Resident Stewardships
In non-Buddhist countries, remote monasteries like Birken depend on the voluntary help of long-term Resident Lay Stewards. Stewards live at the monastery full-time and volunteer their services free of charge. This is an excellent opportunity for practitioners who are looking for a simple life devoted to the Buddha’s teachings, who are inspired to do meritorious acts of service for the monastic Sangha, and who wish to dwell in the company of like-minded individuals committed to these ideals.
We currently are welcoming applications for all positions and in particular from people who have kitchen or maintenance experience.
Suitable Resident Lay Steward candidates will possess:
– Excellent physical and mental health.
– Willingness to work every day in service to the monastery.
– Commitment of three months or longer (longer period required for Office Stewards).
– Willingness to learn and adapt; to live and cooperate harmoniously in community.
– Stable personality.
– Well-established meditation practice.
– Commitment to abide by the Eight Precepts while at the monastery.
– All COVID-19 vaccine doses and boosters to be considered fully vaccinated (with ability to provide proof of vaccination, if requested), and a willingness to continue getting them on the recommended 5-6 month timeframe. Please Note: This is a firm policy.
Preference is given to Canadians and candidates with a driver’s license.
People’s expectations of life at a monastery rarely match the realities of living in community and far away from city life.
For all new stewards, even for people who have visited us as guests in the past, the first two weeks of your service period will be treated as a trial period for both sides to assess our mutual suitability. Long term stays are subject to this two-week probationary period, as well as periodic approvals by the Abbot and the other members of the resident community.
Job Descriptions
KITCHEN STEWARD:
Kitchen Stewards are responsible for planning, shopping for and preparing meals for the resident community, as well as managing kitchen facilities and supplies, cleaning the kitchen & storage areas, organizing garbage & recycling, housekeeping the main Vihara building (including washrooms), and driving to Kamloops for weekly shopping & errands. These duties are shared amongst the kitchen stewards. Cooking experience would be an asset, although it is not required. Assisting in other areas of monastery duties may also be required.
MAINTENANCE STEWARD:
The male Resident Maintenance Steward assists with the daily maintenance of the monastery buildings, off-grid systems and grounds maintenance (including winter duties such as the daily starting and stoking of our wood stoves, clearing snow from roofs, walkways, and paths, as well as snow plowing our 7km logging road with a tractor). Candidates must have a capacity for heavy labour when required. The ideal candidate will possess handy-man skills and experience with basic carpentry / plumbing / electrical work (although this is not mandatory). Experience with tractor driving and off-grid systems would also be helpful. Assisting in other areas of monastery duties may also be required.
OFFICE STEWARD:
The Office Stewards are responsible for coordinating the monastery’s daily email, mail and phone correspondence; maintenance of the Birken website and some of the other communications materials; attending to the administrative needs of the resident monastics; providing support to Birken’s Treasurer and offsite Bookkeeper; and generally attending to all administrative and communications needs of the monastery. Ideal candidates will have good organizational, communication and computer skills, as well as prior experience in an office / administrative setting.
How to Apply:
We currently are welcoming applications for all positions and in particular from people who have kitchen or maintenance experience.
If you are interested in serving as a steward, read the information and job descriptions above. Also read our Guest Guide. It is an introduction to the monastery and outlines daily community life during times when we are open to guests.
Then – before applying – email the Office Steward for more information about what it is like to live and work at Birken currently. This will give you a clearer picture of what to expect, especially during the current Covid closure period.
Once you have taken everything in and are ready to fill in our online application form, click the “Apply Now” button below.
NOTE: As part of applying, you will need to provide us with an official record for the past 10 years of your driving experience (if applicable). Documents can be uploaded with the application form or emailed to the Office Steward. For British Columbia drivers, this website can provide the needed documents fast and online. For other jurisdictions, please provide the equivalent of the following documents:
- Driving record (Driver’s abstract)
- Insurance and claims history
Please don’t hesitate to email us if you have any questions!
meditate@birken.ca