kitchens are vegetarian, Shared meals are vegan/vegetarian mostly sattvic/ayurvedic and organic when ever possible.
Common Spiritual Practice(s): Meditation (sitting and walking in silence), Welcome people of all backgrounds
Spiritual Practice Expected?: Yes
Education Style(s): Home Schooling, Up to each family or individual
Healthcare Options: Up to each family or individual
Additional Comments:
All of Ten Thousand Hands activities and services are offered free of charge, by free will donation-only basis, in the spirit of generosity and the gift economy. We chose to follow a simple life grounded in the dharma and “desire to give without thought of receiving”.
Source: https://www.ic.org/directory/ten-thousand-hands/
https://tenthousandhands.wordpress.com
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